Wildlife in Vattnafalten
Mammals
Mammals while rare still make up some important wildlife in the Vattnafalten, due to the shallow and hot waters have Cetaceans been unable to establish themselves and the larger niches both of predators and of herbivores are almost universally filled by either reptiles or fish. However some noteworthy exceptions exist in the case of southern walruses that have taken up a position of large bottom feeder that feeds on various shellfish, crustaceans, and burrowing fishes. They are on average much thinner and slightly faster than the walruses of Scandera proper and they tend to make their homes near the countless small islands, rocks, and sandbanks that dots Vattnafalten. However one species in particularly, the southern dwarf walrus have been known to develop itself for life in the thick Korshifi forests that spring up around the sea.
All in all are three species understood to exist; The southern walrus, The Kingly Walrus or High Walrus, and the Dwarf walrus. When one talk about walruses in Vattnafalten is the southern walrus the most commonly imagined one, looking very similar to it's northern counterpart but much slimmer in build, almost lacking the blubber of it's northern cousins entirely.
The Walrus kings are much more similar to their norhtern cousins but reaching almost titanic proportions and rely almost entirely on their bulk to fend off predators, these large mammals are known to barely ever leave the water and prefer to stay at least partially submerged at all times. Their huge tusks and massive size have also earned them the name "The mammoths of the Sea". That is not the only thing they share with the land mammoths of the north, while not being maneaters as some species they share the waters with are the bulls well known to be quite aggressive during mating season and can easily attack boats which can be a severe dangers to sailors. However despite that does rumours abound of them eating up small children that swim too close persist, however they lack much evidence.
While as stated they don't eat people are they well documented in folklore to be maneters and tyrants, especially "the tale of Ishiashi" records such an instance and tells a tale of a young lad named Ishiashi are selected to be a dinner for just such a beast. He first convinces the walrus to first feed him as that would fatten him up and give him better taste but then challenges the beast to an eating contest. The Walrus agree thinking not high of the chances of a young boy. However while the walrus fattens himself on crabs, lobsters, and shrimp does Ishiashi discretely pour his food into a bag he has hidden under his clothes. When the walrus say that he cannot eat more do Ishiashi suggest that he merely cut his stomach up and cuts up his own bag under his clothes from which all the shellfish spills out of. The walrus convinced this works does the same and perishes to his injuries.
Lastly are there the dwarf Walrus that is much more serpentine in it's build and much smaller than it's two cousins, designed for quick movement and agile turning abilities is this animal generally seen as a beloved trickster in most southern folklore and hurting them is very often considered a taboo if not outright illegal in most southern realms. Despite that however are they quite rare as they are confined to their forest habitats.
All groups have been known to live in herds, and rely on collective protection from larger predators. However herds varies in size with truly massive ones being common with the southern walrus while the kingly walrus and the dwarf walrus both being known to consist of very small groups of animals, often only a single bull and a few females in the case of the kingly walrus while the dwarf walrus instead lives in smaller herds of several mating pairs.
