Mammuthus braililus

Biography
Mammuthus braililus, also known as the Brailaheim Mammoth is an extinct species of elephant. Estimated to have lived through the Melwendian period to Regolithic period, estimated 3.5 million to 14 thousand years ago. Full grown specimens are estimated to be 3.9 meters in height, and average length of 20 feet in length, With an average weight of 3 to 4 tons. This made it one of the few largest herbivores in it's region. The earliest known recovered specimens of M. braililus date back to the founding of Brailaheim in Central Yuvaria, hence its name.

Description
Mammuthus braililus is suggested to have been social creatures travelling in herds of 10 to 16, this is to be taken into account as the largest known herd was a bone beds found in plains of modern Yuvaria. The animal possessed two elongated trunks that descended from the upper jaw, an common length of 10 feet. Like other elephants, M. braililus evolved with a large posable trunk that descended from it's snout, a appendage made from the nose and upper lip fusing. The trunk was pure muscle, there was no hard tissue such as bone or cartilage used to support the trunk. For there was no bone or other hard tissue, trunks didn't fossilize like the rest of the specimen. This resulted in the early reconstruction of the animal having a large flat nose at the front of it's face. This would later be disproven after a mummified carcass was discovered in the lower peaks of the neighboring mountain. M. braililus was one of the largest terrestrial herbivores in its native environment, being dwarfed by Gigantofossor. Unlike other species of elephants, B. braililus' mummified specimens revealed it to have smaller ears, as this would be effective to conserving body heat, where relative species possessed large ears to help regulate heat produced by their bodies. The tusks of M. braililus were most likely used for self defense against predators or other members of its species. An example of this usage is displaying dominance among males for mating rights over a herd of females. Sparring with their tusks until one submits.

The trunks were posable consisting only of muscle matter. The trunks were used to grasp and feel objects and their environment. For feeding, their trunks could clutch and or suck up water and food spraying it into their mouths. However they could serve more purposes than just feeding. For more delicate tasks like wiping eyes or checking orifices. It is also assumed that the trunk could be used to assist in wrestling, either it being playful interactions among younger calves, or used in aid of defense.

Ecology
Being one of the largest terrestrial mammals in it's environment, Mammuthus braililus had little threat of the common carnivorous wildlife. With their immense size, these animals had to consume large quantities of plant matter in order to sustain a healthy level of fat and energy to sustain body temperatures in order to survive the colder climates. Gestation of these animals may have played a pivotal rule in the reproduction of plant life, serving as nutrients, as it merged with soil inhabiting seeds and spores of plants. There is so far no reliable answer to explain the extinction of the species. Theories suggest that early human tribes could have over hunted them. Another theory suggests a total lack of predators left an imbalance in the food chain, resulting in the species to die out.