Daptomicrophagus argos

 

The C-97 Plainstaff
Daptomicrophagus argos
Height: 30 ft at Hip
Length: 40 ft
Fanspan: 80 ft
Weight: 15 tons
Threat Level: Low- can easily be approached
Description: Striding the deserts of this distant planet is one of the more unique animals to have evolved by standard carbonized means. The plainstaff, despite appearances, is a gentile filter feeder. It's not very bright, nor is it fast. Its only true defense is its proclivity to gather in herds. They certainly don't do it on purpose- they have very few truly functional senses aside from their sense of touch. So they stride in the desert, travelling away from the wind and catching microorganisms in their massive sails.
Being so dim and easy to hunt, only one or two individuals from a family of hundreds of thousands make it to maturity. Fortunately, their bizarre nature accounts for this. The Plainstaff reproduces asexually; for a few days every few weeks, it seems to slow down somewhat in terms of both motor skill and cognitive function for the intense internal processes. As it grinds to a halt, minute, crystaline eggs form on its inner wings. With a shake of its membranes, they all fall to the ground, and the beast resumes its regular activity of feeding.
It's widely agreed that nature is bored with this creature and is frantically searching for something more exciting.

Rendered in Photoshop