Pet Creation Contest

[Senior Pheonix]

UPDATE!
The Contest will continue for one more week. It will close on February 12th at midnight. On the 13th, we will be posting a poll to vote on the entries to choose our winners.[/b]

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We have noticed that our available pets are mostly imported from Earth right now, and we'd like to fix that. So, here's a contest for everyone!

1: Create a pet.
2: The pet's information must include a physical description (size, colors, etc.), its behavior, where it lives (jungles, plains, seashore? Spiderlands or Baziala?) and how common it is (in the wild and as pets), and how someone gets one (that is, how are they tamed, and do people still catch and tame wild ones).
3: Any additional information, such as if they're only pets in one area, don't breed in captivity, or people have certain stereotypes about them (Pohono has crazy moth ladies?). Or maybe you want your creature to just be wild now, and have a plot where it's tamed later?
4: An image would be nice to have, but isn't required.
5: Completed entries (those that have all the information, and we can't think of any obvious questions for) will be added to the site shop as available pets.
6: After three weeks, the contest will end, and we will choose a number (depending on how many entries there are) of top entries, which will then be put into a poll. The poll will be up for a week, and whichever pet gets the most votes by the end of the week wins.
7: You will be given 15 diasks per pet/entry.
8: Please post each pet/entry separately in this thread. (It'll get you more diasks, too.)
9: Please do not post in this thread other than to enter; if you want to discuss the contest or ideas, please use the talk forum.

Prizes!
~~The first place winner will receive one free pet (any pet) and 200 diasks.~~
~~The second and third place winners will receive one free pet (of the ones they created for this contest) and 75 diasks.~~
~~More prizes may be added if there is a particularly large number of entries.~~
~~You can win more than one prize, but not all. To make sure of this, when the top entries are chosen, each person will have at most one fewer top entry than there are prizes. (That is, with three prizes, you can't have more than two pets in the top entires. If we end the contest with five prizes, you can't have more than four pets in the top entry.)~~

[Chern'a]

Name: Stingwings

Habitat: Jungles and forests in Baziala

Status: Common in wild, rare as pets

Taming: From the egg only

Stereotypes: Difficult to control and train

Stingwing Concept Art

Stingwings are avianoids native to the Baziala. They are the size of small eagles and carnivorous. Unlike birds, they are covered in fur rather than feathers over hard yet supple chitonous skin. Coloration can vary from various shades of green through blue and even yellow. They are propelled swiftly through the air by two large sets of Odonata wings, which permit them some of the greatest air mobility of any creature their size or larger. The tail is tipped with a hollow stinger which delivers a paralyzing nerve-destroying venom to their prey, which they eat alive. They hunt primarily fish, small mammals reptiles, or other avianoids, but have been known to mob larger airborne creatures and bring them down for food or defense. The small forelimbs appear to be vestigial remnants of their insectoid heritage. The hollow single claw, similar to the tail stinger, indicates that they were once able to deliver venom this way as well, but have since lost that ability. Bulging, multifaceted eyes allow nearly 360 degrees of sight, while the bony crest protects the back of their necks from attach from above, a common tactic in aerial combat. Spinnerettes at the base of the tail in both males and females are used to construct their nests; they secret a glutinous, sticky thread which, once dry, is leathery and smooth and protects their eggs.

In the wild, stingwings live in small family groups, with one female and three or four males. They require large hunting areas comprised primarily of jungle or forest, and are fiercely territorial. The female mates with all the males when she is in season and eventually lays 2 to 3 eggs near a pond or lake, with the weakest hatchling almost always getting pushed out by its siblings. The group of adults usually hunt alone unless there are young to care for, at which point they function as a pack to bring down larger prey. Their low profile when on the ground allows them to chase terrestrial prey into thickets or underbrush, making them very successful hunters. Because of their fast metabolism, they spend the majority of their time hunting and feeding.

Stingwings in the wild live around 20 years, with the few in captivity living almost twice as long. Since they take 5-7 years to mature, their rate of reproduction is fairly slow, and they do not breed as well in captivity. One reason for this is that female stingwings will not tolerate each other, and so only a single female may be kept in any given rookery. With roughly the intelligence of dolphins, they are a favored hunting ‘bird’ of the rich merchants and Lords, and are capable of both loyalty and affection, although they tend to bestow those graces on the humans who handle them the most, and are very snappish towards strangers. A wild-born stingwing has yet to be successfully tamed, with most domesticated individuals the result of a nest-raid to bring back eggs, which imprint upon humans similar to how Earth avians do (and unlike the psychic simourv and kamrov). Despite a reputation for being difficult to work with – a result of their fierce visages and dangerously poisonous stings – like any hunting ‘bird’ they simply require a great deal of work and patience to train. If one has the time to put forth, a well-behaved companion and fearless hunting partner can be produced by the time a stingwing reaches maturity. Domestic stingwings fare best in forest or jungle towns, but can also live in plains or hills areas with sufficient water provided at their rookery.

For those individuals who want the prestige of a stingwing without the personal effort put into raising one by hand themselves, it is possible to treat them like hunting hawks and removing their tail stings, but the avianoids will never fly as well and often succumb to disease and depression within a few years of the operation.

[Meesh]

(Uhm, the status thing is similar to Stingwings, sorry about that. No worries, the animals themselves are a lot different)

Name: Nibblets

Habitat: Jungles and forests in Baziala

Status: Common in the wild, but extremely rare/uncommon as pets

Taming: From birth to one month only

Stereotypes: Very mischievous, extremely loyal to their owners, hard to tame


A pure blue Alpha male Nibblet as observed in the wild


Nibblets are best described as a mix of monkeys and cats. Their short, fluffy fur ranges through all the colors of the rainbow, though usually in very pale or dark shades. They don't come in bright or neon colors, but their large catlike eyes of any color are prone to glowing in the dark. At adulthood they stand at about six inches at the shoulder, with a length of about a foot, not including the extremely fluffy wail which is about the same length of the body and able to curl around tree branches, making it easier to climb. Like cats, they have retractable claws, but their paws are wide and able to separate into fingers (three on each paw) that can help them in their climbing. They usually have a small spray of whiskers across their face. The most common marking variety is tabby stripes a few shades darker than the Nibblet's main fur color, but they are also known to have other kinds of markings. Seeing a pure black or pure white Nibblet is extremely rare.

When in the wild, Nibblets are very social animals and live in colonies of about 20-30 nibblets lead by an alpha breeding pair and several subordinate breeding pairs (there are usually 3-4 subordinate breeding pairs, depending on the size of the colony. The largest known amount of subordinate breeding pairs was six). After mating and a gestation period of three months, one to three young are born. Nibblets usually tend to breed all at the same time, and once a year. (They are born near the end of winter). The care of the young ones is shared by all the tribe, and a Nibblet is usually familiar with every single one of its colony members by three weeks of age. The usual noise made by a Nibblet is a variety of meows.

Nibblets are omnivorous, eating both small bugs and fruits and berries. They can and will eat human food, though they don't seem to enjoy the taste very much. They usually find food by foraging among the ground and trees while four to five sentry guards lay scattered in the surrounding area. If a sentry spots danger, it issues a loud piercing screech, and the Nibblets immediately being screeching as well, taking to the trees. the flurry of motion and the piercing sounds is loud enough to scare away all but the most desperate predators. It is unknown how sentry guards are picked, but once they take this position, it is theirs for life. Fellow colony members feed the sentry guards later in the day with the food stored in their cheek pouches. When a sentry guard dies, one of the adult members of the colony will take its position within a week, but as previously stated, the criteria for choosing the sentry is unknown and seemingly random.

In the wild, Nibblets are known to live for 9-12 years, but they have been known to live for up to nineteen years in captivity (with the longest known living Nibblet at 23 years). Once they reach their Fifteenth year, however, they usually lose all or most of the color in their fur, with only the faintest tinge as a reminder of their previous appearance. A Nibblet is fully grown at 3 years, and sexually mature in 2. They are thought to be fertile from then until the rest of their lives, and can bear young at any time, though they usually are not inclined to do so until mid or beginning of winter. Scientists and Breeders can forcibly mate a wild pair by keeping them in a small confined area, usually a metal cage about one or two square feet, for several days, but this is a greatly discouraged practice. Tamed Nibblets breed irregularly, though only during usual times, if they have a mate, and if they do they are bonded for life. It is rare for a widowed Nibblet to find another mate.

Wild Nibblets are extremely shy of humans and will run at the slightest scent of them, but they will attack viciously when cornered. A nibblet caught from the wild will grow vicious and quickly sicken and die after a few months, though keeping them in a zoo or mock habitat with no human interaction can sometimes work. Breeders sometimes catch wild nibblets and then breed them using the above mentioned method, but then the nibblet usually dies in childbirth after giving birth to one or two young. Baby Nibblets however are bonded to whoever handfeeds them during this time (The window of opportunity is from birth to a month of age). When in the wild, this would mean their colony who shares the care of the baby, captive Nibblets bond only to one human and will stay with them as an extremely loyal and caring pet.

Nibblets are very good at knowing their master's emotions and will be friendly to those that seem to please their master, however a Nibblet will only take orders from it's master (They are intelligent enough to understand basic human speech) or its masters mate/partner, if applicable. They will listen to other humans and sometimes do as they command, but will usually snub them after a few minutes, unless the person is a good friend of their master. Nibblets seem to be very partial to children however, and will approach and even cuddle the young of strangers. A Nibblet cannot be transferred from master to master, and one forcibly removed from its master behaves just like a wild Nibblet taken into captivity.

[Chern'a]

Name: Marakin (Avoptera fidelix)

Habitat: Everywhere on Baziala

Status: Common in wild, common as pets

Taming: Easiest when pups, although adults can become accustomed to human presence

Stereotypes: "They look kind of like dogs...how different can they be?"

Click here for Marakin concept art!

Marakin are a highly adaptable species of omnivore that have worked their way into most ecological niches on the Southern Continent. Called "dragon-dogs" by the colonists, these flighted mammals include a number of subspecies, from the small, fox-sized desert Marakin to the large wolfhound-sized plains Marakin - and every size in-between, depending on habitat. Their generalist diet has largely allowed their radiation into various biomes, and they seem to undergo a more rapid rate of mutation and evolution in comparison with other species on Pohono. Most Marakin will prefer meat when they can get it - from eggs and rodents all the way up to cattle and horses, if they can pull them down. But they can supplement their diet with roots, fruits, seeds, fungi, tender young plants and even insects. In the wild, they live in packs of 4 to 5 individuals, run by an alpha of either gender. During mating season several packs will usually come together along the borders of their territories to mingle and choose mates, although usually only alpha females will produce litters of 5-6 pups. The pheromones the alpha females put off tend to inhibit breeding capacity in other local females, and the same goes for alpha males inhibiting other males who live with them. As such, usually alphas are only able to successfully breed with other alphas, although often a male alpha will manage to successfully a breed a lesser female from a male-dominated pack. Marakin almost never breed within their own packs unless prevented from meeting up with another group during the season. When the season is over, the packs separate and the pups are raised by the breeding female's home pack.

Appearance in Marakin varies almost as much as their size, but often suits their habitat. Regardless, all Marakin have four legs - the hindclaws are larger and can be used to grab branches and bind to prey, while their 'hands' are slightly smaller and fairly nimble (like a raccoon), two wings comprised of an inner portion that is thick skin and the outer "fingers" which are feathered in primaries, a translucent webbed crest on the top of their head, running from between their eyes to the back of their skull, and a ribbed-and-jointed tail that unfurls in flight to present more surface area for steering and maintaining lift and balance, and re-furls into a more traditional tail-like "tube" on the ground to keep it from catching on things. Desert Marakin come in yellows, oranges, and reds, sometimes spotted or striped with black and grey. They are small bodied and slender, with long tails and narrow wings and snouts. They have the largest and most colorful crests and wing feathers are often in brilliant jewel tones when unfurled. Small "beards" and floppy ears - which cover their earholes during sandstorms - give them an almost comical appearance. Plains Marakin are tans, khakis, and all shades of brown, with brindle patterns and stripes being more common than spots. They are the tallest of the breeds at the shoulder, with deep chests, narrow hips, short coats and low crests of usually only two colors. Their wing feathers tend to match their body coloring, although several shades of brown may pattern them, and are built, like hawks or vultures, for long bouts of soaring and gliding. They have long, broad snouts that taper to a rounded point and mobile expressions. Mountain Marakin are grey, pale blue, and white, stockier and with thicker coats and stubbier wings than their cousins elsewhere. They have the smallest crests, usually of only a single color, and their snouts are short and broad, flaring back at an almost flat angle to the top of the skulls, giving them a pronounced reptilian appearance. Forest and jungle Marakin are similar, sporting blacks, greys, and medium-to-dark blues, sometimes with sandy browns or russets cropping up in various patterns. Like mountain Marakin, they have shorter, broader snouts, but like plains Marakin they have more of a forehead. Their crests are larger than both, however, intermediate between plains and desert types, although usually only of a single color. Wing feathers are usually dark, and the wings themselves are built for quick maneuvers both above and under the canopy.

Marakin have been tamed for several decades now, and are fairly common throughout Baziala. Desert Marakin are the most sought-after as pets due to their compact size and more flamboyant coloring, as well as playful attitudes and quick affections. Plains Marakin are currently being bred to work as herders by some cattle farmers, and forest and jungle Marakin are often kept as companions by hunters or guards. Mountain Marakin are rarely tamed, and are generally the least sought after due to their less-affectionate personalities. Marakin do not "bond" to individuals, but when raised with a certain person or family, will consider those humans their packmates and will be unfailingly loyal and protective. Today, Marakin pups are most often obtained from a breeder or an individual with a pregnant female, although some hardy folks will still make forays into the wilds to steal pups - a practice which is frowned upon, as they usually end up harming or killing the mother and her pack to get to the pups, or are themselves badly wounded in the attempt. Adults can be befriended through aide and kind deeds, however, although they will never be as loyal as one raised from puppyhood by hand, and training is much more difficult at that point. They are trained much like dogs, although are slightly cleverer, and the small ones especially can be more prone to mischief. Marakin are strong receiving empaths and low-level sending empaths; their emotional state is mostly shown through body language, and only when they feel strongly about something and are in close physical proximity will someone know what they are feeling. The band is usually broad - since they don't Bond, they'll communicate with anyone in range. But they tend to know what everyone else in a room is feeling, and judge threats or affection accordingly. Wild Marakin usually live between 15-20 years, but domestics usually reach 25, with 30 being uncommon but not unheard of.

[Chern'a]

Name: Treeflits (Agiloscandenda musculaphagis)

Habitat: Forests of Baziala

Status: Uncommon in wild, uncommon as pets

Taming: From the egg until first molt, although adults can be kept and bred in captivity

Stereotypes: "They'll make a great pet for my children!" (no, actually, they won't)

(Art forthcoming)

Treeflits are small-to-medium sized arboreal endothermic reptiles, covered mostly in blue and/or green scales chased with subtle patterns in blacks, tans, and greys, with some modified feathers on their crests and along their spines in brilliant reds, yellows, or oranges. Generally nocturnal in the wild, domesticated varieties have adapted to a mostly diurnal existence with their human owners. They are primarily insectivorous, but will often eat smaller reptiles, snakes, avian eggs or small birds and mammals if they can catch them. They also view certain blooming flowers as delicacies, although they don't seem to get any nutritional value from them; they just like the taste of the nectar.

The average treeflit is about 2 feet long from nose to rump and has an additional foot and a half of chameleon-like tail, with limbs extended lizard-like from the sides of the body rather than underneath. Like many of Pohono's species, they are hexapodes, with the third limb-pair resembling an early form of wing evolution. These proto-wings extend on the back of a modified shoulder girdle which allows for more flexibility and much greater range of forward motion, although less downward motion. The wrist is also extremely flexible. The three fingers and thumb are long and thin, stretching almost the length of the forearm, and a tough, translucent webbing stretches between them. These are the means by which the treeflit catches most of its food: while gripping a vertical bole or terminal branch with its locomotor limbs, the protowings are able to 'clap' together, creating enough force to stun any insects or small animals caught in the finger-webbing. They are then scooped back towards the blunt muzzle for ingestion. They can also be used as weapons against larger prey or to chase off predators.

Treeflits constantly emit a low-level empathic wave of tranquility and general good-feeling, supposedly to lull their prey and nearby predators alike into a relaxed state. This, combined with their preference for eating nuisance-species has made them a desirable pet, especially in rural areas. They have very little social order; when two treeflits meet on a perch, they will threat-display with their crests and spine feathers and the weaker of the two will back down and move to a different tree. They mate in the early spring, during which time the females will mate with any male they come across instead of threat-displaying. A clutch of 15-20 eggs are laid one month later in a high nest. After 2 months of development, while the mother guards the nest, the babies hatch. At this point the mother catches insects and provides food for them until their first molt - depending on resource availability at the nest, usually around 3-4 weeks after hatching. After the last surviving baby undergoes their first molt, they generally leave their nest tree and strike out on their own.

Egg hunters prefer to raid nests before this time, as treeflits that hatch around humans are far more affectionate and trainable, although very young treeflits can still come to depend on humans for food and shelter if they associate them with mother-figures before they go 'wild' after their first molt. They tend to be fairly calm and laid back creatures, in spite of the lightning-fast movements they are capable of, but except when hunting they tend to spend a lot of time resting or moving slowly from place to place. A favored spot for tame treeflits is around their owner's neck, or curled into their lap if possible, absorbing the warmth and seemingly enjoying the company. Although not brilliant by nature, they can be taught simple commands: stay, come, and hunt being the most common. Their dispositions and bright feathers have made some people think that they are good 'family' pets, but this is not entirely true. Often the movements of children resemble those of predators, and treeflits will hiss or bite at people who make fast grabs at them, or squeeze their delicate limbs too hard. And while they don't necessarily need a lot of space, they will climb up, over, onto and into everything they can reach, so if a building like a barn is not available to house them in, appropriate 'furniture' should be constructed, and owners should be aware that the little reptiles can and will get out of their homes to go exploring the surroundings.

They don't bond to specific individuals, and once accustomed to humans can be easily transferred between people, although they recognize different individuals and will prefer the presence of those they are used to above strangers.

[Kilnarak]

Name: Spotted Glider-cat (Plumacattus Volaticus)

-Plumacattus - A species of feathered, feline-like pseudo-mammals. They are primarily carnivores, however some variants are omnivores. They are usually arboreal and thrive in areas with heavy tree cover. Variants found in areas without tree-cover have shown to be larger and more aggressive. They show low to non-existant levels of empathy and do not seem to be capable of mentally broadcasting to other species.


Size: Adults weigh anywhere from 6 to 9 lb. From nose to rump they can be between 20 to 30 inches, with a tail roughly 60% of their body-length.

(Image to be posted later).

Physical Characteristics: As their name suggests, Glider-cats look fairly similar to Earth-felines. Their bodies are sleek with muscular fore- and hind-limbs. Their heads are wedge-shaped, with short blunted muzzles, large eyes, and rounded ears. Their bodies are entirely covered in short, fine feathers - usually ranging between yellow, brown, and green with an oily, iridescent sheen. Often their feathers form mottled rosette patterns that can act as camouflage in tree-cover. Usually they possess paler sand or cream colored undersides. Their eyes are usually dark brown, but sometimes individuals with lighter amber-and-green eyes can be found. Their pupils are capable of expanding to encompass nearly the entirety of their visible eye in the dark, or contracting down to a mere pinpoint in bright environments.

Unlike Earth-cats, however, Gliders' fore- and hind-limbs are capable of spreading out nearly flat to either side of their body. Between the fore and hind-leg on either side is a flap of flesh that can be stretched taut and used like a parachute - earning them their namesake of 'Glider'. While they are incapable of real flight, they can glide for short distances. When at rest, these folds of skin are tucked against their sides, giving their bodies the appearance of more bulk than they actually have.

General Behavior: Glider-cats are primarily nocturnal and often sleep through much of the day. Individuals that have been tamed sometimes show slightly more diurnal tendencies, however - adopting the behaviors of their caregivers. In the wild they are solitary, although tamed individuals can become accustomed to living in a group with other Gliders.

-Diet: Glider-cats are predators, and they will eat anything smaller than themselves - reptiles, insects, other pseudo-mammals, eggs. Males will sometimes even kill and eat the kits of other Gliders.

-Reproduction: Glider-cats reach sexual maturity at three years of age. They mate in early spring, and give live-birth roughly two months later. Litters consist of one to four kits. For the first two months, both parents will stay together to care for the kits - the mother will stay with and watch over her young, while the father will hunt and bring back food for the mother and her kits. For the first month, kits are fed regurgitated, partially digested meat; as they grow, however, they will begin to eat directly from the kills the father brings back to the nest. At roughly two months, the mother will drive the father away and care for the kits on her own for up to a year and a half before driving her full-grown kits away as well.

-Social Structure: Glider-cats are usually solitary creatures. Mature individuals only come together to mate and briefly care for young, before the male is driven away. Male Glider-cats will sometime injure and kill their own young if they stray far from their mother's side. Females care for kits for roughly a year and a half until they are fully grown, then will drive them away as well. Young Glider-cats will sometimes remain together in sibling groups for up to a year, before breaking apart to live on their own.

In captivity, tamed Glider-cats can be taught to coexist with one another, however in the wild they tend to avoid contact with others. When they come into contact with other Gliders, the encounters are usually both tense, as well as fairly brief; they will not attack each other, unless it is a female with kits. Usually these encounters are all posturing and growling - they bare teeth and claws and raise the short ruff of feathers along their neck and back.

-Taming: Glider-cats can be tamed fairly easily if they are taken as kits - adults will usually remain standoffish despite the best of the tamer's efforts. Kits can be raised by hand and will come to view their caretaker as a surrogate mother figure. Even in adulthood, Gliders who have been tamed will continue to treat their caretaker in this manner, and will mewl and gurgle to be fed. Usually Gliders that are raised together will be content to remain in each others company, however if individuals that are strangers to them are introduced they may prove aggressive. Tamed Gliders must be acclimated over time to the presence of a new/stranger Glider, and must be kept separated with room to see and smell each other for at least a month before they are physically introduced. Usually they will still remain standoffish to newly introduced Gliders, but over time they will become more comfortable with each other.

Gliders in captivity are often bred for specific coat patterns and eye colors, with paler coat- and eye- colors preferred. Darker or muddier individuals are more common, and thus tend to be less expensive.

Both young and adult tamed Gliders can be bought as pets, although young Gliders usually should not be parted from their mother until they are at least six weeks old. They do not bond, although they will imprint upon their caregiver. They will accept new caregivers, however they tend to be initially skittish of strangers.

Habitat: Glider-cats are arboreal and are fairly common in the jungles of Baziala. In the wild they spend nearly all of their lives in the trees - gliding between the trees inside of their territory. Tamed Glider-cats will also shimmy up trees and glide about, but they are just as happy with any suitably large structure, from houses, to the shoulders of their human caretakers. Most breeders will suggest that false 'tree' structures be made for them to climb and sleep in, however lacking this they will sleep in just about any high place they can reach near their caregiver.

[Kilnarak]

This contest is officially closed.

Further entries will be added to the flora and fauna listing and the shop page, but will not be added to the voting poll for the contest.