Sinister Sorite
| Sinister Sorite | ||
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| (Maloculosorex tonsuragnathus) | ||
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| Information | ||
| Creator | OviraptorFan Other | |
| Week/Generation | 27/167 | |
| Habitat | Darwin Highboreal, South Darwin Rocky, Central Darwin Rocky, South Darwin Highvelt, North Darwin Rocky, Dorite Rocky, North Darwin Highvelt | |
| Size | 20 centimeters long | |
| Primary Mobility | Unknown | |
| Support | Endoskeleton (Bone) | |
| Diet | Carnivore (Ouranocorn tadpoles, Lazarus Soriparasite, Hikahoe, Gnarbolonk, young Neoshrew, Grovecrystal Krugg, Bloodback, Barkback, Shrubrattus, Thorny Toadtuga, Spineless Toadtuga, young Opportunity Shrew, Scrambled Shrew, young Phouka, young Regal Sphinx, Chasing Twintail, Gryphler, River Scrambler, Eggslurping Sorite, Twinpaw Twintail, Cleaner Borvermid, False Cleaner Borvermid, Nightcrawler Borvermid, Hissing Krugg, Minikruggs, Vermees, Xenobees, Sapworms, Gamergate Gundis, Sweetworms, Silkruggs, Dartirs, Brookside Leisterpom, Squirrelly Dufftrout, Mudslider Teuthopin, Oozocorns, Hanging Frabooballs, Xenowasps, Sruglettes, Cloudswarmers, Teacup Saucebacks, Neuks, Mudfish, young Cragagon, Treedundi, High Grassland Ukback, Sitting Dundi, Scrub Barkback, Nightcrawler Borvermid, Southern Scrambler, Mouse Gryphler, Regalian Fossorundi, Rosybeak Phlyer, Undergroundi, Handlicker Dundi, Dardiwundi, Dundigger), Scavenger | |
| Respiration | Active (Lungs) | |
| Thermoregulation | Mesotherm (Basking, Resonating Chambers, Shivering) | |
| Reproduction | Sexual (Male and Female, Live Birth, Milk) | |
| Taxonomy | ||
| Domain Kingdom Phylum Superclass Clade Class Subclass Order Family Subfamily Genus Species | Eukaryota Carpozoa Spondylozoa Anisoscelida Pentapodes Soricia (info) Cynosauria Soriparasiticia Myzolabidae Dakosoricinae Maloculosorex Maloculosorex tonsuragnathus | |
| Ancestor: | Descendants: |
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Having split off from a group of Smirking Soriparasites that moved into higher elevations, the Sinister Sorite is by far the largest of the soriparasites yet to have evolved, at a monstrous 20 centimeters in total length. The species is also quite interesting in comparison to its relatives because it has fully given up a parasitic lifestyle, instead killing other creatures to feed itself. The adaptations of the Sinister Sorite relating towards hunting are actually inherited from their direct ancestor for the most part, since Smirking Soriparasites already dabbled with hunting small game on the treks between hosts. Like their ancestor, Sinister Sorites will lie in ambush for prey, waiting until they get close enough to attack. This is usually either through a lunge or a short sprint depending on the distance, with the shrew then using its powerful and flexible forelimbs to grab onto its victim or pin it down depending on the size. If the target is small enough however, the Sinister Sorite will just jump straight into the next step, where it deploys its powerful jaws to deliver a killing bite.
When it comes to the actual bite, the jaws of the Sinister Sorite have undergone a few noticeable deviations, the skull is much shorter than that of its ancestor which helps strengthen it from large stresses. The front teeth still curve backwards to help hold onto prey, but they are also assisted by the tongue. Now helping to grab onto prey, the rasping spines on the tongue have become calcified to better puncture flesh and remain firm. With this strategy, the Sinister Sorite can use its front teeth and tongue to snatch up small prey before moving the tongue backwards to pull it deeper into the mouth. Further back in the mouth is where the real business end of the Sinister Sorite lies, with the large shearing back teeth inherited from its direct ancestor are the main killing instruments of the Sinister Sorite. Once used to slice strips of skin from megafauna, these side teeth now help with dismemberment, especially in particularly small game like an unfortunate gundi. When the victim is in the back of the jaws, the sorite will bite down, with its rear teeth chopping off bits of the prey sticking outside the jaws. If the chunks are small enough, then the Sinister Sorite will swallow the chunks whole, while if they are too big it will simply bite them into smaller chunks.
For larger prey, including things up to twice its own size, the side teeth are used for something far more precise. Specifically, the Sinister Sorite will aim for the throat or spine of its prey, aiming to sever blood arteries or the spinal cord to make a quick kill. The Sinister Sorite is quite a voracious eater, capable of consuming up to a quarter of its own body weight in one sitting. This then gets translated into fat stores that the Sinister Sorite can survive on during leaner times when prey has been hard to find. This is particularly important since the species lives in a much colder and less hospitable habitat than most other types of soriparasites and it remains active throughout the whole year.
Another notable adaptation to the cold seen in the Sinister Sorite is the enlarged nasal chamber, which actually serves a couple different purposes. Originally, the enlarged nasal chamber was related to olfactory information, as it allows more air and thus odor particles to be brought in and used. This in turn gave the Sinister Sorite a heightened sense of smell compared to its relatives, being able to pick up the scent of something as much as five miles away if conditions are good. A byproduct of this nasal chamber, however, is that the inhaled air gets warmed up before entering the lungs. This allows the shrew to maintain a higher body temperature compared to its relatives, a useful adaptation for the species due to its range.
Unlike its relatives and ancestors, who only possess one pair of fully-functioning eyes and either have two pairs of tiny vestigial eyes or have no other pairs of eyes at all, the second pair of eyes have regained full usage. This in turn grants the Sinister Sorite a much clearer image in a full 360 degree motion, rather than only sensing light behind it (though the third pair of eyes does still do that). While the hind limbs still have fuzzy setae that can help the shrew with climbing, each toe now possesses a small claw, which alongside the shorter and more robust claw on the forelimbs better helps the Sinister Sorite with movement since it is not as small as its ancestors were. They also help provide better traction on the ground when either fleeing from predators or chasing down small prey. When faced with smaller predators, however, the Sinister Sorite actually prefers to stand its ground and fight rather than flee, as it can rely on its strong jaws to leave a nasty bite if its assailant is careless.
While their ancestors merely mated whenever they encountered one another in their treks between hosts, Sinister Sorites actually seek out one another at around the end of winter. Females that go into heat during this time will secrete a sticky substance from their cloaca that gives off a unique scent. With their great sense of smell, males quickly pick up the scent and follow them towards the source. If two or more males come across the same female, they will usually try to intimidate one another by hissing and making themselves look as big as they can. If neither backs down, things can get violent pretty quickly as both will bite each other viciously, aiming for the face and rump. While they only use their front teeth and tongue to bite each other during such a skirmish, things can still be quite nasty with serious injuries and fatalities being not unheard of. Once a victor is determined, the male will proceed to copulate with the female and then depart.
Because of the cooler climate, it pays for the young to be better developed so they can better withstand cooler temperatures. This does come at a cost, however, as it means there is less energy available to make many babies at once. As such, female Sinister Sorites invest much more in the two to three young born in a brood compared to most other kinds of soriparasites. The mother still suckles them early on, but she also cares for them even after they are weaned, protecting them from potential predators until they are around five months old. Early on the pips are very vulnerable to the cold, so the mother will rest in a dugout den during the night for the first month and a half, which keeps the pups out of the chilling wind. Meanwhile, when the mother is out foraging, the young cling on tightly to her back, only letting go when it is time to nurse. As the mother is too small to passively keep her pups warm, she instead employs a different tactic that all Sinister Sorite's are capable of. If she feels her young are getting too cold, she can rapidly twitch her skeletal muscles to generate warmth. While all Sinister Sorites are capable of doing this, shivering is especially important for mothers so her young do not get too cold. This higher parental investment ensures that despite the reduced litter size, Sinister Sorites have a much higher success rate of their young reaching sexual maturity compared to most other soriparasties.
