Frog, Stalking

Class:Beast, Realistic
Hab: Any damp region
Fre: Common to rare
Num: Pack of 5-30 or solitary "lumberer"
Lair: 90% in shelter when resting
Size: 100 lb (pack hunters) to 5,000 lb "lumberers"
Move: Incredible leaps
Def: Medium skin; some have horn plate armour + very quick dodge
Att: Vicious teeth and deadly rasping tongue
Int: Pack hunters are bright as wolves, but "lumberers" are dull indeed
Spec: Rarely
Posns: Unlikely

Stalking Frog

Stalking Frogs may be slimy amphibians, drier rubbery-skinned toads, or endothermic furred frogs (SEE Frogs, Furred). Some even sport armour of horn plates.

In build, stalkers are rather like a carnosaur (such as a tyrannosaur), but lack both neck and tail. Many are lithe and nimble leapers, but a few cold-clime or desert heavyweights are lumbering behemoths.

Stalking frogs rarely have long-reaching chameleon-like tongues; they are more likely to simply glom on with a wide-jawed bite. Hook-like teeth hold the prey securely in the jaws while the broad, short tongue, covered in shark-tooth-like denticles, rasps off swath after swath of tasty, hamburger-like shreds of flesh.

The smaller varieties, only 1-200 lb in size, are pack hunters. Some will bait or distract the prey while others circle around to leap / charge onto the prey's back, gripping with clawed feet while clamping down to secure a good bite.

The great "lumberers" don't leap as well, but they run swiftly enough.

"Snatchers" are the largest of lumberers. They use their massive, clawed feet to grab prey, holding it up or pinning it down for surer biting.

Population levels of stalking frogs, as for many cold-blooded creatures, may be surprisingly high. This is because, once fed, they can effectively "shut down" and spend a week, a month (if over 100 lb.), or even a year (for those over 500 lb) enjoying digesting. In this state, they are statue-still; they are likely to cover themselves with mud or leaves or other camouflage, becoming neigh invisible. Their eyes remain open just a slit, blinking only hourly. Should prey come within earshot, they warm themselves with a microscopic vibrating. By the time the prey draws within eyesight, the frogs are ready to pounce.

Vladpup Home       RPG Home       Bestiary Index       Last update
Apr 4, 2006