Squiffler

Squifflers are tiny mammals that live on the moon Nine, that orbits Echos in the Sao System.

Anatomy

Squifflers have an interesting physique. Their most noticeable feature are the incredibly long legs, that are very flexible and allow them to "run" up trees. With their single front arm, they grasp onto branches and with their prehensile tail they can swing from tree to tree easily.

Their backs are terribly arched, which brings irritability and pain to older squifflers who cannot manouvre round the trees as fast. Their heads are almost the same size as their body, with a longer maxilla than their mandible they poke it into holes in trees to try and reach grubs; if they can't reach then they use their arm to do so.

Reproduction

Squifflers mate during breeding season, which is a month long period right at the start of years. Males will attempt to impress females with an acrobatics course they design themselves, where they will jump from tree to tree, perform dangerous stunts such as spinning in the air and catching the branches again.

If the female is impressed, they will mate. Gestation period is 3-4 weeks, and females give birth to around 6 live young, possibly a few less and possibly a few more.

Diet

Squifflers have several ways of catching food. The simplest is to find a tree cavity and poke their mouth in, to try and grab a grub or two and eat it. The second, and most grim, is to wait for small creatures to pass them, birds or large insects, and grab them with their tails. Their tails are mostly muscle, so they constrict and will strangle their prey to death, then take it to somewhere secluded and quiet to eat it all.

Habitat

Squifflers are accustomed to the rainforest environments of the moon Nine, that orbits Echos. They live in the canopies, where they conceal themselves from predators by jumping from branch to branch and hiding behind gigantic leaves. They live in groups, with a female leader. Males are always at the bottom of the heirarchy, even below children.

They are an aggressive species when another group of squifflers wander into their own territory, fights often break out which lead to many deaths of these tiny mammalian critters.

Lifespan

6 - 10 years

Average Height

10 inches (25cm)

Geographic Distribution

• Nine

Related Articles