The Nartec are a fictional terrestrial species appearing in the Animorphs series, that first appeare in Animorphs 36: The Mutation, narrated by Jake. They were possibly inspired by the legend of Atlantis. They are humanoids that live in a giant cave under the ocean off the coast of the Animorphs' home town. According to Queen Soco, the ruler of the Nartec, the amphibian race once lived on 'the Surface', on an island in the 'Great Ocean.' Over decades, the sea began to swallow up the island. Over generations, the islanders built a towering wall around the island, which grew and grew. Eventually, they were completely submerged, but enclosed by the wall, whose perimeter bent over, touching each other to create a dome. However, according to Ax, this story is highly impropable. What is certain, however, is that the submerged humans adapted to their new environment. Queen Soco referred to this as a "supreme act of will". But soon it became apparent that the 'narna rocks', a highly radioactive material that serves as the Nartec's source of light, was the cause of the rapid mutation of the Nartec to their present form, in the space of a few centuries.