Shockhead

Shockhead

Habitat: Long Island; Deadwater
Type: Large Electric Amphibian
Length: 8 To 15 Feet
Weight: 900 To 1,800 Pounds

Shockhead In Shallow Water

The Shockhead is a large amphibian found only in the quiet, slow-moving waters of Deadwater. This system of one pond and two streams sits between the forest and the Upper Mountains, and the water there is unusually still. Most of these pools are empty of life, and the Shockhead is the reason why.

It is a squat, heavy-bodied animal with a massive, round, disc-shaped head that makes up much of its front half. The body behind it is thick and low, with a long tail that moves it through the water in slow, steady motions. Most of the time it rests along the bottom or lies half-hidden in the shallows, with only slight movement giving away that it is there.

The Shockhead’s body produces a constant electric current. The electric current from these animals fills the water around them, and anything that comes into contact with that water is affected by it. Small animals are stunned almost immediately. Larger animals are disoriented, begin to convulse, and are then overwhelmed when they make enough contact with the water. 

Deadwater Pool, Teeming With Shockhead

Because of this, almost nothing else lives in Deadwater. Fish don't live in this area at all. The only animal that regularly shares these waters is the Deadwater Humpback. This is a large, plant-eating marine reptile that feeds on the growth along the bottom. For some unknown reason, it does not seem to be affected by the Shockhead’s electric current and is never preyed on by it. 

The Shockhead’s teeth are small, sharp, and numerous, shaped more like those of a fish-eater than something that would handle large prey. However, since there are no fish available to it here, it must rely on other animals that come to the water’s edge to drink.

From the mountain side, it will prey on animals like Giant Ibex, Mountain Sabertooth, and Mountain Rabbit Rats when they come down to the water to drink. It is more common to see prey from the forest side, such as Rabbit Deer, Forest Antelope, and Cassowaries. It is also capable of killing predators that approach the water, including Short-leg Wolves, Saber-toothed Lynx, and young Brute Hogs.

Approaching A Jungle Rabbit Rat That
Unknowingly Leaped Into The Water

The attack itself is a surprise. As soon as an animal makes contact with the water, the effect is instantaneous. If the animal is fortunate to be further away from a Shockhead, it will only experience the normal charge of the pool, and leap back as it is shocked by it. After it recovers, it will then escape away from the water. But if the creature is too close to a Shockhead, the shock immediately kills or stuns it, and it will collapse into the water, never to get back up. The Shockhead then moves in slowly to pull the body further into the water.

Since the Shockhead has no good way to tear flesh into manageable pieces, it does not feed right away. Instead, it pushes its kill under logs, rocks, or other sunken debris and leaves it there. The body remains submerged until it begins to soften and break down. Only then does the Shockhead return to feed, pulling apart the decomposing flesh and swallowing it in pieces.

Shockhead Guarding A Small Ibex

Should the water level ever drop (as it does on rare occasions) it is common to find more than one carcass held this way in a single site.

• Naturalist Note: The Shockhead is similar to what we know of  the large temnospondyl amphibians Siderops or Koolasuchus. However, Daniel’s account describes adaptations far beyond those known from the fossil record.
  
  While fossil temnospondyl was known to have the ability to produce electricity, the mechanism described parallels that of the Electric eel. Indeed, this is not a system that would fossilize well, as it is specifically-modified muscle cells (electrocytes) that generate voltage through synchronized discharge. These soft tissues would leave no record in their fossils.
  
  The ecological consequences described by Daniel are consistent with such an adaptation. A persistent electrical field would effectively exclude most aquatic life, explaining the absence of fish and the low biodiversity of Deadwater. This would force the animal into a semi-terrestrial predatory role, relying on animals entering the water rather than pursuing prey within it.
  
  The apparent immunity of the Deadwater Humpback is particularly notable. Daniel's description of this animal in other writings indicates something Placodus, a strange reptile that was originally thought to feed on shellfish. It's not clear why they are immune to the electric current in Deadwater, but it may suggest insulating tissue, modified skin conductivity, or behavioral adaptations that limit exposure to peak discharge zones.