Orb Vallis Conservation

A promo image for the Profit-Taker update in Update 24.2, showing the new Conservation animals Sawgaw, Horrasque, and Stover, along with their floofs, on the Orb Vallis. — Profit-Taker promo image

The Orb Vallis is home to many native animal species, some of which can be captured through Conservation, with The Business' help. The Codex descriptions and Conservation details of these animals are listed below.

Note: The Conservation details on this page are based on observational data and may not be comprehensive.

Pobbers

Native to the fungal forests of Venus, the Pobber is a skittish rodent possessed of an objectionable odour. Always found in groups, they flee at the slightest hint of trouble. They are a primary food source for Virmink and Sawgaw.

Small herbivorous rodents that appear in groups of three. If alerted, they will flee, eventually burrowing into the ground. There are three known strains¹: the common Sunny Pobber, the uncommon Delicate Pobber, and the rare Subterranean Pobber. All three share the same Codex description. There is also a more common "garden variety" strain of Pobber that is mentioned², but not available for Conservation. Pobbers are related to Earth's Kuakas³, and are known to give off an unpleasant odour⁴.

Lifespan: Up to 1 year 11 months

Weight: 0.01kg – 0.08kg

Vermink

Sleek and silky, the adorable appearance of the Venusian Vermink belies its aggressive demeanour. Favouring rocky landscapes, Vermink packs nose the air, scenting for Pobbers – their primary food source.

Medium-sized carnivorans that appear in groups of three. If alerted, they will flee and vanish. There are three known subspecies⁵: the common White-Breasted Vermink, the uncommon Dusky-Headed Vermink, and the rare Red-Crested Vermink. All three share the same Codex description. Verminks are hunted by the Corpus for their pelts⁶.

Lifespan: Up to 9 years 5 months

Weight: 8.6kg – 17.7kg

Sawgaws

"Soar Gore," as the Solaris call it, this crimson-faced bird of prey circles and stalks the cliffs and fungal forests of Venus, searching for rodent prey.

Carnivorous birds that circle above the fungal forests, occasionally landing on a Gorgaricus mushroom briefly before alighting again. If alerted, they will fly away and vanish. There are three known species⁷: the common Flossy Sawgaw, the uncommon Alpine Monitor Sawgaw, and the rare Frogmouthed Sawgaw. All three share the same Codex description. There is also a "Common" species of Sawgaw that is mentioned⁸, but not available for Conservation. Sawgaws prey upon Pobbers and Bolarolas⁹.

Lifespan: Up to 11 years 3 months

Weight: 1.4kg – 5.6kg

Bolarolas

Favouring thunder, lightning and cratered-out areas, Bolarolas are all about defence. Their armoured plates protect them from most predators, tucking and rolling to make good their escape.

Medium-sized mammals with armoured scales covering the dorsum, rendering tranq darts ineffective. The animal will occasionally rear up to expose its vulnerable underbelly. If alerted, it will curl up into a ball, using its carapace as a defence. Eventually, it will roll away and vanish. There are three known variants¹⁰: the common Spotted Bolarola, the uncommon Black-Banded Bolarola, and the rare Thorny Bolarola. All three share the same Codex description.

Lifespan: Up to 8 years 7 months

Weight: 6.9kg – 19.9kg

Horrasques

Found near bodies of water, the Horrasque subsists primarily upon fish. This hideous creature is terrible to behold, but will not attack unless provoked. When it does, its roar will shake the bowels of even the most steadfast trapper.

Large mammals that burrow beneath the ground. Their scat is toxic, and will damage unwary Tenno. When summoned with the Echo-Lure, they will burrow towards the call point, unable to be tranqed, though they will occasionally poke their heads out to look around. Only when they reach the call point will they emerge and be fully exposed. They must be shot with two tranq darts in order to be sedated. If startled, they will burrow away and vanish. There are three known subspecies¹¹: the common Dappled Horrasque, the uncommon Swimmer Horrasque, and the rare Horrasque Stormer. All three share the same Codex description. Horrasques eat mostly fish and live near bodies of water¹² (though it is unclear how this applies to Venus, which has neither conventional surface water nor conventional fish).

Lifespan: Up to 8 years 4 months

Weight: 21.1kg – 49.8kg

Stovers

The Stover is a kind of proto-Kubrow, resurrected as Venus thawed. When grouped in a pack, Stovers are relentless opponents.

Large canines that live in packs within caves. If alerted, they will attack the Tenno ferociously. They must be shot with two tranq darts in order to be sedated. There are three known variants: the common Sentinel Stover, the uncommon Fuming Dax Stover, and the rare Fire-Veined Stover; these appear to be societal roles, rather than distinct subspecies. Sentinel Stovers guard the den¹³, as their name implies, while a Fire-Veined Stover is the den leader¹⁴. The role of Fuming Dax Stovers is not explained, but they are comparatively rare¹⁵. All three share the same Codex description. Stovers have very poor vision, but excellent hearing¹⁶, and an elevated body temperature¹⁷. They are distantly related to kubrows¹⁸.

Lifespan: Up to 9 years 6 months

Weight: 7.2kg – 47.7kg

Kubrodons

The apex predator of the Venusian plains. These massively framed beasts travel in groups and mark the territory surrounding Orokin cooling towers as their own. Kubrodons are a danger best avoided.

Large canines that prowl the open Vallis. If alerted, they will attack the Tenno ferociously. They must be shot with two tranq darts in order to be sedated. There are three known variants¹⁹: the common Brindle Kubrodon, the uncommon Vallis Kubrodon, and the rare Kubrodon Incarnadine. All three share the same Codex description.

Lifespan: Up to 12 years 4 months

Weight: 15.7kg – 30.2kg

Conservation Notes

Upon catching an animal, the Conservation screen will display its age, weight, gender, and a note about its condition or temperament. These notes are listed below. Any animal can possess any of these qualities, with the exception of some that only apply to birds (Sawgaws). This list is shared with other animals on the Plains of Eidolon and Cambion Drift.

Abnormal swelling, Acute hearing, Afraid of heights, Afraid of water, Alert, Always hiding, Bad breath, Big eyes, Binge eater, Bites claws, Bites nails, Burrows under blankets, Calm, Can open closets, Chest infection, Chews wires, Chirps, Clean, Collects flowers, Constipated, Cracked claws, Cracked footpad, Cracked tooth, Damaged beak (bird only), Defensive, Digger, Dirty, Discoloured teeth, Double-jointed, Drools, Dry skin, Dull waxy feathers (bird only), Ear infection, Easily startled, Enlarged genitals, Excessive grooming, Fever, Fleas, Freezes when panicked, Fussy eater, Grouchy, Healthy, Healthy and happy, Highly active, Highly aggressive, In heat, Intestinal parasites, Irritable, Itchy, Joint stiffness, Keen smell, Lesions, Lethargic, Licks things, Likes being carried, Likes open space, Likes people, Lively, Lolling tongue, Loves heights, Loves water, Mange, Misaligned beak (bird only), Mites, Moulting, Muscular, Occasional discharge, Odd, Old injuries, Overweight, Physically undeveloped, Playful, Pleasant smelling, Poor vision, Preens, Prefers confined spaces, Prefers high places, Pronounced limp, Protective, Purrs, Recognises faces, Redness, Rheumy eyes, Runs in circles, Scavenges relentlessly, Scratches the ground, Shivers inexplicably, Shiny feathers (bird only), Sings, Smelly, Snarls, Sneaky, Starving, Strange habits, Territorial, Torn ear, Tremors, Twitchy, Underweight, Undeveloped teeth, Waxy ears, Whistles

[Navigation: Hub → Other → Item Descriptions → Orb Vallis Conservation]

The Business: "An ancient Orokin legacy strain." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "A Sunny Pobber. Slightly less common than your garden variety." (Conservation dialogue)
Master Teasonai: "The Kuaka. The elder cousin of the Vallis Pobber." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "Not the mightiest of beasts… but worthy of salvation nonetheless, despite the odour." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "A subspecies extinct since the age of the Orokin." He also refers to them as a "strain". (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "A Dusky-Headed Virmink, favoured by the Corpus for their pelts. Lucky we found them first." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "This species hasn't existed since before my grandfather was a boy." The difficulty in finding a breeding partner also points to a species-specific breeding restriction. Biz also calls the different kinds of Sawgaw "varieties". (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "The Alpine Monitor Sawgaw. Quite the alpha. Hardier and more formidable than the Common and Flossy varieties." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "We're lucky to have found this [Black-Banded Bolarola] before some wandering Sawgaw, or worse, did." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business says "A somewhat common subspecies, this one" referring to a Spotted Bolarola, but calls the Thorny Bolarola "A species I've only heard tell of in legend", leaving the exact distinction ambiguous. (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "Common subspecies." (Conservation notes)
The Business: "The Horrasque favour bodies of water, what with their mainly fish diet, but they're not especially good swimmers." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "Sentinel Stover. It would have been keeping watch for its pack." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "This specimen would have been central to the entire den. Right now, the pack will be choosing a new leader, butting and roaring for superiority." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "A rare Dax Stover of the Fuming variety." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "Bad eyesight, excellent hearing, highly territorial." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "Remember this: if you walk into a cave system that feels too warm, get out. Stover den." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "The Stover: a kind of proto-Kubrow." (Conservation dialogue)
The Business: "A reasonably common variant of the apex predator, distilled to its purest form." (Conservation dialogue)