Plains Vulpynx

The vulpynxes are a genus of basal Serinarctan foxtrotters that are distantly related to repanthors and the snagglejaws, but which split from them early in the hothouse. Most are recognizable by their very long legs and high-angled ears. They are adaptable omnivores, their diets typically focused in varying percentages on small animals such as poppits and a variety of fruiting plants, though insects are also a significant food source for some. The ancestral vulpynx was a soglands animal and used its legs to wade through shallow water, but late hothouse species are widespread and occur in marshland, forest, and grassland habitats. When not simply browsing fruit, vulpynxes are "mousers", and are equal parts visual and auditory predators, that hone in on the quick movements and quiet scuttles of rodent-like prey hiding in vegetation. They catch very small prey after a lengthy, tall-stepping stalk that ends in a high pounce in which the animal is usually killed as the two front paws come down on top of it with the weight of the whole body behind them. Like many foxtrotters, the front paws are used in food acquisition; they are are dexterous and hand-like. These hands are used to restrain slightly larger victims and to break their necks, because the jaws are short and weak, and have a low bite force, which prevents them from having a strong application in killing. Though these animals can and weigh between 25 and 65 lbs, the largest live prey taken by any species is usually less than 10 pounds - a size that can be dispatched easily with the hands alone. They will, however, feed on carrion if it is available, though they are only able to do so if the inside of the carcass has already been opened by a stronger animal.

The largest member of the genus is the plains vulpynx, which is also the longest-legged of all. A greyhound-sized animal, it strides over the southern plains of the continent, primarily hunting between dusk and dawn. It mainly feeds on small molodonts and ground-dwelling birds, the latter being easiest to dispatch thanks to their hollow bones. The legs of the plains vulpynx are very strong for its size, and it can leap at least 10 feet into the air from a standstill to knock fleeing birds out of the air. Likewise, it is a fast runner with the flexible spinal movement characteristic of ancestral repandors; it can reach speeds of 58 miles per hour for short distances of half a mile or so, and as a tripod it can turn on a very narrow radius, allowing it to swiftly pursue and outmaneuver much of its prey. These foxtrotters have excellent balance and can even maintain a fast running gait relying on only one front leg for a brief moment, allowing them to use their freed hand to reach ahead and pull the leg of their quarry and so capture it.

Though the plains vulpynx is a solitary hunter, it is not an antisocial animal - few foxtrotters are. Females raise their cubs all on their own, and at this time avoid all others to ensure their young are safe. When not with a litter, however, they associate occasionally with other females, including their own mothers, sisters, and grown daughters that may have formed territories nearby. Males are social at all times, forming relationships with other males (usually also related to them) which do not hunt cooperatively, but come together to defend their shared territory against rivals. The two sexes mingle only occasionally, when females are receptive to breed. They do not seem very compatible at other times - females are less gregarious than males as a rule, and tire quickly from close social interaction with them. Females may choose to hang out near one another and enjoy ambient company, but they rarely physically interact and if they do, it is limited to a brief nuzzle, while bonded males may partake more frequently in social allogrooming and will even sleep in the same dens. Females typically only visit males for short durations, and will aggressively let them know when they have had enough.