What should this species be named?;;
Beardles (just a cross between bear & candles)
What would you use them for if you win?;;
Private & very limited adoptable's that would not be used in anyway for profit.
Tell me some more about the species below;;
If you don't want to read a lot:
Beardles are large slow creatures that inhabit caves in all parts of the world but generally in colder climates. Each family will have their own cave, these caves lead extremely deep into the ground and will use their candle light to not only help them navigate the caves but also warn off intruders, each Beardle can control it's candles light individually and all Beardle's must have a head candle that is on from birth till death. Many myths & legends speculate the beginning of the Beardles existence (read below). Beardles will mainly live off of the different cave fish species and insects but younger more agile Beardles have been known to hunt bats. They mate for life, can only have 5 cubs and only one of those cubs can be a male. Now they have begun to be bred in small numbers by humans they can be decorated with items before being adopted out.
If you like reading a lot:
Habitat ~ Preferring colder climates, Beardles will spend most of their lives in caves with males living to never having to leave their family cave. This behavior makes them prominently troglophiles. The caves in which these creatures inhabit lead very deep into the earth. The entrance to these caves are often carved out by a male Beardle and are incredibly well hidden in mountain ranges, forest or snow. Like all caves, the Beardles are cold and damp making it hard for many other creatures to survive. If a Beardle is forced to leave their cave they will travel great lengths to find a new cave, during their travels they will create shallow make shift dens in the ground to sleep in.
Behavior ~ Being just a bit bigger then a polar bear and having thicker fur, Beardles are generally slow movers and very placid. Even though they are extremely protective they aren't ones to go into an angry charge at the snap of a twig and are incredibly wise and calculated in their thinking. This intelligence is used for their clever surviving strategies and leads to them being extremely resourceful. Beardles do not like to be exposed out of their caves for two long so when they have to they become extremely sensitive and are at their most aggressive. Living so deep underground leads to them not be nocturnal or diurnal so have no set sleeping pattern, they tend to take short naps in between grazing.
Diet ~ Beardles will graze throughout the day on anything they can find with in the cave system. They mainly survive of the many different species of cave fish, the pools in which these fish are found can be very deep so Beardles can hold their breathes for long periods of time and are great divers. They also eat small insects but cannot be sustained of these. Younger more agile Beardles have been known to hunt and eat bats.
Families ~ Each family will have their own cave. Within each families cave the strongest male will be in charge, but males will not live together unless related. In an older cave their will be the grandparent Beardles if they are still alive, their male cub & his mate and then any youngsters they have. If the first inhabitants of the cave do not have a male cub after their deaths the cave will become empty. Females born within their families cave will have to leave when fully grown to find a lone male. These families are very loyal to one another and extremely emotional showing extreme affection but also aggressive disputes.
Reproduction ~ Happens when matured females and males inhabit a cave together. They mate for life but can only ever have one male cub while paired together and females can only have one cub at a time. They can reproduce every month after their last cub but cannot reproduce after their 5th cub.
Threats ~ Their most common threat are caves collapsing where younger or elderly Beardles can be easily crushed but stronger Beardles may come out with only injuries. In rare cases it has known for Beardles to injure each other in disputes or even kill in fights between males over vacant caves. Other threats such as grizzly bears and polar bears have been known to injure Beardles if they encounter one another but generally larger mammals tend to avoid Beardles.
Candles ~ Beardles most noticeable feature is the candles that layer their backs. The amount of candles they have vary from families. They can control the flame intensity on these candles and whether the flames are on or off. The candle light can be kept of in strong breezes but only the head candle can be kept on underwater which is used when diving. These candles are used to navigate the caves systems and also helps them express themselves. How many lights are on and the intensity of these lights show different emotions. A mellow but bright candle light that is light on every candle shows extreme happiness, if the light is strong and fierce the Beardle is enraged, few candles lite that are flickering shows they are nervous and their common mellow state they will have most candles on that are dimly on. All Beardles have a head candle that is on from birth until they die. Older Beardles candles will be lower and their wax base will have little structure.
Myths & Legends ~ Different myths and legends speculate the reason behind the Beardles existence. The most commonly known is how the Beardles were kept in the depths to guard the most rarest gemstones to exist on the earth, powerful enough to replace the need for oil. However, even though the Beardles guard their caves with their lives no one has been able to prove their is such gemstones as no one can get past a raging Beardle.
Humans ~ The more Beardles moved around the more they have encountered us humans, some have gained the trust enough to befriend them as pets. Beardles love the attention and care free life style a human can offer. They are now being bred in small numbers and are decorated with items before being adopted.
