#ichneumon

Fan concept of Rythaze's Repha setting.

The Ichneumon are a truly lethal mutant, but the most disastrous part of the Ichneumon are the airborne Sows.

Beautiful creature

Ichneumon ambulatorius

July 10, 2025

While I am eager to tell everyone about the incredible things the natural world has to offer, there are times I feel some folk may think it a little too fantastical and epic. For sure there are things that would blow your cap off, but there is also a hefty share of the mundane and simple. A reality far less exciting than what legends and plays may suggest. Eucella can probably tell you this from the times she has accompanied me to my observational studies, often dozing off because the subjects of my research "aren't doing anything." Folks get it in their minds that every second of nature is a life-or-death scenario, where predators take on prey, where beasts brawl for territorial rights and the full glory of nature is on display. Yet, when you share the statistics of how often predators actually succeed in their hunt, you can see the interest drain from people's faces. Turns out, watching your favorite beast go hunting means seeing them beef it a whole lot. The epic struggle between titans doesn't happen all that often, and often the endings can be a bit disappointing. Yes, a dragon beast may be slain by a valiant knight, or bested by a monstrous rival, but there is a higher chance they may perish to disease, hunger or just bad luck. Imagine if they wrote legends about the heroes who perished to infected wounds or fell off their horses wrong. As folks eventually learn, not everything big and powerful has a fitting story and end. I feel the ichneumon and its prey is a good example of this, as some folks have found it anticlimatic for a monstrous reptile to perish because of a "sneaky little rat" taking a cheap shot.

But of course, I don't think it is disappointing in the slightest! I find it rather fascinating and see that it is a great example of how cleverness can beat strength any day! People just get mad when the big cool thing loses to the tiny unexciting critter, but that is how things work in nature some times! And don't you folks like a good hunt?! Want to see a predator win and claim its meal?! Well, it still counts when the ichneumon does it! Anyways, getting off on a rant here! Again! The critter I am writing about today is the ichneumon, a weaselly looking mammal of seemingly harmless size. Just a tube of fur living out there in the wilds, nothing crazy or interesting about that! Ha! How little you know!

The ichneumon has a pretty typical lifestyle for something of that shape and size. It lives in arid environments, though it tends to stick close to water sources. River banks and pond edges, as these places give it sufficient food, water and mud. Its usual diet seems rather fitting, as it feeds upon insects, amphibians, small reptiles and mammals and the occasional washed up carcass. They are quick in their movements, often hiding in the mud in or in a burrow before pouncing on prey. Seems all relatively normal, right? Well, for the most part, yes. The ichneumon lives a typical life, but eventually the time will come when they eye a bigger prize...

The waters they live around attract all sorts of creatures, but the ones they pay most attention to are reptilian. Crocodiles, dragons and other large lizards catch their eyes, and they are quick to vanish into the mud when such a big beast arrives. The way they dart suggests fear, that they are hiding for their lives. However, such a tiny morsel is nothing to these species, not worth the effort to hunt. These creatures come to drink and rest, often basking in the sun. They lay upon the sands and shore, stretched out with mouth open. When they take on the pose, the ichneumon slowly begins to make its move. If you had good eyes, you would be able to see the little weasel slowly slither through the mud, using it to mask their presence and scent. They very slowly approach the resting beast, who lies unaware and uncaring, for who would dare attack them? But this is because they make the same mistake that we make, thinking that danger can only come in big packages! When the ichneumon strikes, they will learn of their foolish error, though they probably won't survive it.

In a flash, the ichneumon leaps from the muck and straight into the open maw of the reptile. Right into the jaws! Whatwhatwhat?! What is it doing?! Its suicidal! It sure would look like it, seeing these muddy little terrors leap into the mouth of a dangerous beast and dive into its throat! Its muddy tube-shaped body is perfect for sliding down the gullet, which seems like an odd adaptation. And their bodies possess back facing spines, which make it hard for them to go in reverse! Once they are in the throat, they are in! But why do they want to be in there in the first place? What does this do besides give a crocodile an easy appetizer? Well, it turns out that the reptile is the one on the menu! For the ichneumon slithers down the throat and into the guts, where it begins to chew and burrow. Past all the defenses and weapons of the beast, and right in its vulnerable core, the little devil tears into the organs and lands the fatal blow. All the reptile can do is thrash about in vain, as once the ichneumon has gotten into the throat, it is all over. They will rip through the organs and claim their prize. A huge beast now slain, and they are right in the middle of the feast!

I found this gorgeous Ichneumon ambulatorius last night! ichneumonid wasps are parasitoids of insect larvae, and therefore match the size of their hosts. whatever caterpillars she’s tracking down to lay an egg in must be fairly large, since she was about as big as a paper wasp.

I spotted what looked to be a young Orgyia antiqua caterpillar on the underside of an oak leaf - it seemed to be clinging to a cocoon. But on closer examination I saw that the caterpillar was dead.

I thnk it has been eaten from the inside by an ichneumon wasp larva. Which then proceeded to construct a cocoon and decorate it with the skin of its victim - stetched over the top of it a bit like a bearskin trophy rug.