Dune June 11: Ambush Predator

This entry is a bit late due to circumstances completely outside of my control. The r/speculativeevolution subreddit, where the prompts were posted, is taking part in the Reddit blackout, so I had to wait until today for someone to send me a list of them. With that out of the way, here goes.

30 million years in the future, Australia is no longer dominated by marsupials. The dominant predators on the island continent are cats, dogs, and weasels, which have evolved to fill niches akin to those they occupy in the rest of the world. But in Australia's harsh central desert, the placental carnivores have struggled to find a foothold-- and there is a very good reason for that. The Emperor Chuditch (Deinodasyurus potens) is the undisputed ruler of the central deserts. Despite its vaguely canine appearance it is a solitary ambush hunter, closer to placental cats than anything else. It is also the largest marsupial carnivore to have evolved since the demise of humanity. Its adaptations to desert living include an ability to retain moisture much more efficiently than dogs, cats, or weasels, gaining all of the water it needs from its prey. This gives it a vital advantage over its placental counterparts in one of the few areas of Australia that they have not conquered. Growing up to the size of a leopard, the Emperor Chuditch can bring down prey of virtually any size, from rodents to camels. Their sandy-colored fur aids in camouflage as they stalk their victims in the rocky outcrops.