Shy but deadly, Tagalos are commonly found in rocky areas, where they spend much of the day sunning themselves on warm stone. Most creatures know to give these venomous snakes a wide berth. Their sharp fangs can deliver a potent, paralyzing toxin. As their digestive process is slow, they hunt only once a week, but they are careful and cunning predators. Using their forked tongue to scent and their specialized heat vision to see, Tagalos stalk small animals from on top of rocks, under bushes, and even in trees, often dropping down upon their unsuspecting prey. Tagalos are capable of gliding forward or backward as the need arises. The eye-like marking near the tip of their tail serves to confuse prey and predators. Juveniles usually crawl backward and will dart forward with a burst of speed to capture prey or evade danger.

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.

Creature Notes

• One of the first set of twins born in my own lab. I'm curious to see how its development may differ compared to its sibling.
• This Tagalo grew up remarkably fast. She was the second to emerge of this batch of capsules, yet was the first to mature. Interestingly, her sibling was the last to emerge, and even at hatching had a significantly higher hardiness rating than her.
• As the first to mature, she also has a markedly lower hardiness score compared to other second generation creatures from parents with similar ratings.
• It appears that the capsule stage is the most influential stage for hardiness outcomes, given how far ahead her sibling was in terms of development. In addition, individuals who are swift to mature have far less opportunity to influence hardiness.