Redarr

I knew not the ſight that ſtood before me - the creature waſ aſ foreign aſ the ſky. It waſ ſmall, with ſhining eye and angry mouth, and it hiſſed at me aſ I ſtared at it. The frillſ on itſ neck ſtood up, and I ſtepped back aſ a fine ſpray landed on the ground where I had ſtood. The graſſ there ſhrivelled up and turned brown, and I deſided that it would be beſt to make an expeditiouſ withdrawal.

Defences

The Redarr has a potent venom supply which it spits at predators or other threats.  This venom, despite being used for the production of Ink, is incredibly dangerous to all forms of life.  Contact with the venom for too long can result in skin and bone being eaten away and even short periods results in an agonising burning sensation and a rash forming.  The venom is equally deadly to plant life, causing rapid death of grasses, leaves, and other plants.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Redarr is small, the size of a small dog or cat. It has four limbs and a small, stubby tail.
Its limbs typically act as legs, but the forelimbs can be used to grasp food and other items. Its rear limbs end in handlike appendages that have webbing between their fingers, and a bone spur protrudes at the heel of the palm. Its forelimbs end in similar appendages, but with much less webbing and no spur.
The tail of the Redarr is seemingly useless, providing no stabilising effect and being too short to be used as an additional limb. It is about 5 cm long and bare, while the rest of the animal is covered in fur.
The Redarr's body is akin to that of a rat or other rodent, with a barrel-like ribcage and a round cylindrical shape. It has no visible neck, and can only turn its head through a small angle - however, it can rotate its head 360 degrees along its nose-tail axis. It has large eyes, taking up most of its face, and a jutting jaw which contains the flat teeth of a herbivore. It also has a small black nose with wide nostrils. Its ears lie flat against its skull, and are large in comparison to the rest of its facial features.

Genetics and Reproduction

The Redarr lays eggs to reproduce, in clutches of 3 to 5. These eggs typically take between 3 and 5 weeks to hatch, and after impregnation of the mother the Redarr grows the eggs for approximately 1 week.

Growth Rate & Stages

Redarr newborns are fully able to support themselves after hatching, but are much smaller than the adult. They also lack the webbing between their rear feet, which grows in over a period of 1 to 2 weeks, and their tails are often shorter proportionally than those of an adult Redarr.
Juvenile Redarr often have very dark fur, in colours of black or brown. As they develop into adults, their fur typically brightens slightly to a grey or tan colour.
Very old Redarr typically develop a misty film on their eyes, and their fur often begins to fall out.

Ecology and Habitats

Redarr live in wet forests or swamps, typically in lowland areas. They can survive in plains but will usually live around lakes and rivers in these areas, and stringently avoid arid areas or those with extreme cold.
In swamps and forests, the Redarr feeds exclusively on leaves and other plant matter, and prefers the leaves of small shrubs and flaxes due to their proximity to the ground. The Redarr is capable of climbing but is not very efficient at this and typically avoids doing this to search for food.

Biological Cycle

Redarr are active during all seasons, but shift their waking hours as time progresses. During summer they are active in the time from mid-morning to early dusk, and as the temperature grows colder they begin being active from closer to dawn until near mid-afternoon. During winter they often grow more fur, and occasionally their hairless tails can grow a temporary covering which unfailingly drops off as the days grow warmer.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Redarr are typically solitary creatures, only coming together to mate and reproduce. They are highly territorial and will attack others who venture into their region. Their proprietary areas typically extend for one or two square kilometres. When confronted with a large predator Redarr have been known to work together, but this rarely happens due to their typical isolation.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The Redarr is used predominantly in the production of Ink, and kept in special farms particularly for this purpose. They are bred in these farms, before being killed for their venom sacs. The poison from these is then extracted and used in the production of Ink.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Redarr has excellent vision, although limited peripheral vision and thus a narrow field. It also shows a sense of smell, although this is less developed than in many other animals. It has a similarly undeveloped sense of taste, often eating things that even carrion-eaters leave. It has a very highly developed hearing sense, able to perceive predators coming from a long way off.

Lifespan

1 year

Average Height

0.5 metres

Average Weight

22kg

Average Length

1.2m