04-17-2013, 09:09 AM
This is Day Two
This creature is a(n): Platyped rocerdenti (Common name: Wetnosed chattering grump)
This is its story: Rare across the globe except for on the island of Duval where it is quite common, especially along inland streams, this flat-footed rodent is perhaps one of the most notorious challenges to hiking on the island due to it's highly aggressive behavior. They are herbivorous with a particular taste for rushes and woody nuts and have adopted a rather ingenious method to open these nuts by crushing them under flat stones.
They mate for life and have an elaborate courtship routine requiring the building of dams and creating a trail leading to said dam using colorful vegetation. Female grumps are meant to follow these to the dam and assess the male's building skills. If she approves then they mate but if she does not approve it is not uncommon for her to unceremoniously headbutt the structure to oblivion.
Wetnosed chattering grump communities are not limited by size, and often balloon after a short time into large colonies. These colonies are defended by a sizable percentage of their number against any larger animals that might be seen as a threat to their group. While they do not move quickly due to the configuration of their legs and feet, the sheer number of alerted grumps to an intruder is certainly cause for alarm. Should they become close enough to such a target, it is standard practice to give them a few head butts as a warning before teeth become involved.
These creatures have never been successfully domesticated and all attempts to do so have resulted in grump communities centralized over parkland not too far from the household that made such attempt. These communities have required specialized teams to relocate the grumps so that they no longer attack the local children.
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