Xiruuk is known for its rabidness, thus it often requires a cushioned cage when transported - it is capable of killing itself by banging its head against the wall in panic attacks.
(Coraabia Artist: Steve Somers)
Race: Ruuk
Homeworld: Forneek
Era: ? - present
Even though the xiruuk is a ruthless predator, it often falls prey to greater predators of Forneek, especially the titanic agroruuk. Xiruuk is superbly equipped for both tracking and hunting, its single major drawback being the unusually small frame. Some xennologists even claim that xiruuk was somehow dragged to Forneek a long time ago. One of the arguments supporting this theory is the fact that although xiruuk's oral sacs contain a deadly poison, it is not toxic for most of the Forneekan fauna. Thus, the creature is dependent on its superb agility and a strong grip of its wide opening mouth, equipped with the so-called unal teeth. These remain stuck in the victim's body after every attack but the xiruuk grows back a new set very quickly. Reportedly, it grows up to 300 sets of teeth during his life.
Xiruuk relies on its exceptional spatial sense of smell when navigating in its surroundings, being able to sense odors with the entire surface of its body. His single red eye serves him best during nighttime since it effectively amplifies the residual light. Therefore, the xiruuk hunts mainly during the first half of the Forneekian year, when the warmer hemisphere plunges into darkness. In times of light, the xiruuk survives in a carefully built hibernaculum.
Xiruuk has generated the interest of all sorts of health corporations. Experts have found out that xiruuk's tooth sockets consist from 95% nano-matrix called glafullen, which can multiply its volume to the desired shape within few minutes. Thus, xiruuk inadvertently sparked a revolution in dentistry and aesthetic surgery across Coraabia, which brought him almost to the brink of extinction.