Creature:Carnifex

Carnifex is a representative member of the hemiinsectans, a group of strange vertebrates with insect-like exoskeletal armor. The carnifex, like its cousin the gorgops, is primarily a carnivore, though it can subsist on fruits when prey is scarce.

The name “carnifex” means “meat-cutter.”

Carnifexes are ambush predators. They are not built for chasing prey over long distances, but are capable of bursts of speed. They live in forests and swamps and use their mottled coloration to blend into the vegetation.

A carnifex's sense of smell and hearing are quite acute, and its eyesight is also fairly good. Its curled, featherlike antennae are particularly sensitive.

The carnifex is pretty much the equivalent of a tiger, and like the tiger is is almost always solitary. Carnifexes patrol large territories and defend them fiercely against intruders.

The carnfex and the gorgops come from the same planet, a smallish chunk of rock orbiting a red dwarf star on the outer edge of the galaxy.