River Pixies

River pixies, as the name suggests, are descended from the riverkin; those rats that had begun to specialise in freshwater habitats. River pixies are very small and slight animals, with a body length (excluding tail) rarely exceeding 10cm. Their preferred habitat is slow moving rivers with steep banks, though they can also be found around shallow lakes and sheltered brooks.

A river pixies’ diet consists predominantly of aquatic invertebrates and tender shoots, which they obtain through diving. Capable of holding their breath for several minutes, river pixies dive to the river bed, where they either dig for food, catch free-swimming prey, or pluck them from underwater vegetation.

To help their underwater hunting river pixies have evolved an unusual method of swimming. Unlike their ratty ancestors (who swam with their back legs, keeping their forelimbs close to the chest) river pixies utilise all four limbs, each capable of rotating in a wide arc. Combined with webbed feet this gives them immense manoeuvrability in the water, able to maintain a constant position in the water column no matter the eddying current or which paw is grasping food. It is common to see a foraging river pixie almost upside-down, with one front paw digging through the substrate whilst the other three windmill to keep the body in place. This can comically make them appear as though they are throwing jazzhands or flailing wildly, when in fact they are perfectly paddling to remain stationary in strong currents.

To help retain heat whilst diving a river pixies’ fur is quite thick and extends the length of their tails, with only their paws being uncovered. The thick fur traps air, which can often be seen in the form of tiny bubbles clinging to the hairs. When these bubbles catch the light they give the river pixie a shimmering appearance; when combined with their underwater darting it creates an enchanting sight, not unlike their namesakes.

River pixies create their burrows in steep banks. Camouflaged by vegetation above and only accessible from the water, the burrows are well protected from predators. The burrows are simple excavations, angled slightly upwards to protect against flooding. The young are cared for by both parents due to the effort required for collecting submerged food. Litters are usually between 3-5 pups, who become independent within two months. A youngster will usually stay within the family nest for a slightly longer period, honing their survival skills in a familiar territory, before riding the currents downstream for pastures new.