Shepherd Harnessback

The shepherd harnessback split from its ancestor the harnessback in Dixon-Darwin High Grassland. It has developed a unique lifestyle, it will guard various herbivores. Each pack choose its own type and passes on that tradition to their offspring. The reason they guard them is so they can have their grubs feed on them. The parasitic larval forms latch on the backs of their hosts. They have a numbing agent in their saliva so it doesn't cause pain to their host. Parents choose healthy and strong hosts for their offspring. Once they get large enough they will detach and join the pack. Once sexually mature they will mate and even form their own herd. Some take younger hosts with them when they leave. When laying their eggs they now make their nests out of the weak and old hosts and have the babies feed upon the carcass. After they are large enough the adults will carry them to their living hosts to feed on blood. Opportunity Shrews have harder times raiding their nests because the host's herd can detect them, thus alerting their guardians. Their stomachs can process various types of bloods, though some hosts are easier to feed upon than others. In addition the adults can make soothing sounds to calm their hosts. Their level of vocal mimicry rivals Earth's mockingbirds. This varies from host to host but works well with hosts that have been born into the lifestyle. Likewise they send out warning calls from predators and will fiercely fight off any predator who tried to attack their herd. Males are typically larger than females and are usually more aggressive towards any predators, thus creating large booming calls to scare them off or high pitched shrieks to hurt the ears of attackers. When adults need to feed they choose the weakest in the heard and tend to lure them off so the rest of the herd doesn't panic. In fact the saliva that numbs hosts when babies is also used to numb their hosts before killing them. Thus their deaths are usually painless and appear as though the hosts just fell asleep and never woke up. Their other physical features are much like their ancestors though they are taller and leaner due to their living in a grassland biome.