Night Pests

Night Pests are small sized creatures that inhabit the tundra and other secluded areas that have tall grass-like folliage.
They are parasitic mites that feed on the blood of mammals by latching onto their prey, biting into it, and lapping at the blood. They are the size of an average human fist and look almost dog-like in nature if not for their six segmeted legs, small eyes and sharp teeth. Its common to see night pests with flowers growing from their backs, making them easily camoflaged.
They hunt by hanging onto large stalks of grass and staying very, very still. They are brown earthy hues and can easily be mistaken for unflowered plants or strange growths. They wait for a mammel to walk close and drop onto them, securing themselves with their spindly barber legs and hooking in with their sharp teeth. Their teeth are like rows of short needles, thin and incredibly sharp, their mouths are small compared to their bodies but admisister a numbing agent and anti-coagulant through their saliva, most of the time a victim is not aware they've been bit until the Night Pest has become suffiently rotund with blood. One a night pest has had it's fill it will drop off of its own accord.
Night Pests are fairly non-lethal but can pose dangers to small animals who cannot sustain excessive blood loss. It is possible for medium animals, even humans to perish is they are attached to a large number, but this is highly unlikely. Some night pests may carry blood diseases which coupled with infection of intreated bites pose a much bigger health risk. 
Night pest commonly like to live amongst rows of Verbane as the tough and sturdy stalks can support their weight, the large flowes can blend with their comaflage while providing shelter, and certain mammels are attracted to the flowers. The creature has worked out an almost symbiosis with the plant. Living amongst it for shelter and the ability to attract mammels in exchange for attacking the very animals that would eat the flowers. 
Concern that night perst bay be brought into town has seen a harsh ban on Verbane with its stalk attached as there are fears verbane will be harvested and night pest will smuggle themselves in. The risk being that they may shift to living in crops like wheat and corn and prey on the farmers who tend them.
Night pests have been used as common entertainment by the The Pit Fighters who enjoy watching the critters battle for food and enjoy watching lone fighters attempt to survive against them en masse.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Night pests are short and squat with rotund bellies. They have wide bulbous heads with wide-set eyes, a streched gaping mouth and rows of short, sharp teeth. They are the size of a fist, but can swell hugely when gorged on blood. they have short coarse fur that comes in earthy tones and six segmented arms. 
Some grow flowers on their backs as a means of blending in with the sorrounding folliage.

Genetics and Reproduction

This critter mates and lays eggs at the start of Vant- the cold and dry season they lay sticky eggs which are adhered to the underside of flowers. The gestation period takes a week or so and produces one to three offspring. during this period the parent watches their egg ferociusly as other night pests may opt to come along and eat it. If it needs to a night pest can bite and pummel other peasts to death. When a night pest is born it stays stuck to the underside of its flower for several more weeks as its senses like sight and and hearing fully develop, during this time the parents will feed it by regurgitating blood into its mouth.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

some orcish tribes use the pests as a means to collect blood from wounded hunting animals and livestock as the belief is that sucking the tainted blood will promote healing.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Pests have a delicate sense of touch through their feet they can feel slight air current chages and virations. This makes it east to tell is someone is aproaching their location as they will feel steps and the disrupted tremors of nearby flowers.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

the pest shares a symbiotic relationship with the Verbane plant.

Lifespan

2 years

Average Height

15 cm

Average Weight

200g - 500g when gully gorged

Average Length

20 cm