Stinger cat

Stinger cats are feline predators native to Central America in Nuclearth. They get their name from the vicious venomous stinger that tips their tail. A stinger cat has been described as a cross between a cat and a scorpion; they are, of course, in reality no such thing—they are mutated from great cats, and have no scorpion ancestry—, but the comparison is understandable. The stinger cat holds its tail forward over its body in much the same way that a scorpion does, and lashes forward with it to strike at foes like a scorpion as well.

Description

Stinger cats are medium-sized felines, averaging about 1.7 meters long. They have a striped pattern somewhat reminiscent of that on a tiger, though more irregular and somewhat muted; the dark stripes are merely brown instead of black, and are broader than a tiger's usually are. The feature that most obviously sets the stinger cat apart from its confamiliars, of course, is the tail, which is long and thickly muscled and usually held forward, its tip reaching almost to the cat's shoulders. At the end of the tail is a bulbous stinger, filled with venom generated from an organ near the cat's anus.

Diet

The stinger cat is a strict carnivore, preferring large prey at least human-sized, but willing to subsist on smaller prey if necessary. Starving stinger cats have even been observed to eat insects on occasion, though not if better quarry is available. The stinger cat hunts its prey like other large cats, stealthily stalking it and then springing when close enough. Rather than attacking its prey with its claws and teeth, however, the stinger cat prefers to use its tail to bring it down, stinging multiple times if necessary. The stinger cat's common prey animals include the two-nose tapir, the bear monkey, and the torbellino. Stinger cats do not specifically seek out humans as food, but generally have no fear of them, and will not hesitate to attack them if they're hungry.

Defense

Stinger cats have the fangs and claws common to most felines, but augmented by their stinging tail. Though the stinger cat uses its venomous sting to bring down prey when hunting, it may also use it to defend itself if threatened. The venom of the stinger cat's tail is rarely enough to kill a healthy human with a single sting, but could easily do in a child or someone already sickly, and in any case a second sting can usually finish the job. The venom does not kill instantly, however, and a stung victim may have a few hours in which to find some antivenin and save his life.

A stinger cat is not immune to its own venom, but is agile enough to avoid stinging itself. Stinger cats are not averse to using their stings on their rivals, however, and when two scorpion cats get into a fight, it is usually the sting that fatally settles the matter.

Habitat

Stinger cats are creatures of the jungle, although they are not generally arboreal; though they can climb trees when they need to, they prefer to spend most of their time on the ground. Their striped pattern gives them some measure of camouflage among the trees and plants of the forest floor, though they don't rely on that, but rather conceal themselves in the undergrowth until it's time to strike. Occasionally the cats leave the forest and seem able to thrive in other terrains as well, but they prefer the darkness of the jungle.