Den Smasher

Though they may seem small and unassuming, den smashers are powerful destructive forces who are always hungry. If you see one, chances are it wants to eat you.

Lifespan: 7 to 13 years / Diet: Omnivorous / Rarity: Uncommon

Anatomy
Typically den smashers are pale brown in color with black markings on their faces and legs. Occasionally they may be white, near-black, or blonde, but the black markings are always present. Their fur is long and silky and appears soft to the touch, but few are able to get past the den smashers's heavy, hooked claws and powerful bite. Though they're opportunistic and will hunt anywhere and eat anything, the den smashers has adapted to burrowing for extended periods of time.

With large spade like paws, small  rounded ears, small eyes adapted to seeing namely in the dark, and powerful noses, these predators are hellish to meet underground. To a lesser extent they've been known to climb trees, using the perch to leap down on large prey from above.

Dimensions
Heavily muscled, these powerful creatures weigh in at 55 to 70 pounds and are about 30 - 48 inches long. It's important not to underestimate them because of their size. Den smashers not only will eat anything, but are capable of killing most anything, and have been known to even chase bears away from kills.

Diet
Though technically omnivorous, den smashers highly prefer to eat meat. What sort of meat it is does not matter, as the opportunistic creature will consume practically anything they can find or kill. Though their hunting style is quite similar to the common wolverine, they are mighty diggers and are rather infamous for breaking into the dens of other animals to consume them. These creatures are especially fond of consuming gouroms.

Behavior
Not exactly the cleverest creatures in the world, the lives of these predators revolve entirely around finding and eating food. Because of this instinctual drive to eat, they're highly territorial and will only allow other den smashers into their hunting grounds during mating season. Usually it is quite rare to see one, and if you do it has either dug into your burrow to eat you or is leaping down from a tree onto your back.

Breeding
For a few weeks in late winter each year territorial borders fall and den smashers meet up to mate. This is pretty much the only time of year one might spot one without being attacked, as the creatures for once forget their eternal search for food in favor of breeding. Gestation lasts about two months, but birth may be delayed if food is scarce. Cubs will stay with their mothers until a year of age, at which point they reach mature size and are chased from her territory. Generally speaking, these creatures are even less friendly to each other than their wolverine cousins, and so breeding season is a tense time littered with fighting.

Language
As solitary animals these creatures have little need to communicate, wielding namely a simple, gruff language of chuffs and growls. Mothers may chirp to their young but for the most part their communication is simple and easily mimicked by wolves. Unfortunately the language is a clumsy one, so even if a wolf that can imitate and understand these noises will still struggle to communicate anything more than the simplest phrases.

Related

 * Home
 * Sverige
 * Bestiary
 * Bald Bear
 * Giant Rat
 * Gripe Seal
 * Human
 * Ruin Cat
 * Scaled Zephyr
 * Skickra
 * Wild Cat