Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Pyrausta, the unwitting incendiary

The famous pyrausta is this time’s creature. I really enjoyed learning about it, as it is a very interesting pirozoo (or pyrozoo). The artist this time is none other than my good friend Midnight City. She has a very distinct and imaginative style that I adore and found perfect for such an interesting creature. A little anecdote about this one: I made a mistake while translating the original text (French), understanding that the pyrausta didn’t have a mouth. It does have one, using it to bite other pyraustas or move coals, etc. but doesn’t eat with it: apparently, the heat is its nourishment. Elian proposes the idea that these creatures are small because of the space given in the ovens, but that if they lived in active volcanoes or any other more spacious place, they might grow much more. Scagliero & Solino refute this notion by pointing out the creature’s delicate structure: a heavier body would actually kill it, or, it’d need plenty of heat to survive once it reached a gargantuan size.

About Midnight City: she is currently a student, but her future looks quite promising given her vision of things :) You can check her amazing work on DA: http://midnightcity.deviantart.com/
Or through her blog:  http://klobbmc.blogspot.com/
Whichever the case, I’m sure you’ll be astonished ;)