Family of the Week: The Ruonids

I have no common name for this family. I simply call them the Ruonids. Or the uchlid and allies. It used to go under the family Regniidae. But at one point I had considered separating the subfamily Regniinae from the Ruoninae, which I never really carried out for long. But the name Ruonidae stuck, so now, that is what this family is known as. The two subfamilies differ mostly in that the Regniinae are bipeds, and the Ruoninae are quadrupeds. There are only 2 genera in the Regniinae, they are Regnium, and Stolidus. These are predatory animals descended from weasels. They are for the most part, an old-world family and the basic appearance is like that of a dog. Like dogs, these animals are pack-hunters for the most part. They are also diurnal animals, much like modern dogs. They are big animals. The largest species is actually Regnium, which is an early Metazoic biped. It stands about 6 feet tall. The smallest species is Nanovenator, which is the size of a modern stoat. Some species live in burrows, but there are those who roost out in the open too. Utrarius even builds nests of straw. Only the species in the sub-family Regniinae have retractable claws. The Ruoninae have dog-like paws. Most are terrestrial animals, but Stolidus is mostly a tree-dweller, and there are even some species that love the water. They are strictly carnivorous, though some take in mostly insects, while some mostly feed on carrion. While a few kill their own prey.

The sub-family Regniinae differ from other species by being bipedal walkers. Regnium, for example, walks bipedally all the time. It is a terrestrial hunter that habitually feeds on antelope, monkeys, lemurs, rodents, and anything else it can capture. Stolidus is a rabbit-sized animal that lives mostly in the trees, clinging to the branches with sharp, curved, retractable claws. The tail is long and thick, but it is not prehensile. Though sometimes when the animal it's self is a rest, it will curl it's tail up under it's self, or sometimes even twist it around a vine, more like a twist-tie than like a second hand. They move slowly with all four limbs in the trees, but when on the ground, they move only on their hind legs, and in a quicker motion than they use in the trees. They move more like armadillos walking fast on the ground, with their forelegs tucked under their torso. Stolidus is mostly insectivorous. They favor the meat of beetles, cicadas, grubs, spiders and cockroaches. They also will feed on bird eggs, fledgelings, small bats, and tree-dwelling rodents. Regnium is mostly a product of the early Metazoic, while Stolidus is a mid-to-late Metazoic period genus.

The sub-family Ruoninae is quite different from the Regniinae. These are the truly dog-like species, that move about on all fours. Though some are capable of walking on their hind legs for short periods, they are not true bipeds like the Regniinae. This is a very varied sub-family. Ruo is the one species that very closely resembles a modern wolf. Though it is slightly larger. They are pack hunters, designed to bring down animals up to the size of a young gigantelope. They do not have retractable claws or the strength to hold down a large animal like that. They kill their prey by eating it.

The most remarkable species in this group are also within this subfamily. Utrarius is one of them. This animal is a desert dweller. The females are equipped with a sack that stores water that she can bring home to her helpless babies. The babies are often kept in a nest, so when the mother leaves to hunt, she covers the nest with whatever she can find. And she will store water in this water pouch to give to her babies that are not old enough to follow her to the watering hole, yet are too old to suckle. Another fascinating species are of the genus Naiadis. These animals live in rivers and streams. The body is much like an otter's but the head and neck is a lot like a heron's. These animals are good swimmers. They also use their head and neck to snatch at prey. They sit very still, sometimes for hours, in the shallow water, watching the surface for fish and any other aquatic creatures, such as shrimp and other crustaceans. When something edible swims beneath them, they shoot their head in and snatch the prey. The legs are very short, and really only good for swimming. They cannot move too well over land.

Though these animals are predatory, they also have their own set of enemies to beware of. Deinognathids and dogs are their main predators. While Deinognathids will prey on any of the species, dogs mostly concentrate on the smaller animals. These animals can defend themselves by inflating and looking bigger. They snarl and growl as well to appear more menacing. The jaws and claws can inflict some harsh wounds. The females with young are naturally more aggressive. Though little can be done to deter a large, hungry Deinognathid.