Dal Cat

The Dal cat, a cave-dwelling mustelid, while found in various cave systems around the world - was first identified and utilized by the Del'rea of Dal in the southern hemisphere of Eien along the borders of the Imperial Crevasse.
Its sleek, elongated body is reminiscent of other mustelids, such as weasels and ferrets, but its adaptations for cave life set it apart. With large, sensitive eyes perfectly adapted to low-light conditions, this species can navigate through pitch-black caverns with ease. Its long whiskers aid in detecting obstacles, while its agile body allows it to traverse narrow passageways with sinuous grace.
Dal cats come in a range of colors, though most seem to be a dusty sort of red with lighter underbellies and dark dorsal stripes. Somewhat ironically, the species isn't a cat at all, with the name cropping up as a nod to the creature's rolling purr reminisicent of a contented housecat.

Basic Information

Dietary Needs and Habits

Dal cats cannot be removed from their home cave systems due to the complicated manner in which they integrate with the local flora and fauna. Each cat's home colony is unique, with each utilizing a specific food source that they specialize in, alongside symbiotic health relationships that forces them to rely on others for their longterm survival and wellbeing.

Examples include glo-mites that infest male Dal cats and assist with their reproductive courtship rituals in return for a free ride and endless access to the cat's blood.

Behaviour

Dal cats possess a complex social structure within their subterranean habitat. They exhibit a strong sense of communal cooperation, relying on intricate communication between individuals as well as family groups, alongside interspecies cooperation to navigate their home cavern systems.
Highly intelligent, they have developed a sophisticated system of hierarchies and divisions of labor, ensuring the survival of their tight-knit society. Their psychology is marked by an inherent curiosity, driving them to explore the depths of their cave systems and adapt to ever-changing environments. Some academics suspect the 'cat's abilities to detect minerals evolved out of necessity given the 'cats extreme curiousity. Given the 'cats social nature among themselves, they would have taught each other about dangeous scents and magnetic fields.

Unlike several above-ground sentient species, Dal cats have been known to cooperate with other species and have several symbiotic relationships with equally sensitive species. Though they lack the sentience of the del'rea, sucera or the humans - they will work with any who treat them well.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

What truly separates the Dal cat from other cave-dwelling species is its unparalleled ability to locate rare ore deposits. Through a combination of acute olfactory senses and the unusual ability to detect magnetism, this species can identify minerals that are otherwise undetectable to humans - or even other animals.
Academics at the Laranian Royal Academy suspect that the Dal Cat may possess specialized receptors in its nose, allowing it to detect trace amounts of certain minerals - or more accurately, the chemical compounds emitted by ore deposits as they break down through exposure to other minerals, water or even air. Additionally, dal cats appears to be sensitive to magnetic fields, a feature that aids in identifying specific mineral formations. Del'ean miners and geologists have long sworn by the 'cats abilities, though they caution just as quickly about the species' fragility when removed from their native cave systems.

Conservation Status

Endangered due to exploitation