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Ratatoskr
Named after the squirrel that climbs Yggdrassil in Norse Mythology
Strong evidence suggests that this was once an amphibious predator that clinged onto under water drop offs and cliffs searching for easy prey. As the oceans evaporated, it became entirely terrestrial but contnued its life style. Fossils show that Ratatoskr has not changed much in the last few million years. The tail was never meant for swimming as all fully aquatic animals on Midgard propell themselves with an up-down tactic, similar to our whales and dolphins.
The tail fan is used to signal other Ratatoskr that this is the individual's territory and that the intruder needs to back away now or engage in afight. It is also a means to attract mates. During breeding season, when hundreds of these animals gather on the cliff that defines the border of the vanished ocean, males have the blood vessels in their tail open up take in more blood and thus heating the tail. By waving the tail around, it creates a colorful streak of red fading to blue that the females can see. Whoever makes the most colorful streak is more likely to mate.
Most of the year however, Ratatoskr is seen climbing the sharply inclined salt spires, searching for eggs and small animals to eat. They are very strong climbers, using all four legs, the two scythes on their arms and even the tusks on their lower jaws. They can also easily kill a large animal for food using their scythes, but that's only a last resort. Ratatoskr always try to avoid fighting and will certainly yield their food to another predator if it feels outmatched.
"This is essentially my own take on Wayne Barlowe's Daggerwist. Ratatoskr was one of the first animals designed for Midgard, long before the idea of creating an alien world full of creatures reminescent of Norse Mythology. Therefor, until 2012, it was unnamed. It was simply a creature inspired by the works of my favourite artist."
Ratatoskr is capable of remaining absolutely still for long periods of time, even when hanging from a cliff face. The longest time recorded was 6 [Earth] hours.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment below.
Knife fight
You're gonna fight for your life
Knife fight
You're gonna fight with a knife
-Lemon Demon
Named after the squirrel that climbs Yggdrassil in Norse Mythology
Strong evidence suggests that this was once an amphibious predator that clinged onto under water drop offs and cliffs searching for easy prey. As the oceans evaporated, it became entirely terrestrial but contnued its life style. Fossils show that Ratatoskr has not changed much in the last few million years. The tail was never meant for swimming as all fully aquatic animals on Midgard propell themselves with an up-down tactic, similar to our whales and dolphins.
The tail fan is used to signal other Ratatoskr that this is the individual's territory and that the intruder needs to back away now or engage in afight. It is also a means to attract mates. During breeding season, when hundreds of these animals gather on the cliff that defines the border of the vanished ocean, males have the blood vessels in their tail open up take in more blood and thus heating the tail. By waving the tail around, it creates a colorful streak of red fading to blue that the females can see. Whoever makes the most colorful streak is more likely to mate.
Most of the year however, Ratatoskr is seen climbing the sharply inclined salt spires, searching for eggs and small animals to eat. They are very strong climbers, using all four legs, the two scythes on their arms and even the tusks on their lower jaws. They can also easily kill a large animal for food using their scythes, but that's only a last resort. Ratatoskr always try to avoid fighting and will certainly yield their food to another predator if it feels outmatched.
"This is essentially my own take on Wayne Barlowe's Daggerwist. Ratatoskr was one of the first animals designed for Midgard, long before the idea of creating an alien world full of creatures reminescent of Norse Mythology. Therefor, until 2012, it was unnamed. It was simply a creature inspired by the works of my favourite artist."
Ratatoskr is capable of remaining absolutely still for long periods of time, even when hanging from a cliff face. The longest time recorded was 6 [Earth] hours.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment below.
Knife fight
You're gonna fight for your life
Knife fight
You're gonna fight with a knife
-Lemon Demon
Image size
1000x765px 1.01 MB
© 2012 - 2024 Tapejara
Comments4
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Why is it named after the squirrel that climbs Yggdrasil?