Quinquepedalian — Piers Anthony

When a survey team stumbles upon enormous hoofprints on an uncharted planet, they're driven by curiosity to uncover the creature behind them. But Charles Tinnerman soon realizes the footprints belong to a beast beyond imagination: a towering monster with five mighty feet. When tragedy strikes, Tinnerman must make a choice -- condemn the quinquepedalian to destruction, or forge an improbable bond across the species barrier. To survive, he'll have to match wits against a creature whose intelligence may eclipse his own.