Garke

Banded Garke - digital photo manipulation by Sebastian Romu

Brown Garke - digital photo manipulation by Sebastian Romu

Spiny Garke - digital photo manipulation by Sebastian Romu

Overview

Legless mammalian predators and scavengers common throughout Entorais. Garke known for their speed and vicious tearing bites.

Common Names

Garke

Description

Classification

Mammal

Size

Varies significantly with sub-species. Average adults size is 10-30 kilograms (22-66 pounds) and 75-150 centimetres (2 feet 6inches - 5 feet) in length.

Appearance

Short furred legless mammal, with long necks, thick bodies and medium tails. They move about on their calloused padded underbellies.

Sexual dimorphism

Females tend to be 25% heavier than males.

Variance

Differences based on sub-species.

Ecology

Habitat

found in a wide variety of habitats. Each sub-species is adapted to their particular biomes.

Diet

Garke will prey upon small animals as individuals and in packs are cunning and aggressive carnivores, often taking on prey much larger than themselves, using their ferocity and numbers to their advantage.

Behaviour

Social grouping

Generally found in packs of 2-6 individuals.

Temperament

Generally aggressive, but tend towards stealth and endurance hunting styles.

Intelligence

Cunning Animal.

Reproduction

Males and females will mate in the fall. Females will dig a den and brood during the winter, with live birthing young the following spring. The number of young, gestational period and age to reach sexual maturity varies with sub-species.

Sub-Species

Banded Garke

The banded garke is a predator of the more heavily forested areas of Anexea.

Black-and-white banded appearance, with spots along the neck and head.

Black Garke

Banad Garke is a predator of the forested areas of Anexea,

They have black-green colouration with very dark brown and green brindling on their hides.

The black Garke has teeth which are loose in their jaw, and will break off in the wounds of prey. These embedded teeth with often keep the wound bleeding, and can cause an infection if left untreated. This allows for the banad garke to later track and catch any prey might escape and initial attack.

Brown Garke

Balakwä Garke is a predator of the grassland areas of Anexea. They are of a dark brown colouration with lighter brown ruff.

Desert Garke

Balyfre Garke are a voracious predator of Krolaryn Wastes, and Waejiran Desert. They are a short furred creature, with tawny colouration and light through dark brown dappled hides.

Horned Garke

The horned garke is a smaller variety, possessing light brown to grey fur, and sporting a pair of outward turned horns on their heads. These are used for defensive purposes against larger predators.

Ring Spotted Garke

The largest of the garke species reaching 200 kilograms and 4-5 metres in length. Their hide tends to cinnamon/ginger colours with brown or black ring shaped speckles 1-3 centimetres in diameter along their backs.

These beasts have a toxic bite, which can induce paralysis from the slightest scratch. They often will attack prey, then withdraw and let the poison finish off the kill.

Fortunately they tend to be found either solo or in pairs unlike their smaller cousins.

Spiny Garke

The baläwüsk garke - spiny garke, is found in the deserts of Krolar.

The sub-species is known as an omnivorous hunter of insects and other small animals. They also have been known to eat fruit and other portions of various desert plants. :They do not stray far from their communal underground nests, and are often found in small groups. The creature’s bite is a hardened beak, with which it crushes small prey, and vegetable matter.

Their name comes from the backward projecting array of spines radiating from the creatures head and neck. These spines are not known to be poisonous. If grasped, the garke will lurch backwards to impale its captor.

This species shows greater gender dimorphism, with the females being dull brown desert sandstone in colour, while males are banded with white ring every 4 centimetres (3 inches), and far easier to spot.

Domestication

General

Sometimes farmed for furs in northern areas.

Resources

Pelts, Meat.

See Also

False Garke