Tortoiseshell Stalkers

Although relatively low on the food chain rats are still predators. With an omnivorous diet, fast reflexes and strong bites, they are more than happy to supplement their meals with fresh meat. During the Time of Hunger many rats found that their fellows provided a steady source of food, leading to populations increasingly specialised in hunting other rats. The first true lineage of obligate predators on Loki were the tortoiseshell stalkers.

During the Archeacene the graminivores and stalkers are fairly evenly matched, as the predator/prey arms race had not yet reached full speed. As a result outright fights present too much of a danger to stalkers, who could easily be injured by their prey. As such, stalkers have evolved into ambush predators. The ancestral rats killed their prey with a swift bite to the back of the neck, severing the spinal cord. Stalkers hunt using the same principal: slowly creeping towards their prey then leaping onto their back to deliver a killing bite to the neck. If this does not result in an instant kill then the stalker must beat a hasty retreat, lest they are promptly trampled by their now angry prey.

To facilitate the attack tortoiseshell stalkers have evolved longer, more evenly-proportioned legs, enabling them to dash at the high speeds necessary to reach their prey before it can react. The hind legs are still noticeably more muscular, as these provide the initial force to propel a hiding stalker from its crouching stance to a full sprint. Given that the attack relies on a single swift strike stalkers do not rely on quickly turning in prolonged chases, so their tails have drastically reduced in size, serving only to provide some balance when leaping. They have retained the powerful jaw muscles notable of rats, with the incisors becoming thicker, sturdier and sharper to better pierce flesh and bone with.

Tortoiseshell stalkers get their name from their coat colourings. Rats (as yet) do not have the genes to produce striped patterns on their fur, so instead a tortoiseshell stalker’s coat is a patchwork of agouti, black, pale and ginger sections, which serves to break up their outlines whilst slowly stalking through the tall grass. It is not a very efficient type of camouflage, but as their main prey still retains the poor eyesight of their ancestors it works well enough.

Due to their evolutionary history of preying on other rats tortoiseshell stalkers do not live in groups, instead living largely solitary lives. Females hold a territory, with males migrating between them. Females dig primitive burrows in which to nest and give birth to 3-4 pups. Stalkers are aggressive by nature, and a female with pups particularly so. A male entering a territory must quickly ascertain the breeding status of the female; if fertile she will likely consent to mating if the male proves suitable. If she is nursing however the male is likely to become dinner instead! Males on occasion may kill pups to bring the resident female back into season, but the heavy scent marking around the burrow is usually enough deterrent; few wish to be caught in a burrow when the mother gets home! After mating males play no further part in raising young- they either leave the territory of their own accord or are quickly driven off.

Tortoiseshell stalkers are loathe to engage in intra-species conflict due to the very high risk of serious injury. If two individuals become antagonistic to each other they will engage in a threat display: opening their mouths wide and splaying their lower jaws to show off their formidable teeth, all the while hissing menacingly. This fearsome display is to intimidate the other party into retreating without the need of a physical altercation. Should neither party back down however a fight will ensue, which inevitably ends with one of them being killed and eaten by the other. A shrewd tortoiseshell stalker knows when to stand their ground and when to fall back to fight another day.