Hatori

A crocodilian beast that almost swims through the sands towards you with great paddling sweeps of its broad limbs, this creature has knobbed, variegated hide and savage, snapping jaws.

Combat
The only thing that can drive hatori into combat is hunger. Unfortunately, hatori have voracious appetites and food is rare in their home environment, so they never pass up an opportunity to make a meal out of a passing traveler -- or even an entire caravan. The hatori's favorite hunting method is to get in position along a well-used migratory trail or caravan route. When, believing the hatori to be no more than a rocky outcropping, a prospective meal passes nearby, the hatori springs into action. Once the battle begins, hatori try to bite their victims with their toothy maws. Hatori use their bony tails to lash out at anyone attacking from the rear, or to attack fleeing victims while simultaneously trying to eat someone else.

Description
Hatori are the crocodiles of the sands. They have a hard, knobby hide that ranges through many colors and is indistinguishable from stone. Hatori are shaped like overgrown lizards with flipper-like appendages that they use along with their tail to "swim" in the desert sands. Hatori move awkwardly on any other surface but sand.