Suslik

The suslik is found throughout the Longgrass Plains. It is a small rodent approximately 17 inches in height with four paws. It walks on all fours most of the time while it is moving around and gathering food. It tends to form family groups between ten and fifty with lots of underground tunnels and burrows. When the family group is on top of the ground looking for food such as grasses, roots, and seeds or taking an opportunity to allow the young of the species to play in the sun, one to four of the older males in the group will stand sentry on the outer edges of the area where the food gathering is occurring. While on sentry duty each will stand on their hind paws in order to have a better chance of seeing their natural predators such as the Purgatory Sidewinder or Human, Dwarf , elves, Goblin  or any other of civilized folk. If they site an enemy, they will sound an alarm that is both a high-pitched squeal and a rapid thumping of the ground with one of their four paws. The other sentries on duty will pick up the call and the non-fighters in the group will scatter to the underground burrows. Once all are safe below the sentries will disappear. Often, the only notice a person will have that a group of the suslik were around will be the echo of the squeal and perhaps a shadow of movement as the last sentry vanishes underground.

Scientific Name

Cynomys