Shifter Mouse

The Shifter Mouse is a species of rodent found in deserts, though primarily in the Shifting Sands. Unlike most of its order (rodentia) the Shifter Mouse on average stands at 4-5m in height and its body 6-7m long.

Appearance
Colouration of the Shifter Mouse ranges from brown to grey though juvenile females can sometimes show a black discolouration towards the back and tail.

The underparts of the body are white and the tail a dark grey. The tail is longer than the body, on average being 7-8m long.

Behaviour and Reproduction
From birth the mice mature within a year and are ready to be left by the mother at six months. The typical life span of a Shifter Mouse is six years, though some can live up to nine. It isn't common for the mice to be killed by predators as an adult, due to their size. Deaths by other animals usually falls between the mother leaving and the mice reaching full size. Contracted and hereditary diseases are the most common reason from premature death.

The Shifter Mouse is a solitary species, and only come together to breed once a year. The female Shifter Mouse reaches sexual maturity shortly before their first year, and will join the rest to breed while still a juvenile if the breeding season falls between these two times. Due to her smaller size, though at sexual maturity if a juvenile female joins in breeding there is still only a 60% chance she will be pregnant as opposed to the adults 95%.

The mother stays with her offspring for six months after birth and the father only for two. After two months the mice are big enough to survive on their own for a short time, allowing them to be left while a parent hunts for food - before the two months they must be in constant supervision of one of the parents. After six months the mice can hunt for themselves and are large enough to fend off most Shifting Sands predators. At three to four months the mice learn how to navigate the Shifting Sands, once they learn to live in the Shifting Sands it is difficult for them to transition to other desert environments.

Diet
The Shifter Mouse, like most wild mice will eat almost anything. Anything small enough for the mice to eat will become their prey. Larger vegetation is also there to supplement their diet though in the Shifting Sands it may be difficult to find. When there isn't anything around, grasses, shrubs and even their own young may be eaten as a last resort. Birds, while difficult to catch due to their agility and flight are a common meal for the mice.

Habitat
The Shifter Mouse, is born and lives in the Shifting Sands of Toran. Some wonder out of the sands and into the desert, though this is rare - when this happens the mice find it easier to find food however, being used to navigating the sands often become lost and die before learning to traverse a static landscape. The mice are able to navigate the sands easily. If someone could find a mouse, they could use the mice as a mode of transport for the Sands - if they aren't eaten by the mice first.