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Sleen
"It is at night that the sleen hunts, that six-legged, long-bodied mammalian carnivore, almost as much a snake as an animal."
Outlaw of Gor, page 26
"The vicious, six-legged sleen, large-eyed, sinuous, mammalian but resembling a furred, serpentine lizard, was a reliable, indefatigable hunter. He could follow a scent days old with ease, and then, perhaps hundreds of pasangs, and days, later, be unleashed for the sport of the hunters, to tear his victim to pieces."
Raiders of Gor, page 105
"I caught a strange, unpleasant scent, much like a common weasel or ferret, only stronger. In that instance every sense was alert...I thought I heard a slight sniffling, a grunt, a small doglike whine...Most likely it was a sleen, hopefully a young one...Then I saw it, on its six short legs, undulate across the road, like a furred lizard, its pointed, whiskered snout swaying from side to side testing the wind...It was indeed a young sleen, not more than eight feet long..."
Outlaw of Gor, pages 34-35
"The sleen is Gor's most perfect hunter."
Hunters of Gor, page 156
"...I saw the sleen, this time a full grown animal, some nineteen or twenty feet long, charging toward me, swiftly, noiselessly, its ears straight against its pointed head, its fur slick with rain, its fangs bared, its wide nocturnal eyes bright with the lust of the kill."
Outlaw of Gor, page 36
"There are many varieties of sleen, and most varieties can be, to one extent or another, domesticated. The two most common sorts of trained sleen are the smaller, tawny prairie sleen, and the large, brown or black forest sleen, sometimes attaining a length of twenty feet. In the north, I am told the snow sleen has been domesticated. The sleen is a dangerous and fairly common animal on Gor, which has adapted itself to a variety of environments. There is even an aquatic variety, called the sea sleen, which is one of the swiftest and most dreaded beasts in the sea."
Slave Girl of Gor, page 185
"Sleen are used for a multitude of purposes on Gor, but most commonly
they are used for herding, tracking, guarding and patrolling. The verr and the bosk are the most common animals herded; tabuk and slave girls are the most common animals tracked; the uses to which the sleen is put to guarding and patrolling are innumerable; it is used to secure borders, to prowl walls and protect camps; it may run loose in the streets after curfews...."
Slave Girl of Gor, page 186
"I saw its belly lower itself to the ground, the head still lifted, watching me. Its tail lashed, its eyes blazed. It inched forward. It had two rows of fangs."
Slave Girl of Gor, page 184
"The hides can serve as harnesses for the snow sleen..."
Beasts of Gor, page 169
"A recalcitrant girl may be kept on the oar for hours. There is also, however some danger in this, for sea sleen and the white sharks of the north occasionally attempt to tear such a girl from the oar."
Marauders of Gor, page 66
"She wore, over her shoulder, a cape of white fur of the northern sea sleen."
Marauders of Gor, page 25
"...I saw a pair of prairie sleen, smaller than the forest sleen but quite as unpredictable and vicious, each about seven feet in length, furred, six-legged mammalian, moving in their undulating gait, with their viper's heads moving from side to side continually testing the winds..."
Nomads of Gor, page 2
Slime Worm
"We had not walked far when we passed a long, wormlike animal, eyeless, with a small red mouth, that inched its way along the corridor, hugging the angle between the wall and the floor.... 'What do you call it?' I asked. 'Oh,' said one of the slaves, 'it is a Slime Worm.'... 'It scavenges on the kills of the Golden Beetle...' "
Priest-Kings of Gor, pages 105-106
Sorp (Vosk Sorp)
A shellfish, oyster-like "Ho-Hak looked at the man who wore the headband of pearls of the Vosk sorp."
Raiders of Gor, page 21
"He sat upon a giant shell of the Vosk sorp, as on a sort of throne, which for these people, I gather it was."
Raiders of Gor, page 14
"Her hair was blond and straight, tied behind her with a ribbon of blue wool, from the bounding Hurt, dyed in the blood of the Vosk sorp."
Marauders of Gor, pages 1-2
Swamp Spiders
Actually these are known as the Spider People. They are rational and speak to humans through the use of a translator device. They are large spiders that live in the swamps near Ar. "Approaching me, stepping daintily for all its bulk, prancing over the strands, came one of the Swamp Spiders of Gor....and I caught sight of the mandibles, like curved knives...He then backed away from me on his eight legs...I saw then for the first time that strapped to his abdomen, was a translation device....They hunt us and leave only enough of us alive to spin the Cur-lon Fiber used in the mills of Ar."
Tarnsman of Gor, pages 81-83
Tabuk
Two varieties inhabit Gor; the smaller yellow tabuk of the plains, and the larger Northern Tabuk. Both are hunted for meat and hides. "They were northern tabuk, massive, tawny and swift; many of them ten hands at the shoulder, a quite different animal from the small, yellow-pelted antelope-like quadruped of the south. On the other hand, they too were distinguished by the single horn of the tabuk. On these animals, however, that object, in swirling ivory, was often, at its base, some two and one half inches in diameter, and better than a yard in length. A charging tabuk, because of the swiftness of its reflexes, is quite a dangerous animal."
Beasts of Gor, page 152
"Gripped in the talons of the tarn was the dead body of an antelope, one of the one-horned, yellow antelopes called tabuks that frequent the bright Ka-la-na thickets of Gor."
Tarnsman of Gor, page 145
Tarn
"Though the tarn, like most birds, is surprisingly light for its size, this primarily having to do with the comparative hollowness of the bones, it is an extremely powerful bird, powerful even beyond what one would expect from such a monster. Whereas large Earth birds, such as the eagle, must, when taking flight from the ground, begin with a running start, the tarn with its incredible musculature, aided undoubtedly by the somewhat lighter gravity of Gor, can with a spring and a sudden flurry of its giant wings lift both himself and hi rider into the air. In Gorean, these birds are sometimes spoken of as Brothers of the Wind. The plumage of tarns is various, and they are bred for their colors as well as their strength and intelligence. Black tarns are used for night raids, white tarns in winter campaigns, and multicolored, resplendent tarns are bred for warriors who wish to ride proudly, regardless of the lack of camouflage. The most common tarn, however is greenish brown. Disregarding the disproportion in size, the Earth bird which the tarn most closely resembles is the hawk, with the exception that it has a crest somewhat of the nature of a jay's. Tarns, who are vicious things are seldom more than half tamed and, like their diminutive earthly counterparts, the hawks, are carnivorous. It is not unknown for a tarn to attack and devour his own rider. They fear nothing but the tarn-goad.."
Tarnsman of Gor, pages 51-52
"The platform drew closer, and the the wonder of the crowd I went to meet it. My heart was beating wildly. I scrutinized the tarn. Its lineaments were not unfamiliar. I examined the glistening, sable plumage; the monstrous yellow beak now cruelly belted together. I saw the great wings snap, smitting the air, the hurricane from their blow spilling slaves into the sand, tangling chains, as the great beast, lifting its head and smelling the open air, struck it with his wings. It would not attempt to fly while hooded; indeed, I doubted that the bird would attempt to fly while it dragged its bar of silver. If it was the bird I thought it to be it would not futilely contest the weight of the degrading hobble, would not provide a spectacle of its helplessness for its captors. I know this sounds strange, but I believe some animals have pride, and if any did, I knew that this monster was one of them."
Outlaw of Gor, page 118
"The tarn is guided by virtue of a throat strap, to which are attached, normally, six leather streamers, or reins, which are fixed in a metal ring on the forward portion of the saddle. The reins are of different colors, but one learns them by ring position and not color. Each of the reins attaches to a small ring on the throat strap, and the rings are spaced evenly. Accordingly, the mechanics are simple. One draws on the streamer, or rein, which is attached to the ring most nearly approximating the direction in which one wishes to go. For example, to land or lose altitude, one uses the four-strap which exerts pressure on the four-ring, which is located beneath the throat of the tarn. To rise into flight, or gain altitude, one draws on the one-strap, which exerts pressure on the one-ring, which is located on the back of the tarn's neck. The throat-strap rings, corresponding to the position of the reins on the main saddle ring, are numbered in a clockwise fashion."
Tarnsman of Gor, page 55
"During the day I freed my tarn to allow him to feed as he would. They are diurnal hunters and eat only what they catch themselves, usually one of the fleet Gorean antelopes or a wild bull, taken on the run and lifted in the monstrous talons to a high place, where it is torn to pieces and devoured."
Tarnsman of Gor, page 73
"The tarns were, of course, racing tarns, a bird in many ways quite different from the common tarns of Gor, or the war tarns. The differences among these tarns are not simply in the training, which does differ, but in size, strength, build and tendencies of the bird. Some tarns are bred primarily for strength and are used in transporting wares by carrying basket. Usually these birds fly more slowly and are less vicious than the war tarns or racing tarns. The war tarns, of course, are bred for both strength and speed, but also for agility, swiftness of reflex, and combative instincts. War tarns, whose talons are shod with steel, tend to be extremely dangerous birds, even more so than other tarns, none of whom could be regarded as fully domesticated. The racing tarn, interestingly, is an extremely light bird; two men can lift one; even its beak is narrower and lighter than the common tarn or war tarn; its wings are commonly broader and shorter than those of other tarns, permitting a swifter take off..."
Assassin of Gor, pages 143-144
Tarsk
"I thought of the yellow Gorean bread, baked in the shape of round, flat loaves, fresh and hot; my mouth watered for a tabuk steak or, perhaps, if I were lucky, a slice of roast tarsk, the formidable six-tusked wild boar of Gor's temperate forests."
Outlaw of Gor, page 76
"I heard the squealing of a domestic tarsk running nearby..."
Raiders of Gor, page 16
Thalarion
A lizard like animal used in various ways. Thalarions inhabit many parts of Gor; there exist High Thalarions, used by Warriors, they are carnivorous; Broad Thalarions, used as draft animals are not carnivorous; River Thalarions, also used as draft animals to pull the barges on the rivers, though there is one type of river thalarion, called a Mamba, both of which are carnivorous; a predator; Rock Thalarions, a small reptile of the Tahari; and Water Thalarions, which inhabit the marshes, these, too, are carnivorous. Thalarion fat is rendered to make lamp oil. "The high thalarions, unlike their draft brethren, the slow-moving, four-footed broad thalarions, were carnivorous."
Tarnsman of Gor, page 125
"The ringing of the thalarions shod claws on the rode grew louder...He rode the species of thalarion called the high thalarion, which ran on it's two back feet in great bounding strides. Its cavernous mouth was lined with long, gleaming teeth. Its two small, ridiculously disproportionate forelegs dangled absurdly in front of its body."
Tarnsman of Gor, page 115
"When the high thalarion moves slowly, its stride is best described as a proud, stalking movement, each great clawed foot striking the earth with a measured rhythm. When urged to speed, however, the high thalarion bounds, in great leaping movements that carry it twenty paces at a time."
Tarnsman of Gor, page 125
"Behind them, stretching into the distance, came a long line of broad thalarions, or the four-footed draft monsters of Gor. These beasts, yoked in braces, were drawing mighty wagons, filled with merchandise protected under the lashings of its red rain-canvas."
Tarnsman of Gor, page 118
"To my right, some two or three feet under the water, I saw the sudden, rolling yellowish flash of the slatted belly of a water thalarion, turning as it made its swift strike..."
Raiders of Gor, page 1
"A huge thalarion, seeing the image on the water, half rose from the marsh, jaws clashing, and then dropped back into the water."
Raiders of Gor, page 92
"A broad, low-sided barge began to back toward the pier. It had two large steering oars, manned by bargemen. It was draw by two gigantic, web-footed river thalarion....They were scaled, vast and long-necked. Yet in the water it seemed, for all their bulk, they moved delicately. One dipped its head under the surface and, moments later, the head emerged, dripping, the eyes blinking, a silverish fish struggling in the small, triangular-toothed jaws."
Captive of Gor, pages 79-80
Tumit
Large, flightless, carnivorous birds of the plains. "...beyond them I saw one of the tumits, a large, flightless bird whose hooked beak, as long as my forearm, attested only too clearly to its gustatory habits; I lifted my shield and grasped the long spear, but it did not turn in my direction; it passed, unaware;..."
Nomads of Gor, page 2
"I gathered that the best season for hunting tumits, the large, flightless carnivorous birds of the southern plains was at hand..."
Nomads of Gor, page 331
Ul
A predatory, winged thalarion, pterodactyl-like "Only one creature in the marshes dares to outline itself against the sky, the predatory Ul, the winged thalarion."
Raiders of Gor, page 1
"Also, at night, crossing the bright disks of Gor's three moon, might ocassionally be seen the silent, predatory shadow of the ul, a giant pterodactyl ranging far from its native swamps in the delta of the Vosk."
Outlaw of Gor, page 26
Urt
A rodent/rat-like animal that can be quite large or small. Like mice and rats, it is able to live in just about any environment; such as sewers or forests alike. "It was a giant urt, fat, sleek and white; it bared its three rows of needlelike white teeth at me and squealed in anger; two horns, tusks like flat crescents curved from its jaw; another two horns, similar to the first, modifications of the bony tissue forming the upper ridge of the eye socket, protruded over those gleaming eyes that seemed to feast themselves upon me..."
Outlaw of Gor, page 86
"The urt is a loathsome, horned Gorean rodent; some are quite large, the size of wolves or ponies, but most are very small, tiny enough to be held in the palm of one hand."
Nomads of Gor, page 125
"I heard one of the giant canal urts twist in the water somewhere beneath me."
Raiders of Gor, page 119
"The giant urts, silken and blazing-eyed, living mostly on the garbage in the canals, are not stranger to bodies, both living and dead, found cast into their waters."
Raiders of Gor, page 121
"Over her shoulders she had two small, furred animals, hideous forest urts, about the size of cats, and in her left hand she carried four small, green-and-yellow-plumaged birds."
Captive of Gor, page 237
"Their catch, returned to the Tesephone, in a cage, covered with canvas, carried on the back of Thurnus, had been six, rather large forest urts, about the size of tiny dogs."
Hunters of Gor, page 38
Vart
A batlike flying rodent, often the size of a small dog. It is blind, and carnivorous. "Perhaps most I dreaded those nights filled with the shrieks of the vart pack, a blind, batlike swarm of flying rodents, each the size of a small dog. They could strip a carcass in a matter of minutes...Moreover, some vart packs were rabid."
Outlaw of Gor, page 26
"I could, however, recognize a row of brown varts, clinging upside down like large matted fists of teeth and fur and leather on the heavy, bare, scarred branch in their case."
Priest-Kings of Gor, page 191
"Tyros is a rugged island, with mountains. She is famed for her vart caves, and indeed, on that island, trained varts, batlike creatures, some the size of small dogs, are used as weapons."
Raiders of Gor, page 139
Verr
Mountain goat/goat like animal used for milk and meat. Some are domesticated. "...perhaps after the agile and bellicose Gorean mountain goat, the long haired, spiral horned verr..."
Tarnsman of Gor, page 147
"The verr was a mountain goat indigenous to the Voltai. It was a wild, agile, ill-tempered beast, long-haired and spiral-horned. Among the Voltai crags it would be worth one's life to come within twenty yards of one."
Priest-Kings of Gor, page 63
"I passed fields that were burning, and burning huts of peasants, the smoking shells of Sa-Tarna granaries, the shattered, slatted coops for vulos, the broken walls of keeps for the small, long-haired domestic verr, less belligerent and sizable than the wild verr of the Voltai ranges."
Nomads of Gor, page 10
"Kaiila and verr are found at the oases, but not in great numbers. The herds of these animals are found in the desert. They are kept by nomads, who move them from one area of verr grass to another, or from one water hole to another..."
Tribesmen of Gor, page 37
"Behind them came another of their caste, leading two milk verr which he had purchased."
Beasts of Gor, page 47
Vulo
"She was a peasant, barefoot, her garment little more than coarse sacking. She had been carrying a wicker basket containing vulos, domesticated pigeons raised for eggs and meat."
Nomads of Gor, page 1
"Soon, I smelled the frying of vulo eggs in a large, flat pan..."
Slave Girl of Gor, page 73
"I smelled roast bosk cooking, and fried vulo...I held the leg of the fried vulo toward one of the girls..."
Hunters of Gor, page 34
"...the shattered, slatted coops for vulos, the broken walls of keeps for the small, long-haired domestic verr, less belligerent and sizable than the wild verr of the Voltai ranges."
Nomads of Gor, page 10
Zadit
A bird of the Tahari. Feeds on the sand flies and other insects that infest the kaiila. "The zadit is a small, tawny-feathered, sharp-billed bird. It feeds on insects. When sand flies and other insects, emergent after rains, infest kaiila, they frequently light on the animals, and remain for some hours, hunting insects. This relieves the kaiila of the insects but leaves it with numerous small wounds, which are unpleasant and irritating, where the bird had dug insects out of its hide."
Tribesmen of Gor, page 152
Zarlit Fly
Resembles a large dragonfly; and is harmless "I did see a large, harmless zarlit fly, purple, about two feet long with four translucent wings, spanning about a yard, humming over the surface of the water, then alighting and, on its padlike feet, daintily picking its way across the surface."
Raiders of Gor, page 5
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