Gruut

The Imperial name for a small (20 kg), herbivorous marsupial reptile, found on the Aslan-inhabited worlds of Oihoiei (Reaver's Deep 0230), Khyaleiftaoaoher (Reaver's Deep 0332), Hrike (Reaver's Deep 0530), and Hrealeiwea' (Reaver's Deep 0531). The female gruut lays up to eight eggs per season - but subsequently eats one or more eggs herself (an unusual instinct-driven reaction, apparently to keep the gruut population from exceeding the local area's ability to support it). The mother places the undevoured eggs in two large hip pouches where they remain until they hatch.

Once they hatch, the mother cares for the offspring until they are old enough to fend for themselves (about 60 standard days). Nocturnal by nature, gruuts (or kehe'ea, as the Aslan call them) mostly eat watergrasses and some small fruits. To-date, efforts to make pets of them have been unsuccessful.

- Source: Periodical: MegaTraveller Travellers' Digest No. 16