Marsupial Cheetah

Thylacodromus ferus

Thylacodromus ferus (Marsupial Cheetah) is a mid sized marsupial predator prowling the savannahs of Juland. It's yellowish fur is dotted by brown or black rosettes around the front of the body and stripes on the back end. Much like cheetahs, this marsupial runs down small to mid sized prey, running at 110 km/h for short distances. A solitary hunter, Thylacodromus attempts to get as close as possible before chasing down their target, once caught, it will grapple the prey to the ground and deliver a bite on the neck with its canid-like mouth to quickly suffocate it. Like its unrelated counterpart, the marsupial cheetah is a thin and spindly creature, dedicated to fast and precise kills but is rather weak compared to other predators of its size. This means it has to eat its fill quickly before scavengers claim the kill or kill something small enough to drag into a den or up a tree.

Thylacodromus saw brief success right after the Dynastic Exchange of Juland but has been on the decline ever since due to competition with better generalist predators. Now a relatively rare sight on the grasslands and even rarer outside of Juland, with only one smaller subspecies, Thylacodromus ferus lemrus, existing in the scrub savannah of north eastern Lemuria.

Thylacodromus, like all marsupials, possess a pouch to hold its underdeveloped young. However this pouch has evolved various adaptations for its fast paced lifestyle. The walls of the pouch are heavily padded and thick to protect the babies during hunts and face backwards to avoid creating drag while running. The opening of the pouch secretes a sticky substance that keeps to pouch close to prevent the babies from falling out while on the move. Marsupial cheetahs have litters consisting of 1 to 3 offspring, however mothers only possess two functioning nipples in its pouch, meaning if 3 offspring are born, one will be neglected.