Insero Latin. To plant, to sow
-grade Latin, "slow step" |
Inserogrades are a conceptual species I created as a part of a four-week, free-choice assignment for one of my classes at RISD. I chose to create a somewhat believable, scientifically accurate species using pre-existing biological concepts and adaptations exhibited by various living species on our planet.
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Creative information & useDate of creation:
Species Status: Private, Conceptual Many thanks to...
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Derivative works:
Intellectual Property:
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About Inserogrades
Inserogrades are huge, slow creatures that form a symbiotic relationship with plant growth on their surface in order to survive. As they are unable to collect energy in any way, they rely on their ability to integrate with plant photosynthetic systems. Most of their exchanges take place between their skin and the plants they grow, they are completely hollow with no internal organs. Inserogrades achieve locomotion though pneumatic air chambers in their legs. They move at an incredibly slow pace and are constantly searching for sunlight, water, and nutrient-rich soil to care for their plants.
Slideshow
Prepared as a part of my final project presentation. Navigate using the arrows at the top right of the slide (which appear upon hovering your cursor) or click on the sequential thumbnails below.
About (section incomplete)
Senses
Inserogrades are extremely sensitive to atmospheric pressure and can detect changes three to five days before a storm occurs. Upon detecting a threatening storm, they respond by releasing all of the air in their bodies and flatten themselves to the ground or anchor to a tree to avoid being affected by strong winds. This air release through the inserograde's vent holes produces a prolonged, low whistle that may harmonise with the whistles of other inserogrades in the area. People living in forest areas forest areas have dubbed them "whistling giants" and know when to expect a vicious storm by heeding their warning.
Write up.....
-locomotion (it takes about a minute for an inserograde to take a single step)
-behavior in response to extreme conditions (will flatten themselves to the ground or a tree, depending on whether there is expected wind/rain/lightning)
-how various plants affect the inserograde; ie. trees and their weight
-lore relating to people living around them
Inserogrades are extremely sensitive to atmospheric pressure and can detect changes three to five days before a storm occurs. Upon detecting a threatening storm, they respond by releasing all of the air in their bodies and flatten themselves to the ground or anchor to a tree to avoid being affected by strong winds. This air release through the inserograde's vent holes produces a prolonged, low whistle that may harmonise with the whistles of other inserogrades in the area. People living in forest areas forest areas have dubbed them "whistling giants" and know when to expect a vicious storm by heeding their warning.
Write up.....
-locomotion (it takes about a minute for an inserograde to take a single step)
-behavior in response to extreme conditions (will flatten themselves to the ground or a tree, depending on whether there is expected wind/rain/lightning)
-how various plants affect the inserograde; ie. trees and their weight
-lore relating to people living around them
ConCeptual Development
Conceptual Goals
My original concept goals included creating enormous creatures that relied completely on plant life in order to survive. I also wanted these creatures to have an incredible lifespan and be able to "sleep" or go into suspended animation for hundreds of years through unfavourable conditions as an added survival tactic. Essentially, Inserogrades are my take on what giants would look like if they ever existed on earth- enigmatic beings that, at first glance, can only be described by how huge they are.
The Early Stages
During the early visual development of inserogrades, their appearance was comparable to a bear-sized pangolin or anteater. Their appearance would change drastically over the course of the project.
Their original mammalian appearance was just a starting point. Although cute, it had little to do with the concepts I was trying to integrate into them. Helpful feedback from my teacher, Gareth Jones, included "You need to make them look like nothing else on this planet". After that, I determined that Inserogrades' incredibly slow pace of life, plant-like processes and lack of intelligence meant that they had no need for eyes, a mouth, or any internal organs. Their inability to process their own sugars/energy also explains their need for symbiotic relationships with plants.
I modeled their locomotive functions off of the deep-sea Scotoplane, which uses water-filled cavities to inflate its legs and walk along the sea floor. Inserogrades' locomotion uses the same principle, but with air and on land.
continue writing...
I modeled their locomotive functions off of the deep-sea Scotoplane, which uses water-filled cavities to inflate its legs and walk along the sea floor. Inserogrades' locomotion uses the same principle, but with air and on land.
continue writing...