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Description

Leucrotta
Scientific name: Leucrottus carnifex
Other Names: Land-lion, Crocotta, Warg
Ancestor: Antarctic fur-seal
Diet: Large mammals and birds
Habitat and range: West-Antarctic forests, plains, and savannas, Alexander Island
Antarctica, despite its location, has not always and will not always be horribly cold. During much of Earths history it was a warm and fertile continent, at one point possessing palm trees, dinosaurs, and other cool stuff. Between the Eocene and Oligocene, the continent froze over for the first time in over 100 million years, wiping out a diverse ecosystem of dope-ass marsupials. After the dramatic volcanic eruptions that ended the Holocene 3 million years hence, the globe began a series of radical temperature swings that wiped out a good deal of life, though it never reached the same heights as many earlier mass extinctions. By the end of it all, Antarctica began warming again, and vegetation once more took root in its soils.

While for the first million years the terrestrial niches were seized by desperate penguins, one other animal took this opportunity; the Antarctic fur-seal. With the sub-antarctic oceans far too warm to support the food webs that fed many animals previously, most marine animals were forced to adapt or die. Fur-seals, however, were the mammal best equipped to transition to a terrestrial lifestyle, and while many penguins became fully terrestrial, the fur-seals soon followed. Smaller penguins proved to be an excellent meal for these intrepid carnivores, and before long, the newly named "Crocottaforms" became dominant land carnivores.

Mightiest of the Crocottaforms is the Leucrotta, also called the Crocotta and the Land-lion (due to it functionally being a terrestrial Sea-Lion). The five subspecies range from the cougar-sized Leucrottus carnifex luthori to the tiger-sized Leucrottus carnifex karkaras. These animals are vicious pursuit predators which can take down some of the largest of prey items, and indeed are the dominant apex predator on the continent. They live in packs ranging from five to twenty five adults, consisting of a dominant male, his harem of between 2-4 females, his sisters, the mates of his sisters, and of course, the pups. It is also worthwhile to note the remarkable intelligence of the Crocotta. While not reaching the intellectual heights of primates and Riquois, Crocottas have been seen demonstrating feats of intelligence on par with many species of pilot whale.

Description

Leucrotta
Scientific name: Leucrottus carnifex
Other Names: Land-lion, Crocotta, Warg
Ancestor: Antarctic fur-seal
Diet: Large mammals and birds
Habitat and range: West-Antarctic forests, plains, and savannas, Alexander Island
Antarctica, despite its location, has not always and will not always be horribly cold. During much of Earths history it was a warm and fertile continent, at one point possessing palm trees, dinosaurs, and other cool stuff. Between the Eocene and Oligocene, the continent froze over for the first time in over 100 million years, wiping out a diverse ecosystem of dope-ass marsupials. After the dramatic volcanic eruptions that ended the Holocene 3 million years hence, the globe began a series of radical temperature swings that wiped out a good deal of life, though it never reached the same heights as many earlier mass extinctions. By the end of it all, Antarctica began warming again, and vegetation once more took root in its soils.

While for the first million years the terrestrial niches were seized by desperate penguins, one other animal took this opportunity; the Antarctic fur-seal. With the sub-antarctic oceans far too warm to support the food webs that fed many animals previously, most marine animals were forced to adapt or die. Fur-seals, however, were the mammal best equipped to transition to a terrestrial lifestyle, and while many penguins became fully terrestrial, the fur-seals soon followed. Smaller penguins proved to be an excellent meal for these intrepid carnivores, and before long, the newly named "Crocottaforms" became dominant land carnivores.

Mightiest of the Crocottaforms is the Leucrotta, also called the Crocotta and the Land-lion (due to it functionally being a terrestrial Sea-Lion). The five subspecies range from the cougar-sized Leucrottus carnifex luthori to the tiger-sized Leucrottus carnifex karkaras. These animals are vicious pursuit predators which can take down some of the largest of prey items, and indeed are the dominant apex predator on the continent. They live in packs ranging from five to twenty five adults, consisting of a dominant male, his harem of between 2-4 females, his sisters, the mates of his sisters, and of course, the pups. It is also worthwhile to note the remarkable intelligence of the Crocotta. While not reaching the intellectual heights of primates and Riquois, Crocottas have been seen demonstrating feats of intelligence on par with many species of pilot whale.