Diet: Carnivore
Danger Level: 12
Social Ability: 8
Observation: A large and very mean predatory insect that hunts in packs. These packs are strategically organized so the skills of the individuals end up helping the whole in ways that can only be described as unnaturally militaristic. The leader of these packs is normally the largest member. This individual gets the honor of performing the killing blow on the pack’s prey, as well as the first bite into the kill.
Their hunting style relies heavily on the terrain in which they choose to hunt. They favor foot hills and rolling plains with large rock outcroppings. They use these elements to corner their prey. Their most common hunting pattern is a pincer formation where the pack splits in half and then flanks another group of creatures. The leader then makes a loud sound with its claws in order to startle the prey into running. As they scatter in all directions, the two groups then make themselves known and close in on whomever is unfortunate enough to be caught in the middle of the chaos. Much like sheep dogs, they will drive the target into an environmental element that acts as a natural wall to corner it. After the leader has killed and taken the first bite out of the prey, the rest of the pack will join in and consume the kill. An average size pack can clean the meat off a creature’s bone in half an hour.
Pack members are chosen from family groups and consist of one female and several males. The females are most commonly the leader of the hunting parties. The largest female in any colony is call the Queen, much like in an Earth bee hive. She never goes to hunt, but has meat brought to her. Her primary function in the colony is to lay eggs. No other female in the colony will have this job until the current Queen dies or fails to produce eggs. When either occurs, the next largest female will take over as Queen. Infertile Queens, strangely enough, switch gender and become males in order to help fertilize the new Queen’s eggs.
~Zeek Slider
