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An Outback Bestiary

page 3

Tasmanian Devil

Thylacines and other predators tend to eat only certain parts of their prey, and what they leave behind is generally enough to sustain another group of flesh-eaters, ones that are specialized in feeding on carrion. This group includes the Tasmanian Devil, Sarcophilus harrisii, which on Earth is now confined to Tasmania, but once ranged across the entire Australian continent. Its unearthly howls and hellhound appearance have earned the devil its name, but is far more a scavenger than a predator of the night. Its powerful jaws can crush the largest bones, and little remains of a carcass after a group of devils has finished with it. Although, like most nocturnal beasts, they are solitary creatures, a large carcass, a kangaroo or a diprotodon for instance, attracts up to ten or so animals. Growling and screaming at each other, jaws agape, the devils squabble through their meal without ever actually coming to blows.

Wherever large carnivores such as the thylacine and the thylacoleo stalk on Uluru, the devils are not far behind. All give these ill-tempered creatures a wide birth.

Thylacine

The thylacine was a wolf-like marsupial predator of Australia, because of its body form often called the Tasmanian Wolf, and because of the camouflage stripes across its back the Tasmanian Tiger. However, it was more wolf-like like than cat-like, with wolf-like teeth, head shape, and forequarters. Unlike wolves, however, thylacines were apparently solitary hunters, wearing their prey down on dogged pursuit. Sometimes two would combine to make a kill, then share in the proceeds.

The thylacine has been extinct on the continent of Australia for thousands of years, but became extinct on the island of Tasmania in this century.

Thylacines are the most common predators of Uluru, and can present a potential threat to anyone. Even the thylacoleo gives them a wide birth.

Thylacoleo

Thylacoleo carnifex, the so-called 'Marsupial Lion', was a leopard-like animal, and was almost certainly carnivorous and a tree-dweller. Based on the study of its teeth and especially its hand and foot which were evidently suitable for grasping branches, which suggested that it may have been partly arboreal although it probably did not pursue arboreal prey, the Thylacoleo had a Leopard-like ecological niche. Most likely these marsupial lions hauled large kangaroos such as sthenurines into trees where they could be eaten at leisure out of the reach of scavengers and other comparable-sized carnivores like the large Pleistocene Tasmanian tigers (Thylacinus sp.).

The marsupial lion generally prefers to hunt by waiting in trees, concealed from its prey, leaping down upon them, surprising on a 1-3. Thylacoleos can spring 20 feet upward and ahead 25 feet. If they score with both forepaws during a melee round, the creature gains 2 additional attacks that round, each attack at 1-4 hit points of damage.

Though somewhat smaller than a leopard, except for man, the Thylacoleo is arguably dominant natural animal predator on the fantasy Australian continent of Uluru. In that land they often referred to as the wallandra by the natives.

Tiger Cat (Spotted-Tailed Quoll)

The Tiger Cat is not actually a cat, but a marsupial predator; it is more properly called the Spotted-Tailed Quoll. It has a spotted coat and a spotted tail, and is vaguely civet in appearance. It has strong, sharp teeth, powerful claws, and a crouching spring that means swift death for a range of prey. A good climber, it spends most of its time skulking in the forest. Feeding most on arboreal prey, it has a reputation for being a fierce fighter. If one is cornered, it can claw and scratch viciously, attacking as a 4HD creature.

Wonambi

Another predator of prehistoric Australia was the Wonambi, a python 7 metres long ( 25-foot-long, three-foot-in diameter). It was otherwise unremarkable; treat as a giant constrictor snake.

Zaglossus (Giant Echidna)

Zaglossus hacketti, a sheep-sized echidna whose remains were discovered in Mammoth Cave in Western Australia, was probably the largest monotreme ever. It is closely related to still-extant species Zaglossus Bruijni (Zaglossus means "Great Tongue"), also called the "Long-beaked Echidna." This modern species is found only in highland regions of New Guinea, and is quite rare. It is considerably bigger that Tachyglossus (the Australian species), growing as large as 16.5 Kilos (36.3 pounds), and has a longer snout curving downwards. The spines tend to be shorter than on Tachyglossus, and are often almost wholly concealed by fur, except along the flanks. Its legs are longer than in its more rotund short-beaked cousin, and it is sometimes described as more pig-like. Unforunately, very little is known about Zaglossus's biology, behaviour or ecological role. Zaglossus hacketti is simply a larger version of the modern New Guinea species, and should be widespread in a fantasy and/or prehistoric Australia, such as Uluru. Echidnas as a whole are fascinating creatures. Echidnas are members of the Monotremes, one of the three great orders of mammals. Monotremes are mammals that lay eggs, and have only one external opening, called a cloaca, through which all waste matter and reproductive substances pass. (The word monotreme means "one opening."). Besides the Echidna, the only other living Monotreme is the Duck-Billed Platypus, also native to Australia and Tasmania, which is therefore the Echidna's closest living relative. If attacked, the echidna (the giant version or any other species) will not attempt to attack, as it does not have an effective one. Echidnas are famous for their method of escaping danger. While echidnas do not build borrows to live in (except for the raising of young), they are excellent diggers. If caught in an exposed position, an echdinas will dig very rapidly straight down. In seconds, all that is showing is a small tuft of spines along the back. Zaglossus meat is prized by many Aborigines for its oiliness, and the animals are easily tracked down and killed by tribespeople using dogs to find the Echidnas and spears to get past their spiny natural defences.

Zygomaturus

Climate/Terrain:	Tropical savanna, grassland	Hit Dice:	7
Frequency:	Uncommon-Rare	THAC0:	16
Organization:	Herd	No. of Attacks:	1
Activity Cycle:	Day	Damage/Attack:	2-8
Diet:	Herbivore	Special Attacks:	Charge
Intelligence:	Animal	Special Defenses:	Nil
Treasure:	Nil	Magic Resistance:	Nil
Alignment:	Neutral	Size:	L
No. Appearing:	1-6	Morale:	Average
Armor Class:	6	XP Value:	200
Movement:	12

Zygomaturus trilobus was a relative of Diprotodon the size of a large bull which may have had either rhinoceros-like horns or a short trunk. For game purposes, Zygomaturus is slightly smaller than Diprotodon, and is somewhat less hairy in appearance. The mouth is much smaller, and there is a single pronounced though somewhat misshapen horn on the end of the nose. Otherwise, they appear as short-haired brownish rhinos.

Not as ill-tempered as the rhinoceros, nor as solitary, nevertheless the Zygomaturus can represent a threat. They can do 2-8 hit points of damage, double that if charging. Any opponent low enough will be trampled for 2-8 hit points damage.

The Zygomaturus is found in loose herds in the more open areas of the savanna of Uluru, ranging into the fringes of desert. It is reasonably safe from most predation, though they do fall occasionally to Megalania attacks.

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