Kaukariki Creature 1

The poison that laces the barbed tails of the sharp-eared kaukarikis gives them their local nickname, “stingbats.” Thriving in the canopies of warm forests and living in small to large packs, often called clamors, kaukarikis sustain themselves primarily on a mix of toxic and semi-rotten fruit and the occasional venomous insect. While most of their food is poisonous to other creatures, kaukarikis have evolved to turn this poison into a defense mechanism. Their bodies will process poison and store it in a sac at the end of their tail under their stinger. They can then inject this newly created venom into hostile creatures that threaten their pack.

Kaukariki clamors are known to use their distinct vocalizations to ward off predators and would-be intruders. When one kaukariki detects a possible threat, they'll let out a trilling whoop, the sound that gives them their name. This signal alerts other nearby kaukarikis, who answer with cries of their own, the cacophony quickly growing in intensity and volume as kaukarikis leap from tree to tree shouting and shrieking. For most predators, the thought of the stinging tails at the other end of those screeches is enough to turn them away, with many clamors relying on this tactic as much as their stingers.