Xotl

(ZOH-til)

The xotl, a native to Omen Islands, was once thought to be extinct. In the past, the xotl served the warriors of the island as a powerful, if unintentional ally; they discovered that the poison that secretes from its skin was the perfect addition to arrows and blow darts. Due to the strength of the poisons, the islanders would hunt and kill the xotl in droves to avoid any accidental contact. Originally, the islanders believed there were so many of them that they would never run out. Eventually, however, there was hardly a xotl to be found, and the islanders found other ways to improve their weapons. It wasn't until Matlal discovered a few rogue xotl and began to capture and breed them that they made a comeback - and at an alarming rate! Xotl were released back onto the island as well as sold to tourists as pets. Nowadays, xotls are a well-established species on the island once more, as well as in the homes of many a Subetan.

Xotls are quite large for amphibians; at full size, the adults can be 5-8 inches (12.7-15 cm), with the females tending to be on the larger size. Xotl are quite dense for their size - on average, they weigh 1.3 lbs (0.6kg). They are also quite long-lived; xotl can live up to fifteen years in the wild, and it is believed they will outlast that in captivity by quite a bit.

In the wild, xotls are fond of warm, humid areas, making the island the ideal home. Female xotls will lay dozens of eggs throughout the summer on the underside of large leaves, especially those draping over tide pools or other small bodies of water. The eggs hatch after just a few short weeks, with the young dropping directly into the water (if they're lucky). Young xotl are left to fend for themselves, and they will spend the first several months of their lives in the water, eating the larvae of various insects. Eventually they will merge from the water with fully-formed limbs and join the rest of their kind on land. Xotl are not picky about company, and xotls are known to hang out in large, lazy groups without any true social interaction. The exception to this is during the warmest nights of the spring and summer, when dozens upon dozens of xotl will sing together. The throaty sound can be heard across Omen Islands, and male and female xotls alike will join the chorus.

In captivity, xotls make wonderful pets. They must be provided with a large enclosure and kept quite warm and humid, mimicking their natural habitat as much as possible. Because their skin naturally excretes a small amount of toxins at all time, it is very important for xotl owners to practice good hand-washing hygiene immediately after handling their pets. They are quite docile and friendly, and xotl can even ride around on the shoulders of their owners - as long as proper precautions are taken! Owners must be willing to provide them with insect prey as well as over-ripened fruit and a large, shallow bowl for soaking in. With their rise in popularity, several warnings have come out about the dangers of licking xotl, which creates something of a euphoric, hallucinogenic effect, but is also extremely deadly. While the average person can survive a single lick, there is no guarantee of this, and every year a handful of people meet their demise at the secretions of a xotl. Xotl breeders are currently selective breeding xotls to be extremely bitter tasting to help avoid future, unnecessary deaths.