Dorna Maco

Dorna Macos are rodent-like creatures that can be found in the Cupboard or bought from the Genome Splicer. They were released along with Dentega Salto on the Final Outpost's third birthday.

## Growth

### Capsule

This round, compact capsule sparkles sharply in the sunlight.

### Young

Although it seems happy and energetic in warm environments, this tiny rodent tends to seek out shadier nooks and crannies, where it can stick close to its resting mother for milk and comfort. Nevertheless, it’s also quite adept at exploring the laboratory, demonstrating a particular talent for scaling upright surfaces with its tiny needlelike claws.

### Adult

The Dorna Maco has developed a profoundly symbiotic relationship with the desert cactus ecosystems that they call home. These palm-sized green and brown rodents possess a coat of glossy, dense fur that helps reflect the sun’s beating rays, and their backs are additionally covered by flexible, scaly plates that guard against wind-whipped sand and debris while also acting as camouflage—resembling the smooth surfaces of cacti—from such fearsome predators as the Dentega Salto. Although not the most intelligent of creatures, Dorna Macos possess a strong pack instinct and will band together in close-knit family-based groups. In the cooler months, a pack of Dorna Macos will migrate in search of a healthy Avkabarelo cactus; upon locating a suitable candidate, they will gnaw and scratch away at the succulent’s broad trunk until it is hollowed out into a shady nest. As seasonal temperatures climb to inhospitable degrees, Dorna Macos will feast on stray Nektara Veziko colonies, bright red Avkabarelo fruits, and water-filled cactus flesh—making these rodents one of the desert’s perennially happiest and best-fed denizens.

## Extra Info

The information below is included in Dorna Maco's creature notes on site.

### To Ear-ch Their Own

If a Dorna Maco happens to find itself out in the open desert during a sandstorm, it will burrow into the ground and curl itself into a small ball, with its hard keratin back and tail plates facing the wind. As an additional precaution against desert climes, the Dorna Maco also possesses a hardy nictitating membrane that shields its eyes from dust and debris.

### Roly-Poly Rodents

If a Dorna Maco happens to find itself out in the open desert during a sandstorm, it will burrow into the ground and curl itself into a small ball, with its hard keratin back and tail plates facing the wind. As an additional precaution against desert climes, the Dorna Maco also possesses a hardy nictitating membrane that shields its eyes from dust and debris.

### Need for Speed

When raising a Dorna Maco in a laboratory setting, it is important to provide adequate opportunity for physical activity. However, these creatures seem to have a pointed distaste for traditional exercise wheels, preferring instead to climb walls and run with abandon on flat surfaces. For this reason, researchers should allow their Dorna Macos copious amounts of free-roaming time outside their cagesand ensure that their labs are fully rodent-proofed.

## Trivia

* TFO uses Esperanto as a basis for creature names (although it's not always exact—accents are ignored and spellings occasionally shift). “Dorna Maco” means “Spine Chewer.”

## Acknowledgments

Art by: Dohaerys. Descriptions by: cabuso.