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Description
Taken from the logs of Luchin and Pelar Eyesbright
During their search for the Greater Tyrohawk.

Day 3, evening...
It's rather late as I find myself writeing in this journal. It's already dark, and the camp fire is all the light we have for now.
We had heard the passing of a herd of desertrunners [link] in the darkness not far from the camp. From the sound of it, they were running at full speed, and calling out in alarm.
Although there was some concern about being trampled in the dark, we were still curious. when strange rasping calls joined in with the herd's rather high piched screeches.

We scrambled to the top of the hill to get a better look...

The Palix is a large wolf-sized predatory rodent found
in the desert, and open grasslands.
Generaly thought of as scavangers; they are in fact quite skillful hunters who use
both speed, and great stamina to wear down their prey.

One of the more unique qualities of these animals is that males are strictly nocturnal hunters,
and females are strictly diurnal (daytime hunters).
This in fact also explains why males tend to come in dark colors rangeing from brown to black,
While females are almost always a tawny sand like complexion.
It seems that this rather unusual trait cuts down competion for food between the sexes, especially since females tend to band together to raise their young, and hunt much larger prey than the more solitary males could take down alone.
Males also have little on no interest in their offspring.

It should be noted however that Palix both male and female tend to be loners, so their pack structure is very loose by wolf standerds. The only things that tend to draw them together is a large carcass, mating season, and the rearing of young in females.
Males compete for females by making strange rasping calls, and making mock threats at their rivals with their crests of quill like hair. (a feature only seen in males) Basicly the loudest, toughest looking guy with a great crest is what the ladies want.

Another interesting feature of these animals is their noses which can open suprizingly wide, or shut tightly
to keep sand and dust out.
It seems to function as a massive air scoop to funnel air into a pair of unusually large lungs.
This coupled with the unusual pattern of their legs.
Palix have a massive chest cavity and narrow hips, thus when the legs come together in a full speed gallop the hind limbs actually pass between the fore limbs.
Dispite this odd body structure they have been clocked at speeds of up to 50 mph.

Description
Taken from the logs of Luchin and Pelar Eyesbright
During their search for the Greater Tyrohawk.

Day 3, evening...
It's rather late as I find myself writeing in this journal. It's already dark, and the camp fire is all the light we have for now.
We had heard the passing of a herd of desertrunners [link] in the darkness not far from the camp. From the sound of it, they were running at full speed, and calling out in alarm.
Although there was some concern about being trampled in the dark, we were still curious. when strange rasping calls joined in with the herd's rather high piched screeches.

We scrambled to the top of the hill to get a better look...

The Palix is a large wolf-sized predatory rodent found
in the desert, and open grasslands.
Generaly thought of as scavangers; they are in fact quite skillful hunters who use
both speed, and great stamina to wear down their prey.

One of the more unique qualities of these animals is that males are strictly nocturnal hunters,
and females are strictly diurnal (daytime hunters).
This in fact also explains why males tend to come in dark colors rangeing from brown to black,
While females are almost always a tawny sand like complexion.
It seems that this rather unusual trait cuts down competion for food between the sexes, especially since females tend to band together to raise their young, and hunt much larger prey than the more solitary males could take down alone.
Males also have little on no interest in their offspring.

It should be noted however that Palix both male and female tend to be loners, so their pack structure is very loose by wolf standerds. The only things that tend to draw them together is a large carcass, mating season, and the rearing of young in females.
Males compete for females by making strange rasping calls, and making mock threats at their rivals with their crests of quill like hair. (a feature only seen in males) Basicly the loudest, toughest looking guy with a great crest is what the ladies want.

Another interesting feature of these animals is their noses which can open suprizingly wide, or shut tightly
to keep sand and dust out.
It seems to function as a massive air scoop to funnel air into a pair of unusually large lungs.
This coupled with the unusual pattern of their legs.
Palix have a massive chest cavity and narrow hips, thus when the legs come together in a full speed gallop the hind limbs actually pass between the fore limbs.
Dispite this odd body structure they have been clocked at speeds of up to 50 mph.