Unis Part 2: Subspecies of Uni

During my time in Neopia, I've noticed that Unis, and all other Neopets for that matter, are divided into what the beings back in my world would call subspecies, or species within a species. In this part of my research, I will break down the different subspecies of Uni for you. Using the same methods I used to write my last article, I've narrowed the subspecies of Uni down to the following:

Centralian Unis

These Unis are native to Neopia Central. They are the most common subspecies and are generally one of the four basic colors (red, green, blue and yellow). They follow the description that I wrote about them in the last article, unlike a few other subspecies, but more on this in a bit. They are the ones that most Uni owners are likely to have.

Royalian Unis

These Unis live in the part of Neopia that contains Brightvale, Meridell and Darigan. There are three different groups of this subspecies, each one living in a different part of that peninsula. (In case you don't know what it means, a peninsula is a piece of land that is surrounded on all but one side by water.) The Brightvalian Unis, who live in Brightvale, have brains bigger than that of the average owner. It is believed that they were the first of the three groups to wear clothes. The Meridellian Unis live, or rather lived, in Meridell. I have tried to do research, but it turns out that they have gone extinct, or have basically disappeared forever. A natural disaster made them so stressed that it kept the females from reproducing, or having babies. Eventually, there were no more of this group left anywhere.

The Unis you see in Meridell today are either Brightvalian or Darigan Unis who choose to live there for an unknown reason. Darigan Unis live in (er, on) Darigan. Although they're still herbivores, these Unis are very vicious, or mean and warlike. Unlike most other Unis, Darigan Unis have cloven hooves (hooves that are split into two toes), red eyes that add to a scary appearance, a horn with scales on it to make it extra sharp, wings like a Korbat's and tusks that look like a Moehog's, only smaller. These features help it defend its territory, or living space, from other Unis as well as to fend off its very few enemies.

Mountain Unis

These Unis, who are commonly known as Christmas Unis, live on and around Terror Mountain. They are white with red and green manes and red tails. Every year, they migrate, or travel, to Neopia's mysterious South Pole to stay within the limited warmth that these icecaps have within their summer months. (In the southern half of Neopia, the seasons are switched around.) During these migrations, a Uni can fly up to 2,000 miles before landing on the ground to find food and/or rest and then flying again. Mountain Unis are commonly seen with holly wreaths around their necks. No one knows why.

Desert Unis

These Unis are native to the Lost Desert. They are sometimes called “Camel Unis” by TNT and other humans because, like a creature from my world called a camel, these creatures have figured out how to survive in the harsh conditions of their home. They have broad, flat hooves that keep them from sinking into the sand, a thick mane to protect its neck from the extreme heat, nostrils that can slam shut in the event of a sandstorm and two rows of eyelashes to protect their eyes.

In spite of being such amazing creatures, however, these Unis are extinct in the wild, meaning that they still exist, but the ones that are left have been domesticated, or tamed. In this case, they were captured by other Neopians who moved to the Lost Desert, were looking for some form of transportation and found the Desert Unis to be perfect. On the upside, these Unis have become smart over time and now wear clothes in certain places to protect what little fur they have.

Woodland Unis

Woodland Unis, also called Halloween Unis, live in the Haunted Woods. I have yet to thoroughly understand this subspecies, but I will tell you that they are similar in appearance to the legendary Nightsteed. Maybe he originally lived in the Haunted Woods. Fiery hooves and an extra sharp horn are the only defenses that I know these Unis have, but I assure you that I'll find out more in time.

Aquatic Unis

Aquatic Unis, or Unis that live underwater, are rather odd compared to some of the other subspecies that I've seen. For starters, they have the forehooves of their land-dwelling cousins, but they have a Flotsam-like tail instead of hind legs. Also, over time, their wings appear to have changed into special fins that they use to push themselves through the water. In addition, contrary to popular belief, these Unis still breathe air, holding their breath under water for up to an hour at a time before coming to the surface to breath through their noses.

Like the Royalian Uni, the Aquatic Uni is divided into three groups. The Maraquan Uni, which is by far the most well-known group, is commonly seen in Maraqua, but can be found in other oceans as well. They can only live in salt water and are easy to spot because of their blue and dark blue striped skin. Freshwater Unis, a recently extinct group of Uni, used to live in freshwater bodies of water, such as Kiko Lake. The last known specimen was reeled in by an Usul named Richard from a river near Neopia Central and couldn't survive long enough to get to a freshwater tank. The third group, called Salmon Unis, got their name from a fish in my world that makes yearly migrations between saltwater and freshwater regions, because the Salmon Uni does the same thing. Like Salmon, Salmon Unis are born in freshwater bodies of water, migrate to the ocean when they get older, and go back to the same river or lake where they were born to have babies. But unlike Salmon, they seem to be able to live long enough to look after their young. I must find out more soon.

Islander Unis

Islander Unis, or Island Unis for short, live on Mystery Island. There are several kinds of Island Uni, but the most common variety is the Zebra Uni. Zebra Unis are white with tan markings all over their bodies. No two patterns are exactly alike, and herds of Zebra Unis can come together to make their patterns look too blurry to single out just one, hence the name “Zebra Unis”. (A creature in my world called a zebra does the same thing.) They also have leafy manes and tails, some with fake flowers that help them blend into their surroundings even more. Other Islander Unis include, but aren't limited to, Cloud Uni and Speckled Uni.

Faerie Unis

The Faerie Uni lives in Faerieland. True to their name, a Faerie Uni's wings look more like those of a Faerie than those of a Uni. A sky blue coat and a fluffy white mane and tail seem to help it blend into its surroundings, but I'm not sure why. After all, there aren't any animals in Faerieland that are hostile enough to be a Faerie Uni's natural enemy. Why Faerie Unis, other Faerie Neopets, Faerie petpets and just plain Faeries are able to stand on Faerieland is also a mystery. Faerieland is made up of clouds, and clouds are just condensed water vapor by another name. But I'm sure I'll find out the answer eventually.

Krawkilion Unis

Many people think that these Unis are a kind of Island Uni. But Krawkilion, or Pirate, Unis don't even live on Mystery Island. They live on Krawk Island. They are grey with black manes and tails and most of them wear pirate clothes. You might already know this, but what you might not know is that this Uni is venomous, making them Neopia's only venomous Uni. In case you don't know what that means, here's what I mean. Pirate Unis have special venom glands, which produce a special poison called venom, inside their skulls. These glands are kept in an area just above the cranium, or brain case. When a Pirate Uni feels threatened, they stab whoever was bothering them with their horns and the venom escapes through a tiny hole at the tip, called a venom pore. When this is done to other Neopians, the result is a mild form of Reptillioritus, nothing that Cactopus Cream can't fix. But when it's injected into a human like me, the disease can be quite serious. I learned that the hard way. I asked this one Pirate Uni too many questions and then it took a combination of Cactopus Cream and melted Medicinal Soap to heal me.

Tyrannian Unis

Tyrannian Unis, or Proto Unis as some people call them, live mainly in Tyrannia. They are the missing link between Unis and other members of the horse family, which strikes me as weird because horses live in my world, not in Neopia. But before I get too sidetracked, I will tell you that Tyrannian Unis are called Eomonoceres Avian, or dawn one horn wing, by scientists like me. They have thick, shaggy, brown fur, an Ixi-like beard, and Tyrannian Korbat-like wings. Fossils, or old bones preserved in rock, tell us that Tyrannian Unis used to live all over Neopia, but then something happened that caused Neopia to have several different climates in several different places, and the Eomonoceres Avian evolved into all the Unis we know today, only staying in its original form in Tyrannia and on the Tyrannian Plateau.

Before I finish this article, I'll reveal the scientific names of all the subspecies to you the way I did for the Tyrannian Uni:

Centralian Uni = Monoceres Avian Maximus, or one horn wing big

Royalian Uni = Monoceres Avian Peninsulas, or one horn wing peninsula

Mountain Uni = Monoceres Avian Christmasum, or one horn wing Christmas

Desert Uni = Monoceres Avian Airistos, or one horn wing wind

Woodland Uni = Monoceres Avian Hallow, or one horn wing Halloween

Aquatic Uni = Monceres Avian Pisces, or one horn wing fin

Islander Uni = Monceres Avian Vulcan, or one horn wing volcano

Faerie Uni = Monoceres Avian Pixis, or one horn wing pixi

Krawkilion Uni = Monoceres Avian Venus, or one horn wing venom

Well, that just about does it. See you next time when we look at a Uni's life cycle.