Guarex
Distant, Underground Cousins of the Goennecs
These cute little critters are descendants of a population of goennecs that gradually migrated into the mountains their cousins live on. They are fairly rare and populations in different cave systems differ slightly due to their fairly exclusive gene pools. Occasionally, they do move between caves, though this is rare enough that the populations retain fairly pure genetic strains.
They are prized among exotic breeders for their strange, yet adorable appearance.
Physiology
Vestigial eyes - The Guarex are a sightless species. Millions of years of living underground has made sight fairly useless. While they have lost the ability to see, the eyes physically remain.
Boney plates - Living in such an environment means the occasional falling rock, so it seems these creatures have begun to develop something like armor. These plates, while fairly solid, are also somewhat flexible, allowing for easy movement. It is thought that these plates may have initially also had the added purpose of providing a source of bioluminescence as most individuals are endowed with brightly-colored plates that emit glows of varying degrees. It's rare to find one with dark plates or no glow. Unfortunately for this feature, the creatures developed other means of 'seeing' before the luminescence reached a level of any effectiveness.
Whisker-like hairs - These ultra-sensitive hairs, located on the face, legs, chest, and along the back, work much like a cat's whiskers. They are highly effective in detecting objects and air-flow around the animal. In addition to this, they are also excellent for picking up vibrations in the air, even those that cannot be heard. This lets them create a 'map' of sound, which they can navigate as clearly as if they could see.
Oversized ears - The ears aid in mapping their world. Like the hairs, though not quite as sensitive, they can easily pick up sounds and vibrations, pinpoint the sources, and map their surroundings in a quite bat-like fashion. They normally do not create the sounds themselves, rather, they pick up on background noise, but sometimes, they will 'huff', emitting a low-frequency grunt, if they need a better 'view'.
*In captivity*
Guarex are selectively bred for the color and glow of their boney plates. Those that have very brightly-glowing features are highly prized and therefore, light and bright colors are often preferred to accentuate the glow.
Build
These creatures are built much like a stout pony mixed with a goat. Their strong, stocky legs allow them to travel easily in the underground caverns they inhabit.
They are mid-sized, about 4 1/2 feet at the height of the shoulders, and have a very thick bone and muscle structure, which helps them to recover easily from minor (and even some serious) falls.
They have cloven, rubbery hooves, giving them almost supernatural grip and traction on the rocky surfaces.
*In captivity*
Extensive breeding often results in the loss of muscle and bone mass, making most captive Guarex slimmer and sleeker than their wild relatives.
Aging
It's hard to determine how long these animals live as death is always the result of a fall or cave-in. Some individuals have been estimated to be over one hundred and fifty years old. Estimation is always to be taken with a grain of salt, however, as these creatures do not physically age as dramatically as other species do.
The young are referred to as 'calves' and rely on their mothers for milk for about two years, but will remain with the mother for an additional three years until fully grown.
They reach full maturity at about ten years old.
*In captivity*
Due to the massive difference in living conditions, they do not last nearly as long as they do in the wild. Domestic Guarex have an average lifespan of 70 years.
Effects of Isolated Populations
Because they live in caves and underground caverns, they are essentially cut off from other populations unless forced to move. This means that some populations have unique features, not seen in others.
*Populations will be listed below as they are discovered.
*In captivity*
These special traits are often selectively bred to accentuate them. Few attempt to breed for features found in two different populations, but those that succeed are often idolized by the community as it is very difficult.
Coloration
Guarex come in all colors and patterns. The only uniformity in coloration is the coloration of the boney plates, which is almost always brightly or lightly colored and even more often emits a glow.
However, diet and habitat can influence coloration in a population. Those who have access to a luxury like cave pools, filled with living organisms often have brighter, more vibrant coloration than those who must live entirely on insects, who are more likely to be colored in grays and browns. other factors like volcanic, ocean, or glacial presence also have a tendency to influence population colors.
*In captivity*
Much the same as in the wild, though domestically bred guarex usually are not effected by general environment.
Breeders often spend years perfecting feed recipes to influence the colorations of their 'populations' to the desired effect.
Behavior
Social Dynamics
They most often live in small groups of five to ten, though in large, roomy caverns, up to 50 may live together.
There is little to no hierarchy in the small groups. In large numbers, three or so may be seen as dominant to a limited degree.
Guarex can live alone as there are no natural predators, but their instinct is to stay together. They are social creatures that thrive on interaction.
Once a group grows past it's maximum capacity (which depends on the space and food available in their home-cave), the group will split in half. One half will stay, while the other migrates to either a new section of the cave, or to find a new cave system.
*In captivity*
The same as in the wild.
Diet
Due to the limited food sources in caves, Guarex are omnivores and able to eat almost anything you could find in a cave. From insects, to cave-dwelling fish, to the occasional root from an above-ground tree.
*In captivity*
The same as in the wild, although they have access to much more variety and volume.
Reproduction
Two guarex will pair off when a female comes into season and stay together until their offspring is ready to wean, at which point, the pair splits. Once the calf is old enough to support itself, it and the mother abandon the family dynamic to act more as individual members of their social group.
A female will only become receptive when she is physically well-fed and experiencing low stress. This prevents the population from growing too fast or too large when there aren't enough resources to provide for it. Even in the most ideal conditions, a female will only breed once every five or six years.
*In captivity*
Like their life-span, their reproductive ability is also heavily effected by domestication. Their reproductive years are limited to a twenty year span, beginning sometime around their eighth year of age. However, females can breed every three years.
Distant, Underground Cousins of the Goennecs
These cute little critters are descendants of a population of goennecs that gradually migrated into the mountains their cousins live on. They are fairly rare and populations in different cave systems differ slightly due to their fairly exclusive gene pools. Occasionally, they do move between caves, though this is rare enough that the populations retain fairly pure genetic strains.
They are prized among exotic breeders for their strange, yet adorable appearance.
Physiology
Vestigial eyes - The Guarex are a sightless species. Millions of years of living underground has made sight fairly useless. While they have lost the ability to see, the eyes physically remain.
Boney plates - Living in such an environment means the occasional falling rock, so it seems these creatures have begun to develop something like armor. These plates, while fairly solid, are also somewhat flexible, allowing for easy movement. It is thought that these plates may have initially also had the added purpose of providing a source of bioluminescence as most individuals are endowed with brightly-colored plates that emit glows of varying degrees. It's rare to find one with dark plates or no glow. Unfortunately for this feature, the creatures developed other means of 'seeing' before the luminescence reached a level of any effectiveness.
Whisker-like hairs - These ultra-sensitive hairs, located on the face, legs, chest, and along the back, work much like a cat's whiskers. They are highly effective in detecting objects and air-flow around the animal. In addition to this, they are also excellent for picking up vibrations in the air, even those that cannot be heard. This lets them create a 'map' of sound, which they can navigate as clearly as if they could see.
Oversized ears - The ears aid in mapping their world. Like the hairs, though not quite as sensitive, they can easily pick up sounds and vibrations, pinpoint the sources, and map their surroundings in a quite bat-like fashion. They normally do not create the sounds themselves, rather, they pick up on background noise, but sometimes, they will 'huff', emitting a low-frequency grunt, if they need a better 'view'.
*In captivity*
Guarex are selectively bred for the color and glow of their boney plates. Those that have very brightly-glowing features are highly prized and therefore, light and bright colors are often preferred to accentuate the glow.
Build
These creatures are built much like a stout pony mixed with a goat. Their strong, stocky legs allow them to travel easily in the underground caverns they inhabit.
They are mid-sized, about 4 1/2 feet at the height of the shoulders, and have a very thick bone and muscle structure, which helps them to recover easily from minor (and even some serious) falls.
They have cloven, rubbery hooves, giving them almost supernatural grip and traction on the rocky surfaces.
*In captivity*
Extensive breeding often results in the loss of muscle and bone mass, making most captive Guarex slimmer and sleeker than their wild relatives.
Aging
It's hard to determine how long these animals live as death is always the result of a fall or cave-in. Some individuals have been estimated to be over one hundred and fifty years old. Estimation is always to be taken with a grain of salt, however, as these creatures do not physically age as dramatically as other species do.
The young are referred to as 'calves' and rely on their mothers for milk for about two years, but will remain with the mother for an additional three years until fully grown.
They reach full maturity at about ten years old.
*In captivity*
Due to the massive difference in living conditions, they do not last nearly as long as they do in the wild. Domestic Guarex have an average lifespan of 70 years.
Effects of Isolated Populations
Because they live in caves and underground caverns, they are essentially cut off from other populations unless forced to move. This means that some populations have unique features, not seen in others.
*Populations will be listed below as they are discovered.
*In captivity*
These special traits are often selectively bred to accentuate them. Few attempt to breed for features found in two different populations, but those that succeed are often idolized by the community as it is very difficult.
Coloration
Guarex come in all colors and patterns. The only uniformity in coloration is the coloration of the boney plates, which is almost always brightly or lightly colored and even more often emits a glow.
However, diet and habitat can influence coloration in a population. Those who have access to a luxury like cave pools, filled with living organisms often have brighter, more vibrant coloration than those who must live entirely on insects, who are more likely to be colored in grays and browns. other factors like volcanic, ocean, or glacial presence also have a tendency to influence population colors.
*In captivity*
Much the same as in the wild, though domestically bred guarex usually are not effected by general environment.
Breeders often spend years perfecting feed recipes to influence the colorations of their 'populations' to the desired effect.
Behavior
Social Dynamics
They most often live in small groups of five to ten, though in large, roomy caverns, up to 50 may live together.
There is little to no hierarchy in the small groups. In large numbers, three or so may be seen as dominant to a limited degree.
Guarex can live alone as there are no natural predators, but their instinct is to stay together. They are social creatures that thrive on interaction.
Once a group grows past it's maximum capacity (which depends on the space and food available in their home-cave), the group will split in half. One half will stay, while the other migrates to either a new section of the cave, or to find a new cave system.
*In captivity*
The same as in the wild.
Diet
Due to the limited food sources in caves, Guarex are omnivores and able to eat almost anything you could find in a cave. From insects, to cave-dwelling fish, to the occasional root from an above-ground tree.
*In captivity*
The same as in the wild, although they have access to much more variety and volume.
Reproduction
Two guarex will pair off when a female comes into season and stay together until their offspring is ready to wean, at which point, the pair splits. Once the calf is old enough to support itself, it and the mother abandon the family dynamic to act more as individual members of their social group.
A female will only become receptive when she is physically well-fed and experiencing low stress. This prevents the population from growing too fast or too large when there aren't enough resources to provide for it. Even in the most ideal conditions, a female will only breed once every five or six years.
*In captivity*
Like their life-span, their reproductive ability is also heavily effected by domestication. Their reproductive years are limited to a twenty year span, beginning sometime around their eighth year of age. However, females can breed every three years.
