Red-ruffed Cave Monitor

The red-ruffed cave monitor is a notorious predator of Upper Deep. It does not rely on eyesight to hunt, instead taking advantage of its sharp sense of smell and sensitivity to vibrations in order to track down its prey.  

Cave Stalkers

Like its name suggests, the most distinctive feature of the red-ruffed cave monitor is its scaly ruff, which is bright red and can be raised to intimidate opponents or prey. It is located just below the monitor's skull and is tipped with spikes. When raised, it can double or triple the surface area of the monitor's head as viewed from the front. This ruff is used mainly in combat between competing monitors, especially for display during battles for mating rights. Both male and female red-ruffed monitors have this ruff, but the female's is much smaller and is striped with small, black markings which radiate from the base of the ruff.   The red-ruffed monitor is on the larger end of its genus, reaching anywhere from 4 to 10 feet depending on its age, sex, access to food, and skill as a hunter. Red-ruffed monitors grow throughout their lives and as such, older lizards can be quite immense. The rate of this growth, however, depends on the lizard's access to, and ability to acquire, food. They are primarily carnivorous, but will eat certain kinds of fungi or lichen when desperate.   Red-ruffed monitors have four legs, which are long compared to most lizards and end in feet equipped with heavy, blunt claws that can be several inches long. They stand far off the ground, as most of their prey also relies on sensitivity to vibrations to escape being eaten. They walk very quietly for such large creatures, and have been known to sneak slowly where required or sprint for short periods of time to catch prey as necessary.   These large lizards have equally large tails. Making up about 40% of an average monitor's body length, these heavy, scaled tails are brutal weapons. They do not possess spikes but are swung at high speeds and surprisingly flexible, allowing the lizard to stun or kill its prey with a swift blow.   Like all monitors, red-ruffed cave monitors have a long snout equipped with a pair of sharp nostrils. It is said that some individuals can detect the scent of blood from hundreds of feet away, even through the winding passages of Upper Deep. They have mouths full of short, sharp fangs, which they use to bite their prey and restrain it. Their saliva contains toxins which are secreted by two specialized glands, making their bites deadly even if prey escapes.  

Ruthless Hunters

  The red-ruffed cave monitor is a well-known predator in Upper Deep. Although its eyes are weak and of little use in the darkness of the Deep, it can stalk and kill prey from great distances and with little issue by relying on a few key strategies.   The cave monitor's initial tactic is stealth. After the lizard detects its prey either by scent, sound, or vibrations through stone, it will stalk the target slowly but relentlessly. Some red-ruffed cave monitors can spend hours or days following a single creature, slowly but surely closing the distance between them. Once the lizard is sure it can catch its target off-guard and secure it, it strikes.   Red-ruffed cave monitors have very strong jaws and heavy tails. When attacking, they first bite their prey, hoping to find enough purchase in the victim to keep it secured. At this point, it can use its immense weight and sharp claws to pin the creature down while it uses its jaws to snap the neck. If the lizard cannot get a firm grip, it will swing its tail around in an attempt to stun or kill the struggling creature.   Sometimes, however, the prey will hear the lizard's approach or escape from its grasp and bolt away. In this case, the red-ruffed cave monitor gives up on stealth and breaks into a sprint, hoping that its prey will tire out or that the lizard's own speed can overcome the quarry. Unfortunately, most prey in Upper Deep can sprint faster and for longer than the monitor, and any creature that can escape the lizard's grasp has a good chance of surviving the encounter.   While red-ruffed cave monitors prefer fresh meat, they will eat carrion when they cannot hunt prey themselves. This ties in with the monitor's last hunting tactic. Red-ruffed monitors have specialized glands in their mouth which secrete toxins into their saliva. Any prey that has been bitten by the monitor, regardless of how far it may be able to run away, will eventually succumb to these toxins and die a slow death somewhere in the tunnels. If a monitor has bitten prey before it escapes, it will keep tracking the prey, hunting other creatures if necessary as it travels. The monitor will eventually find where its quarry has died, and reap the rewards of its tireless search.  

Red-Ruffed Cave Monitors in Deep Culture

Because of the red-ruffed cave monitor's dogged perseverance and its well-honed hunting ability, it is feared by most Deepfolk that live in Upper Deep. The lizard's immense size means that it can effectively hunt most Deepfolk as well as the other creatures that live in its domain, andin fact some seem to prefer hunting Deepfolk because they are larger than most other subterranean creatures. Young Deepfolk are especially vulnerable, and tend to have a higher rate of mortality than their surface counterparts.   Because this lizard poses such a threat to Deepfolk, many ways of dealing with these fearsome predators have been developed. Some Deepfolk, such as the Orthopterae, have devised hunting and fighting techniques to use against the giant lizards. They learn how to avoid the snapping jaws and thrashing tail, and discover their weak points and blind spots. Some Orthopterae swarms make hunting the red-ruffed cave monitor into a sort of ritual, and orchestras are often called to deal with particularly persistent lizards.   Other Deepfolk, like the Talpidae and Myconids, have discovered antidotes for the monitor's toxic bites. Many who travel between safe points carry such mixtures with them, knowing that as long as they can escape the lizard's initial attack, they will survive. They have also found that it is much safer to travel in groups and have spent much time and energy in creating safe passages beetween settlements whose access points are too small to fit most monitors. Those which do fit through are typically small enough to pose little threat to a group of travelling Deepfolk.