#ichneumon

[quinnred]

Fan concept of Rythaze's Repha setting.

The Ichneumon are a truly lethal mutant, but the most disastrous part of the Ichneumon are the airborne Sows.

The whips and iridescent green of the Boars are swapped for wings and a reflective chrome. While Boars are territorial herd guardians, Sows are true ambush predators, hiding in the sky to swoop up prey of man and mutant alike. The organs of the back seem to have two purposes: the smaller organs vibrate to create a mirage-like affect to cloak the Sow during an attack, the larger and longer organs produce propulsion during flight. Sow's spend much of their time seeding areas with placental pig "eggs" cloned parthenogenetically from the DNA of the pig they bore from, ensuring that their own larvae will have ample opportunity.

After successful mating with a selected Boar, the Sow will re-visit these areas and release her feather-like offspring mid-air like an aerial bomber.

The larvae seek almost any warm body they can find in hopes of imbedding into a viable host's spine. So far the only known successful host are the human made Meal Pigs and their Ichneumon replications, all others simply lack the nutrients, calcium, and biomass to support a complete maturation. The statue-like calcified corpses of failed bondings are a sign of a Sow's passing.

[celestialmacros]

Beautiful creature

Ichneumon ambulatorius

July 10, 2025

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Tinicum, Pennsylvania

[evolutionsvoid]

While I am eager to tell everyone about the incredible things the natural world has to offer, there are times I feel some folk may think it a little too fantastical and epic. For sure there are things that would blow your cap off, but there is also a hefty share of the mundane and simple. A reality far less exciting than what legends and plays may suggest. Eucella can probably tell you this from the times she has accompanied me to my observational studies, often dozing off because the subjects of my research "aren't doing anything." Folks get it in their minds that every second of nature is a life-or-death scenario, where predators take on prey, where beasts brawl for territorial rights and the full glory of nature is on display. Yet, when you share the statistics of how often predators actually succeed in their hunt, you can see the interest drain from people's faces. Turns out, watching your favorite beast go hunting means seeing them beef it a whole lot. The epic struggle between titans doesn't happen all that often, and often the endings can be a bit disappointing. Yes, a dragon beast may be slain by a valiant knight, or bested by a monstrous rival, but there is a higher chance they may perish to disease, hunger or just bad luck. Imagine if they wrote legends about the heroes who perished to infected wounds or fell off their horses wrong. As folks eventually learn, not everything big and powerful has a fitting story and end. I feel the ichneumon and its prey is a good example of this, as some folks have found it anticlimatic for a monstrous reptile to perish because of a "sneaky little rat" taking a cheap shot.

But of course, I don't think it is disappointing in the slightest! I find it rather fascinating and see that it is a great example of how cleverness can beat strength any day! People just get mad when the big cool thing loses to the tiny unexciting critter, but that is how things work in nature some times! And don't you folks like a good hunt?! Want to see a predator win and claim its meal?! Well, it still counts when the ichneumon does it! Anyways, getting off on a rant here! Again! The critter I am writing about today is the ichneumon, a weaselly looking mammal of seemingly harmless size. Just a tube of fur living out there in the wilds, nothing crazy or interesting about that! Ha! How little you know!

The ichneumon has a pretty typical lifestyle for something of that shape and size. It lives in arid environments, though it tends to stick close to water sources. River banks and pond edges, as these places give it sufficient food, water and mud. Its usual diet seems rather fitting, as it feeds upon insects, amphibians, small reptiles and mammals and the occasional washed up carcass. They are quick in their movements, often hiding in the mud in or in a burrow before pouncing on prey. Seems all relatively normal, right? Well, for the most part, yes. The ichneumon lives a typical life, but eventually the time will come when they eye a bigger prize...

The waters they live around attract all sorts of creatures, but the ones they pay most attention to are reptilian. Crocodiles, dragons and other large lizards catch their eyes, and they are quick to vanish into the mud when such a big beast arrives. The way they dart suggests fear, that they are hiding for their lives. However, such a tiny morsel is nothing to these species, not worth the effort to hunt. These creatures come to drink and rest, often basking in the sun. They lay upon the sands and shore, stretched out with mouth open. When they take on the pose, the ichneumon slowly begins to make its move. If you had good eyes, you would be able to see the little weasel slowly slither through the mud, using it to mask their presence and scent. They very slowly approach the resting beast, who lies unaware and uncaring, for who would dare attack them? But this is because they make the same mistake that we make, thinking that danger can only come in big packages! When the ichneumon strikes, they will learn of their foolish error, though they probably won't survive it.

In a flash, the ichneumon leaps from the muck and straight into the open maw of the reptile. Right into the jaws! Whatwhatwhat?! What is it doing?! Its suicidal! It sure would look like it, seeing these muddy little terrors leap into the mouth of a dangerous beast and dive into its throat! Its muddy tube-shaped body is perfect for sliding down the gullet, which seems like an odd adaptation. And their bodies possess back facing spines, which make it hard for them to go in reverse! Once they are in the throat, they are in! But why do they want to be in there in the first place? What does this do besides give a crocodile an easy appetizer? Well, it turns out that the reptile is the one on the menu! For the ichneumon slithers down the throat and into the guts, where it begins to chew and burrow. Past all the defenses and weapons of the beast, and right in its vulnerable core, the little devil tears into the organs and lands the fatal blow. All the reptile can do is thrash about in vain, as once the ichneumon has gotten into the throat, it is all over. They will rip through the organs and claim their prize. A huge beast now slain, and they are right in the middle of the feast!

Bizarre as it may seem, the ichneumon is a crafty little killer and incredibly good at killing crocs and dragons that leave themselves vulnerable. Their muddy stealth hides their approach, their speed lets them avoid the crushing jaws, the back facing spines prevent them from being vomited back out and a flexible cartilage-heavy skeleton lets them survive the tight tunnels of the internals. All to kill them from inside and then enjoy a gluttonous feast. Obviously, the ichneumon cannot eat this entire carcass themselves, but their place on the inside lets them gorge for a good long while before scavengers on the outside invade. When the hungry mob of creatures show up to feed, the filled up ichneumon will make a hasty exit. Often, ichneumons will band together to pull off this method of killing, where one fells the beast and the others hurry to take advantage of the meaty bounty. It must have been a startling scene for the first person to learn of this behavior! Imagine coming across a dragon carcass, moving in for a closer look to have a swarm of weasels suddenly erupt from its wounds!

No doubt it is a terrible way to go, so much so that there are folks who even feel a bit sorry for the dragons! Imagine being such a powerful beast, and then perishing because you left your mouth open! Makes me curious if dragons of that region have lessons or cautionary tales about this very thing. Something to tell your hatchlings to not sit by the water with your mouth open! Lest the horrible mud serpent weasel get you! I do know that the ichneumon's method of feeding is so infamous, that some people are scared to fall asleep on the shores of these water bodies, fearing the critter will do the same to them! As far as my research has shown me, no one has ever died this way, but I feel that isn't enough to squash those worries.

Morbid as it is, the ichneumon's hunting strategy has easily made it a memorable critter. In fact, some cultures of the region view the ichneumon as a trickster in their folklore. A cunning little beast that bests the larger creatures and comes up with clever solutions to seemingly impossible problems. They are a symbol of craftiness, smarts and underdogs, able to claim victory despite size and strength. Some folks keep them as pets that double as pest control, while more worrisome folk believe them a protector from monsters and other dangerous beasts. Superstition claims that their fur, claws and spines can be worn as a ward against dragons, giving off a scent that scares them. Not sure that works, but you can see where they get the idea! Ichneumon have, unfortunately, been eyed as a potential counter to dragons in other regions, with certain idiots thinking of introducing them so they can establish a population. Then they can kill all the dragons, and the world will be happy and great! I'LL KILL YOU FIRST, YOU STU-! I mean, uh, this is a terrible idea and has been proven to be such when ichneumon were released onto an island and wound up eating everything else. Their diet isn't only dragons, ya knotheads! I swear, you find a species with a really cool trait and some greedy little weed will find a way to squeeze money and misery out of it...

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

[critter-creature-or-beast]

This is a...

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Voting ended onJul 15, 2025

Submitted for classification by @holocephal1

[wedontneedfeatherstofly]

Limonethe maurator

[crevicedwelling]

I found this gorgeous Ichneumon ambulatorius last night! ichneumonid wasps are parasitoids of insect larvae, and therefore match the size of their hosts. whatever caterpillars she’s tracking down to lay an egg in must be fairly large, since she was about as big as a paper wasp.

she was a very calm and photogenic creature. I’ve never seen one of these before, so it’s always a treat to find something new (and have it behave the way you want)

[shadsasaur]

hey look at this wasp that i picked up

[wild-e-eep]

I spotted what looked to be a young Orgyia antiqua caterpillar on the underside of an oak leaf - it seemed to be clinging to a cocoon. But on closer examination I saw that the caterpillar was dead.

I thnk it has been eaten from the inside by an ichneumon wasp larva. Which then proceeded to construct a cocoon and decorate it with the skin of its victim - stetched over the top of it a bit like a bearskin trophy rug.

The caterpillar skin is covered in protective hairs that would probably do a fine job of deterring anything unwelcome that might come snuffling around the cocoon while the wasp is pupating.