User blog comment:Ohmpahkan/Cycle of life/@comment-1011548-20110627200553

The natural world isn't all about violence, killing and predation. Sometimes it's about sex (although the two needn't be mutually exclusive, I suppose). On that note, here's the rather different Baggi Ecology, way too late for its MAD day.

All was still in the vast, sun-drenched snowy plains of the Tundra. Spring had finally arrived, and with it came glorious sunshine, a small rise in temperature, the cessation of the foul winter storms that had battered the land, and the cries of various creatures awakening from their winter hibernation. It was also Baggi mating season. Baggi were small, pale blue raptor-like creatures that hunted in large packs. Although each was thin and wiry, with long, slender skulls, they were also equipped with impressive fangs, claws and group co-ordination. However, the species was best known for the tranquilising fluid that they could spit from specialised throat glands; it was potent enough to put even a human to sleep within seconds. Each group was led by a dominant male, known as a Great Baggi, easily identifiable by his larger size and developed head crest. Female Baggi only came into heat during this time of the year, and not for very long; the males had to grasp (quite literally, in some cases) every opportunity that they could. It was not, however, an easy task for a Great Baggi to seduce a female. The courtship ritual was strangely long and intricate for something so necessary and under such time pressure. First, the Great Baggi would sedate a prey creature (the bigger and tougher the better) in order to demonstrate the strength of his individual tranquilising fluid. He would then drag the hapless creature back to the nest deep within the cave network of the Tundra and present it to his desired female as a show of strength. And finally, he would serenade her with his most charming grunts and vocal noises… no researchers were quite sure how this was supposed to make him appear attractive, however. A Great Baggi, although a strong predator in its own right, was still relatively low in the Tundra food-chain, and venturing out by themselves, away from the safety of the group, was a considerable risk. One male found his bravery rewarded, however, as he caught sight of an oblivious Ice Uroktor, snuffling through the snow in search of carrion. Ice Uroktors were larger, lizard-like creatures native to the Tundra; with streamlined shapes and paddle feet for swimming through the thick snow drifts, they were speedy creatures, and not to be underestimated. In fact, they became even more vicious when fully mature, increasing hugely in size and developing a dorsal fin, a razor-sharp beak and thick layer of icy mucus for protection. They were so different that they went by a different name as adults: Ice Agnaktors, widely considered to be amongst the top predators of the Tundra. A female Baggi would surely be impressed with even a young one! Sensing his opportunity, the Great Baggi snuck up behind the Ice Uroktor, his footfalls muffled perfectly by the thick snow. A couple more steps… there! The Great Baggi convulsed, and spat a huge globule of fluid at the Ice Uroktor, catching it in the face and completely by surprise. It managed to turn around to face its aggressor… then slumped into the snowdrift, completely unconscious. The Great Baggi roared in triumph, then grasped the Ice Uroktor around the tail and began to lug it back to the nest. It wasn’t an easy journey. The Ice Uroktor was deceptively heavy, and was only slightly smaller than the Great Baggi itself. Certainly tiring work, that nearly ended in disaster at one point when the Great Baggi was unlucky enough to come across a Barioth stalking silently through a pitch-black cave. Fortunately, the Great Baggi was merely inches away from a narrow tunnel in the cave wall that it had been aiming for, and managed to drag its victim inside just as the Barioth leapt past, missing by a hair’s breadth. After several more minutes of laborious work, the Great Baggi finally made it back to the nest – a large, circular cave covered mostly in ice and the skeletal remains of past meals, illuminated from overhead by a natural skylight. Roughly half the group was resting peacefully on the ground – the other half must have been out hunting – but even so, the Great Baggi had quite an audience as he dragged his prize to the centre. Once there, he spotted the female that had taken his fancy some time ago, and deposited the still sleeping Ice Uroktor in front of her. She looked up, and waited expectantly, ignoring the gift placed before her. Understanding, the Great Baggi stepped back and began to issue a strange set of coughing, barking noises – these roused the rest of the group, who immediately began to slink, quietly and subtly, away to the further reaches of the cave. The chosen female, however, was far more impressed with this display of vocal talent, and finally presented herself to the eager, victorious Great Baggi. Several caves away, the returning half of the Baggi group cocked their heads to the side, utterly bemused by the strange panting and growling noises they could hear coming from the central nest.