Need an extra action scene to add some length to that perfect novel? Have your heroine attacked by a wild beasty.

Right?

Well, maybe.

You see, animals are characters too. All right, so (usually) they're minor characters. But, just like any character, they have motivations, histories, and characteristics. They existed before the scene, and some of them may continue to exist after the scene - depending on the accuracy of your hero's shot.

Luckily, with a little research, you can find most information. Or, in the case of futuristic/fantasy romance, you should have the data ready with a created animal.

How Common Are They?

How likely is it that your character comes across one? Are they so densely populated that she can't throw a stone without hitting one? Or, is this a once-in-a-lifetime-type-of-(bad) luck? This question will also help you with how often you can slip in such a scene-stretcher - keeping in mind that repetitiveness can be boring to your reader. You don't want a potential fan to think, "Another rattlesnake? Oh, come on!"

What is Their General Attitude?

Are they cuddly as a puppy? Or as ornery as a wolverine? Keep in mind that there are very few animals that will attack for no reason. However, even a puppy will bite if threatened, hungry, or just feeling playful. Most often, attacks come about by human ignorance. Is your heroine city-folk who doesn't know what to do about that nasty-looking bear waving razor-sharp claws? Or does she know her way around and just unwittingly crossed into that dragon's territory?

Is My Fish Out of Water?

With most historical/contemporary novels, this might seem fairly obvious. You're not going to put a polar bear in the middle of the Sahara. But what about futuristic/fantasy settings, where you create your own animals? Is your animal right for your climate? And, if not, does the climate change, or the animal? Obviously, on your own world, you follow your own rules: but there has to be a line of logic behind it. If you have a reptile in an arctic setting, you should have the how and why behind it, even if you never directly mention it to your reader.

Why and How Does It Attack?

A domestic cat will attack only when cornered, unless it has young to protect (or it's in a particularly foul or feisty mood, but that's based more on the personality of the beast than the habits). When it attacks, it uses primarily its teeth and front claws, unless it hits with both front paws, then it may grapple and kick the stuffing out of its opponent with its hind legs. Under what conditions does your zengriff attack? Does it have young to feed? Has its territory been invaded? If it has six legs, how many must stay on the ground to maintain its balance? The remainder are how many it can attack with.

Is the Beasty Specially Equipped For Attack Or Defense?

A rattlesnake bite wouldn't be quite as terrifying without the poison. Think of the armadillo who lives in his own set of plate mail. Now that's defense. The important part of this question is why the animal has this specialty. A poison is usually used by an animal that either devours its prey whole, or prefers to drag it home and eat at its leisure. A strong defense is usually there because the animal has no attack to speak of. Also keep in mind that nature usually provides some sort of warning to other animals that what they're dealing with is particularly dangerous. The rattlesnake's rattle, the red mark on the black widow's belly, the big yellow spots on that rare rainforest-tree-frog. Use nature's tendency for warning signs for that extra twist of tension. Maybe your zengriff has a spot that looks like a human skull on its forehead?

There are also other questions that should be addressed with either a created creature, or one that will figure heavily in your plot. Is it carnivorous, omnivorous, or herbivorous? Does it function on instinct, or does it have a deadly cunning? Does it have any natural enemies? Does it run in packs, or associate only when mating? When it has young, does it care for and protect them, or abandon them to the wild? The less care a parent takes, the more births they have, to account for the higher mortality rate. Mammals are usually cautious care-takers, while reptiles and fish usually couldn't give a darn. Or is that not so in your world? Why?

With these questions answered, your "accidental" encounter on the wild side should, at the very least, keep your basis of logic flowing, or, at the best, add a terrifying, nail-biting episode that will keep the reader flipping pages. And that's what we all want, after all.

Just one final note: if your hero is going to dash in just in time to save the heroine, please have a plausible reason for him to show up!