Catbug

The Catbug is an omnivore which lays low in the face of competition and predation. Its abdomen is long, segmented, and tail-like, providing better balance and potential weaponry. Rather than 3 hooked claws on each foreleg, it has 2 blunt claws and one retractable hooked claw; this allows it to walk efficiently without wearing down the claws it actually uses to attack prey, a bit like a terran dromaeosaur. On the predatory side, it is an ambush predator, sneaking up on prey before leaping and attempting to crush or tear their heads off, digging into the joints of their exoskeletons with its hooked foreclaws to hold them in place.

The catbug’s tail has horizontal spikes near the end. This is not for attacking prey; rather, it uses it as a defense against the much larger and stronger acropard, which would happily gobble it up otherwise. A strike from its tail can potentially take out an eye, provided of course that the catbug notices the acropard before it’s too late. To assist with detecting predators as well as finding prey, the catbug has a pair of simple tympanic ears on its head. Its antennae have been somewhat repurposed, now aiding in communication; for example, they stick straight up and open in a dominant or aggressive display, but they lay folded back on its head and quiver as a submissive gesture.

The catbug is generally solitary and somewhat territorial, though males will allow females into their territory to mate. Its territorial instinct is heightened when less food is available; during droughts, it isn’t uncommon to see catbugs squabbling over access to food, water, and territory. Though it does not raise its offspring, it tolerates their presence in its territory while they are young, only chasing them out once they are about half-grown. A catbug’s territory can span a 2-3 kilometer radius from a center point, which is usually a shallow den dug in the dirt; a center point can also be a landmark, such as an especially large rock, if the particular catbug happens upon one. In the colder parts of its range, the catbug will often sleep under gazebo trees such as the crystal fortress, which by their nature provide some protection from winter frost.