Month 4 (04/07/24)
It's time the Biodome sees its first predator species. After careful consideration, I've selected Avka Felo. These amphibious felines are both beautiful and interesting. As both aquatic and terrestrial hunters, their diet will consist of the small prey species and fish in the dome. I managed to snag a few capsules from last week's shipment. Two males and a female emerged, each sporting a splatter of orange patches across their bald, silky skin. They aren't bonded so I released them in separate locations to minimize conflict. It's amusing how different their personalities are.
The female, who I've named Berry, is incredibly curious and playful. She spent the day simply exploring, sticking her nose into every burrow and pond, squeaking whenever some moving, fluttery object catches her attention. Toxic, the male with purple fins, seems a lot more timid. Upon release, he immediately slunk into a, rather small, swampy pond and stayed there, unmoving. If it wasn't for the occasional flick of his green ears, I wouldn't have been able to spot his head peaking out from between the floating water plants. Finally, the last male, who I've named Poison, is exceptionally confident. He explored a bit before settling into the rivers cutting through the rolling fields bordering the forest. He's already proved himself to be a strong and capable hunter. I observed him track down and capture that sickly Stranga Sciuro, Scallop.
Admittedly, I winced when I witnessed the predation. I am a scientist but I'm also a person. I care deeply about each and every inhabitant of the Biodome. However, predation is a natural and necessary part of life. If there was nothing to keep the prey population balanced, they would grow out of control and decimate both themselves and their environment. If Poison hadn't of killed Scallop, it's possible that her disease could have spread. The remains of her body, both left behind and excreted, will go on to nourish the plants and insects that make up the Biodome's foundation, which in turn will nourish the other creatures. No matter how big or small, alive or not...everything plays its part in maintaining a balance.
Later on, I decided to release another Stranga Sciuro and a few more Etarakido. Once again, I spot some subtle courtship behavior in the Etarakido flock! My senior colleagues have yet to document a species that is incapable of breeding year-round. It appears to be a very crucial adaptation in all the species that survived the Great War. I hope that, as time goes on, I will start to see mating pairs form and offspring being raised in the Biodome.
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| Bumble♀ | Tiny♂ | ||||||
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| Hungry | |||||||
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| Coin♂ | Star♂ | Silver♀ | Bronze♀ | Arcade♀ | Dust♀ | Night♀ | Shiny♀ |
| Hungry | Hungry | Hungry | Hungry | ||||
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| Poison♂ | Toxic♂ | Berry♀ | |||||
| Hungry | Hungry |