The Dorna Maco has developed a profoundly symbiotic relationship with the desert cactus ecosystems that they call home. These palm-sized green and brown rodents possess a coat of glossy, dense fur that helps reflect the sun’s beating rays, and their backs are additionally covered by flexible, scaly plates that guard against wind-whipped sand and debris while also acting as camouflage—resembling the smooth surfaces of cacti—from such fearsome predators as the Dentega Salto. Although not the most intelligent of creatures, Dorna Macos possess a strong pack instinct and will band together in close-knit family-based groups. In the cooler months, a pack of Dorna Macos will migrate in search of a healthy Avkabarelo cactus; upon locating a suitable candidate, they will gnaw and scratch away at the succulent’s broad trunk until it is hollowed out into a shady nest. As seasonal temperatures climb to inhospitable degrees, Dorna Macos will feast on stray Nektara Veziko colonies, bright red Avkabarelo fruits, and water-filled cactus flesh—making these rodents one of the desert’s perennially happiest and best-fed denizens.

The creatures that dwell in this rather desolate world still display some diversity in appearance, eating habits, and social behavior. Whether they have fur or feathers, skin or scales, their unique genetic makeup allows for a variety of colors and markings within each species. Despite limitations in food sources, herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores are all present in the food chain, and each species requires specialized care within a laboratory. Although the artificial setting of housing units and breeding pods precludes most opportunities to study true interspecific behavior, the interactions within and between species has been studied extensively in the wilderness by scientists daring enough to venture beyond the outpost’s walls.