Solenopanthers

Solenopanthers are the name given to the genus of odd poisonous felid mimics which inhabit the Mossfell Islands. These bizarre creatures are an excellent example of convergent evolution with felines, with their slender frames, rotatable wrists, and primarily nocturnal hunting style. Much of the solenopanther skeletal and muscular anatomy mimics felines in form and function, save for a deadly quirk and their main tool for hunting - venomous bottom grooved teeth.

Solenopanthers share a common ancestor with the Caribbean solenodons found on Cuba and Hispaniola. Like these shrew-like creatures, solenopanthers share the same mechanism for the delivery of venom. Their mandible contains two large incisors with grooves that deliver venom. In Cuba and Hispaniola, solenodons adapted for the niche of a smaller insectivorous predator. On the Mossfells, solenopanther ancestors adapted to become predators of larger prey, leveraging their venomous bite to take down the several species of flightless bird on the islands. 

Solenopanther venom also works in a similar way to their distant relations. The venom prevents the action of blood clotting agents and causes hypotension. This hypotension results in loss of oxygenated blood to the brain and organs, quickly proving fatal to their prey. There have been very few documented human fatalities from solenopanther bites or solenopanther venom used on weaponry. One such example is the alleged death of Thorkyr Leifson during the Battle of Thorkyrsbudir. However, most bites in individuals larger than 50 lbs are nonfatal. Despite this, bites still do require medical attention as severe bleeding due to elimination of clotting agents can occur.

At one point, there were likely four species of solenodon found on the Mossfell archipelago. Prior to human arrival the Titan Solenopanther was endemic to the united landmasses of Neffannafjall and Mossfellheim. To the north on Gasmensyi fossils of a smaller tree-dwelling solenopanther have been discovered. In the modern day only two species remain on the islands of Fernbank, Neffannafjall, and Mossfellheim. The Ayturcat is a sleek black solenopanther which primarily inhabits forests and scrubland. Further in the highlands of the islands, tabby solenopanthers inhabit colder scrublands as well as the tundra-like conditions at the peaks. Both species of solenodon are primarily solitary, and will only seek out company to mate. Individuals are territorial and will fight each other to protect their hunting grounds. These fights are generally settled by brute force as solenopanthers have an immunity to their venom. In both species, females take care of a litter of 1-6 kits.

In terms of hunting strategy, solenopanthers use an ambush method similar to that of many felines. When hunting, solenopanthers aim their bites at areas of superficial arteries and veins such as the neck, inner sides of the elbow and knee, groin, and face. Solenopanthers will deliver this initial venomous bite and then follow their increasingly weakening prey, delivering additional bites if needed. Once the prey has succumbed to the venom, the solenopanther will begin its feast. This method has enabled solenopanthers to hunt prey much larger than themselves including many of the flightless birds and sloths of the island. 

Solenopanthers and humans have had a contentious history. In Mossfell Norse records, solenopanthers are regarded both as wicked and cunning - often appearing in illuminated texts, seals, and regalia. Notably in the Saga of Thorkyr the Unlucky, Thorkyr is thought to have been killed by a skraeling slave-warrior brandishing weapons coated in solenopanther venom. In Viardrmen spirituality, solenopanthers are considered crafty creatures and are linked to many religious stories. As the English and American settlers quickly discovered, solenopanthers will not hesitate to hunt livestock and pets. This led to settlers on the Mossfells treating solenopanthers much like mainland settlers treated bears and wolves. Throughout the reconstruction era, solenopanther bounties were commonplace to the point where both species were almost wiped out on Neffannafjall. In 1973, both species were protected under the Endangered Species Act which prohibited this practice.

In the modern day solenopanther numbers have increased, but the species are facing the threat of human development and climate change on their habitat. For the last 15 years, car strikes have continuously been the number one cause of death for both adult ayturcats and tabby solenopanthers. Additionally, warmer winters have caused a drastic reduction of tabby solenopanther range. This has caused a greater degree of overlap between the two species' historic ranges, and puts greater stress on their populations to compete for scarcer resources. 

Thankfully, in the past 10 years, greater awareness has been given to the plight of the solenopanthers. Efforts to create wildlife bridges over busy roads has led to a reduction in car strikes. Public education about their importance as an apex predator has brought renewed interest in conserving the highlands of Neffannafjall and the sinking island of Fernbank. 

***

Guest Illustration of the Titan Solenopanther by Godzilla-30

"Imagine for a moment, the verdant hills of Pleistocene Neffannafjall rolling upward to its peaks. Here in the lowlands by the Lake of Tears, a predator stalks the grassy meadows searching for its next meal. This land forever in flux, a merger of old residents and new arrivals, sees the descendant of a mouse-like creature become this island's apex predator"

-Excerpt from Musphels: Lands Lost to Time, Narr. By David Attenborough

Titan Solenopanther (Solenofelis gigans)

Status: Extinct

Prior to the arrival of humans to the Mossfell Islands, an apex predator haunted the meadows and forests of Neffannafjall and Mossfellheim. However unlike its contemporary kin, the titan Solenopanther (Solenofelis gigans) was a true giant. Reaching lengths of up to six feet (1.83 meters) and up to 2 feet (0.61 meters) at the shoulder, the titan solenopanther held its place at the top of the food chain at the end of the last ice age. 

Much like modern solenopanthers, titan solenopanther fossils have revealed the presence of lower jaw venomous fangs. However, unlike modern solenopanthers, these fangs are much smaller. Additionally, the bite force of a titan solenopanther was much stronger than that of contemporary species reaching around 400 pounds per square inch versus the contemporary species' 100 pounds per square inch. These pieces of evidence indicate that unlike modern solenopanthers, the titan solenopanther likely relied much more on muscle than venom for dispatching its prey. Fossilized remains of dwarf Mossfell Pseudomammoths and Jotunn sloths have revealed peri-mortem crushing injuries to long bones and vertebrae from titan solenopanther jaws. This indicates that titan solenopanthers occupied a niche more similar to that of large hypercarnivorous felines such as pumas or jaguars on the American Mainland.

During the last Ice Age, the islands of Neffannafjall, Musphelheim, and Fernbank were connected due to low sea levels. Titan solenopanther fossils have been found throughout these islands indicating a wide distribution. Like the puma, titan solenopanthers appear to have excelled at a variety of environments ranging from swampy forest to hazardous cliffsides. Very little is known about titan solenopanther reproduction and behavior. It is speculated that titan solenopanthers had a similar solitary lifestyle to the atyurcat and tabby solenopanther, only socializing with their young or when ready to mate. 

The reign of these titans came to a close around as the Ice Age closed and a new apex predator arrived to the isles. Human settlement by the Shearpoint Culture depicts titan solenopanthers in a variety of intricate carvings and cave art. However, despite the artistic reverence, titan solenopanthers quickly disappear from the fossil record by 10,000 BCE. A variety of theories have been floated regarding their disappearance from losing competition with humans for prey animals to drastic climate changes following the end of the Ice Age. Whichever the case, the titan solenopanther like many other megafauna on the Mossfells, Georges Bank, and mainland Americas disappeared with little fanfare. Another lineage lost to history.

***

Oreo's Encounter

Felis vs. Felismimica

There it was, creeping along the brick walls by the gutter, a little lizard-thing scuttered blissfully unaware of his imminent demise. A pair of glowering eyes focused themselves on the lizard-thing. Their owner was thinking not of food, for they had been fed only an hour or so ago, but the thrill of catching and ripping prey. Behind the wooden planked-fence of his suburban home, Oreo the Housecat was lord and executioner, dispatching any creature foolish enough to enter his domain. When Oreo's owners moved into the neighborhood, they remarked at how the beautiful sounds of morning birdsong had suddenly stopped, unaware or unwilling to admit who was responsible. For Oreo it was simple, the thrill of the hunt gave him a level of excitement that fuzzy fake mice and laser pointers could never. 

Oreo steadied himself behind a lawn chair and began to tense his hind legs for a pounce. His white-tipped tail flickered with excitement as his chittered to himself. Downwind, the lizard-thing didn't smell his well-groomed fur, or see his gaudy tuxedo coat. The lizard-thing simply laid itself on a large black rock, content to absorb the morning heat. In a quick snap of muscle and bone Oreo pounced, eager to claim another victim. His black pelt a blur as he rushed to the now frantically scurrying lizard-thing. Unexpectedly to Oreo a fellow black blur leaped from a bush. The intruder quickly dispatched the lizard-thing with a clawed paw and stared at Oreo with an alien glare.

Never before had Oreo been usurped as executioner, and he began to feel a strange sensation of anger. His hackles began to raise as he sized up this intruder. The intruder confused Oreo with its lithe body, long flickering tail, and long whiskers. But it was no alley cat come to usurp his lordship. It was an intruder, an alien. It didn't even hiss like a cat but barked angrily while flashing two sinister teeth.

Every hair on Oreo's back rose in alarm. He hissed, and for the first time in years felt incredible unease. The pseudo-cat snarled again. In an instant, Oreo felt adrenaline coursing through his body. With a fierce yowl he lunged and wrestled with the intruder. Tooth and claw caught into flesh. Oreo felt the creature's unwieldy teeth sink into his side in a flash of pain. He leaped from the creature and hissed, suddenly feeling an overwhelming dizziness overcoming him. His paws felt like they were trapped in mud and darkness encircled his vision. As Oreo collapsed to the soft grass of the backyard, he heard a muffled shriek as his owners rushed to his side. Before his vision faded he saw the creature recover the lizard thing, and with a final glance back, slink over the fence in a black blur. 

***

Oreo's head pounded awfully as he groggily came to. He was back in his owners' home on the soft, warm bed of a well-pampered pet. As his eyes focused in, he noticed the large cone blocking his peripheral vision, and felt a strange orange tag wrapping his paw. He could hear his owners excitement as his aching body rose up from the bed. 

Thanks to the quick actions of his owners, he survived his encounter with the creature. He knew he was no longer the lord of his neighborhood. That creature, so familiar yet so alien, had usurped him. Yet somehow, Oreo understood that and was perfectly fine not leaving the house for the next few months.