The Ejoka are large serpents which live in
the Gaya. They are carnivorous and their main prey items are monkeys, fish, and
Tazhurs, which are a sort of quadrupedal herbivore.
Range
As said, the Ejoka indigenous range lies entirely within the Gaya region, although the historic range of the whole of the Gaya has since diminished. As of the modern day, the Ejoka are limited to but a small section of the Gaya. With the urbanization of
Ultawe, many of the trees of the once richly forested region have since been chopped down. Making use of the remaining lakes and bogs and fenns, the Ejoka slither about in the warm, moist regions that remain.
Diet
The Ejoka are carnivorous and seem to prefer warm-blooded prey. However, they are semi-aquatic and will often eat unsuspecting fish. When able to, they dine on Tazhurs. Tazhurs, when fully grown, are too large for an Ejoka to swallow whole as most snakes would attempt to do. Instead, the Ejoka have a special trick. Unlike every other known reptile, the Ejoka are able to move the lower jaw from side to side, enabling them to rip off and even give a rudimentary chewing to their food. This allows them to eat the large Tazhurs by ripping off pieces of the beasts after having killed them.
Hunting Habits
The Ejoka are neither strictly nocturnal nor diurnal, being opportunists which awake whenever it suits them. Exploiting this open lifestyle, the Ejoka can sneak up on sleeping prey. They are able to slither up trees with little effort, which enables them to catch monkeys, often while they are resting. Being semi-aquatic, too, they may lie in wait by the water's edge in order to grab animals when they come to drink. The waters, too, are filled with fish which the Ejoka will eat. The strangest hunting habit of the Ejoka is the cooperative behavior wherein several Ejoka will corral a large beast, such as a Tazhur, into a final Ejoka. The final Ejoka will lie in wait, springing upon the hapless victim and attempting to kill it. When such a kill is made, the entire group will eat from the carcass. It has not been made clear if the individuals which hunt together are repeat teammates which return to one another to hunt, or if they are in general strangers which are purely exhibiting cooperative hunting.
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