Vault Shrikes
The vault shrike (S.: "Telucaun") was a tiny, bright red bat with a long tongue with which it poked into holes and crevices for insects. It also secreted from its tongue a highly toxic nerve poison enabling it to deal with larger prey. These the vault shrike paralyzed or killed by means of the poison. It then ripped its victim to shreds with its tiny sharp teeth.
The vault shrike's diet was further enhanced by its ability to catch small frogs in an ironically froglike manner: by snatching the prey midleap with that long tongue. Vault shrikes got their name from their unnerving, shrieking cry. They were only found in Moria and the caverns of the Misty Mountains.
References[]
- Retrieved from Realms of Arda; original reference: [ICE MERP 2012]