Ringtail Loafshell

The ringtail loafshell split from its ancestor the loafshell and moved to the cold scrublands of Drake. They are larger and more agile than their ancestor. Their long tail is used as a counter wight when leaping around the rocky terrain. Both males and females now have a third back facing toe which it uses to steady itself better when walking. While much of their diet consists of small fauna, they do actively stalk the fuzzcoats. They will work as a pack to weed out the young, old or weak from the herd. They use hypersonic echolocation communicate as well as "see". It is high above the range the fuzzcoats can hear. Other than their high frequency chirping, they are very silent so they do not spook their prey. They are completely blind otherwise and must also rely upon their acute sense of smell to track prey. Like their ancestor, their hooked tusks are venomous and will quickly kill their prey once injected. This venom is much more potent than their ancestor's, so the prey will not wander away or off a cliff. Females are slightly larger than males. The alpha female controls the pack and determines which males she will mate with. If other females of the group try to mate with the males they will be attacked or even banished from the pack. The loafshell is oviviparious, which means that offspring develop inside of eggs that are retained within the mother's body until they are ready to hatch and are born live. The adults release their young near rotting carcasses. The larva has a thick, segmented shell on its back, which protects it from predators. The larvae are brown in color, which helps them blend in with the brown soil.