Sorry, I know this is unrelated to the question but since you guys seem to know how animals grow in DF, I was wondering how large Giant animals are likely to grow (Giant Python) also vaguely how long one is likely to live.
Go to your main DF folder, and navigate to "raw", then "objects" then do a search for the animal you are interested in to figure out which text file it is in. Let's say giant pandas. Which are in creature_large_temperate.txt. Then search for it in the file, you get this:
[CREATURE:PANDA, GIGANTIC]
[COPY_TAGS_FROM:PANDA]
[APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION:GIANT]
[CV_REMOVE_TAG:GRAZER]
[APPLY_CURRENT_CREATURE_VARIATION]
[CV_REMOVE_TAG:CHANGE_BODY_SIZE_PERC]
[APPLY_CURRENT_CREATURE_VARIATION]
[GO_TO_END]
[CHANGE_BODY_SIZE_PERC:893]
[GO_TO_START]
[NAME:gigantic panda:gigantic pandas:gigantic panda]
[CASTE_NAME:gigantic panda:gigantic pandas:gigantic panda]
[GENERAL_CHILD_NAME:gigantic panda cub:gigantic panda cubs]
[DESCRIPTION:A giant bear-like creature found in the wildest parts of the world. It has striking black and white fur.]
[POPULATION_NUMBER:2:3]
[CLUSTER_NUMBER:1:1]
[CREATURE_TILE:'P']
[COLOR:7:0:1]
[GRAZER:92]
[TRAINABLE]
[PET_EXOTIC]
[PETVALUE:1000]
[MOUNT_EXOTIC]
[PREFSTRING:enormous size]
[PREFSTRING:striking coloration]
[PREFSTRING:gigantic fluffy heads and bellies]
[PREFSTRING:lazy nature]
so the "change to body size" is 893, meaning it is 893% larger than a panda. Looking up panda shows you another set of text, amongst which is:
[BODY_SIZE:0:0:150] small!
[BODY_SIZE:1:0:65000]
[BODY_SIZE:2:0:130000]
The syntax is years:days:cubic centimers. That means, at 0 years, 0 days, pandas are born at 150 cubic centimeters. They then increase linearly (IIRC) in size until 1 year, 0 days when they are 65,000 cubic centimeters. Then they continue to increase to two years when they are 130,000 cubic centimeters. Then they stop growing. I'm not sure why it defines two linear segments with the same slope in this case, but whatever.
For a giant panda, it's those numbers x 8.93
Individuals of some creatures can vary in size from the species average too, by some number of %, indicated by things like:
[BODY_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER:LENGTH:90:95:98:100:102:105:110]
which outlines a range of values, in this case, they can go from 90% of average up to 110% of average. The numbers in between specify non-linear gradients (like a bell curve) if desired.
Also note:
[MAXAGE:20:30]
so pandas can start dying of old age at 20, and have some chance of dying every year until 30, at which time i believe it means that it is guaranteed.