Through considerable risk and great fortune, I have finally procured a detailed observation of the reproductive habits of the Chaurus. These creatures, with their indomitable exoskeleton—

harder than most metals known to our forges—have fascinated many, yet few live to recount their intimate behaviors. Herein, I document what I believe to be an anatomically correct rendering of

their mating process.

     The Chaurus, while being a four-legged predator armed with formidable mandibles and armored head to tail, possesses a reproductive method as complex as it is formidable. Their anatomy

defies simple classification, appearing to mimic that of a mammal in function, though their progeny come forth through eggs.

Male Anatomy

    The male organ is a curious appendage, measuring roughly eight inches when fully extended and all but hidden in the carapace when not. It resembles a thick pliable straw, composed of firm

but flexible tissue. Within the main tract lies a muscular tube that coils alongside the wall of the penis. This smaller tube, lacking the rigidity of the penis is very strong.

Mating and Egg Transfer

    During mating, the male thrusts his penile-like organ into the female’s reproductive cavity, which in structure and I can only assume function resembles  the mammalian womb. The eggs,

prepared for transfer, are delivered through the main passage of the penis, potentially helped along the path by the inner coil. After a few seconds of thrusting and the last of the eggs has entered

the female, the muscular tube begins to uncoil and begin its peculiar task.

    Unfurling, it extends deeper within the womb in search of her fallopian-like channels. Upon reaching deep into the channels, it pumps about 4 cups of a thick, gray, adhesive like fluid. This

substance I would theorize provides a dual purpose: it fertilizes the eggs and provides them with a nutrient-rich medium for their initial development. The viable eggs anchor themselves to the

womb’s wall and one another, forming a lattice akin to a tightly woven net.

Protective Sealing

    Once the fertilization is complete and the male retracts his appendage, The excess gray liquid that leaks out the vaginal opening  is exposed to air and solidifies, sealing off access to the womb

with a leathery patch. This appears to prevent any further mating attempts, and ensures that the fertilized clutch remains undisturbed until it is ready to hatch.  Indeed, when I dissected a dead

female - who happened to have been pregnant at the time - this gray liquid began to harden in minutes. Using an old technique of vacuum sealing, I was able to get some of this liquid (more the

consistency of bees honey) to remain fluid.