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On erid there is a creature that hunts in small packs. This creature is well know for its unique hunting method the humans call a "it's just a F@#$ing gun with legs".
The creature creates oxygen using infrared driven oxygenic photosynthesis. 2H₂O → O₂ + 4H⁺ + 4e⁻ In its internal structure it keeps a blend of Specialized organs that contain manganese-, iron-, and nickel-rich catalytic proteins. It also has specialized water-containing tissues that it uses in combination with the catalytic proteins and infrared-light-absorbing pigments. These pigments harvest Erid's abundant infrared radiation to drive the reaction, with its abnormally hot carapace helping maintain favorable reaction conditions pulling the oxygen out of the water and keeping it in a separate circulatory system. It uses the oxygen and other byproducts for two purposes.
Purpose one defense. The creature is highly toxic to most life due to the rich oxygen content and more than one pebble has suffered oxidation due to the creatures getting injured due to roughhousing or exploding due or old age.
Purpose two the creature has a special part of its carapace designed to be well ... Fired using the purified oxygen it stores in an internal chamber. When it combines the oxygen with combustible product. Boom. When it's ready to fire at prey It hunkers down and has surprisingly good aim but only at slow moving targets.
It's primary hunting method serves two purposes one it will kill anything of a comparable size out right but for larger prey it will effectively "blind" it due to the noise. Two even if the prey does not die having large cracks and holes are not condusive to living very long.
Speaking of being deaf, the creatures have a special lining in the carapace to protect them from the sonic shock which helps some what however they also have the unique ability to regenerate their hearing organs. They also have remarkably poor rear hearing when moving. It is believed that they are primarily focused on one side providing the creatures an incredibly high definition and distance of sound detection.
They prefer to hunt in packs of 6 due to the ability to take out larger prey at lower risk of failure. With their methods they all get fed and in the event a creature does run, there being more than one greatly increases their chances of taking down the prey. They also tend to have a similar range of frequency and ability to produce sound however it seems they use an internal method to produce noise instead of external.
Some attempts at communicating have been made and progress in determining what calls mean what has been made. But while they will respond to each other with hunting calls and such all attempts to communicate with them using mimicry have been met with confusion as they search for the members of their species that called to them. their method of sharing information is reproducible and has not lead to any meaningful dialogue. The creatures are either uninterested in communicating with us or simply have no internal dialogue beyond instinct and motive spirit.
The good news is that they tend to stay outside of small settlements ( they do occasionally scavenge and tend to be curious) and are not interested in harming Eridians. The scientist believe that the creatures have similar intelligence or slightly higher than that of earth wolves. And believe that after generations of civilization they have learned that a disproportionate response will occur to the harming of an eridian. The second reason is that they prefer larger prey it is a very resource intensive hunting method and as an obligate carnivore just a few failed hunts will leave it too weak to hunt, And subsequently starve. Having to regenerate your primary hunting organ every hunt is not quick and it is expensive.
These creatures have been shown to have some level of compassion in the wild for their fellow members but outside of their species they rarely show mercy and are much more likely to take the easy meal over helping another life form. In rare cases there have been reports of pebbles occasionally being guided back to care takers but these are rare and not verified.
As far as the flora they do seem to be partial to them and often are found sleeping in tall grass *grass in this use case is for the benefit of human sensibility* generally speaking they are quite good for the ecology due to the counter balance nature of them and the very rich... Waste.
The first time the humans saw them they started shouting and grunting.
"Why are humans alarmed, question? Animals are harmless unless hunting. They are curious."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN CURIOUS?"
A small pack of 3 were moving through town. (Due to the growing population centers they have begun to seek out other food but generally stay away from cities if possible but it's rapid becoming impossible.) The escorts took up threat posturing towards the creatures which squeaked in alarm and began to run away. (Rarely will one of the creatures use its main offense when threatened preferring to find and ambush over confrontation.)
After returning to the bio-dome the humans were very concerned.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY WERE CURIOUS?" He shouted. "WHY ARE THE BIOLOGICAL ARTILLERY PIECES ENTERING THE SETTLEMENT?"
I chirped in amusement,"They sometimes enter settlement." I replied, "looking for food probably."
He proceeded to grumble for the rest of the day.
"giant space ants!"
"what do you mean they might explode!?!"
Good times.
My first encounter with one was when I was a pebble near my *domicile* I saw a few scuttling in a direction and I decided to follow them.
" You followed the gun ants?"
" I didn't know what the were only that I wanted to see what was exciting."
I followed behind them for a while and came across a big BIG animal. They got still so of course being a dumb pebble I also when still.
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Then my world whent fuzzy.
"And that's how you lost your hearing ?"
"Yes, statement. Shut up, statement. Noisy human let me finish story."
To this day it's the loudest thing I have ever heard and I still can't hear on that fifth of my carapace. After turning I saw them devouring the creature and I whent warbling home to my close to you, superior *parent* and they tended to me the best they could but unfortunately I am considered disabled due to the incident. Which is actually what led to becoming a biology eridian in hopes to restore not only my own hearing but others aswell.
"Parent was extremely mad. Bad bad bad."
"I BET!"