I was requested to draw this from a good friend of mine, WindRider, she explained all about this unique animal as i drew it basing it off of a piece from DA... at her request.

She knew the day that i was going to be finished with it and was excitedly waiting... and when the day came.. she never signed on... I sent it to her account, left tons of messages and such... but she didn't return...

Two weeks later, a friend of hers got a hold of me, to tell me that WindRider had been in a car accident with her parents... she died the day i finished the piece.

I know that she would want this posted. i wanted everyone to see her imagination as i knew her. Below is her own words describing the Vinerox...

Vinerox

Found in rain forests, the Vinerox is a complex creature that starts its life as a plant, and dies as an animal. Life starts from a large, egg-sized seed. Once growth begins, the seed becomes the body, later on, its heart, once its grown in size. A complex weaving of vines froms neck, head, legs, tail. This “birth” takes 1-2 months to complete. It is often said that stumbling into a birthing Vinerox grove brings bad luck. During this time, the baby gleans its nutrients and food from the soil, air, and rain, much like a normal plant would. Once “born”, the Vinerox gains awareness, and begins its slow transformation from plant to animal. At this point, the plants process of photosynthesis is no longer enough to sustain the baby Vinerox. Carnivorous tendencies surface, feeding on small rodents and birds at first, moving to larger prey as it grows older. Over time, as the Vinerox relies more on hunting for sustenance than photosynthesis, changes take place internally. Assimilating the internal workings of the prey it eats, organs begin to form. Near the middle to the end of a Vinerox’s lifespan, it achieves a perfect balance between its plant and animal aspects. Over the course of it's lifetime, the Vinerox's colors darken.