~~history~~
marra used to be like most other species having males and females but were hunted fro many reasons, the females mainly for there meat and pelts and became so over hunted by man and other predators that they dwindles to nearly -500 left and were still dropping, once there were vary few females left there were some genetic mutations with the males that made them able to produce kits but did not act like other males (now known as alpha males) witch came in handy when the last few females died from disease most clans having broken up by now to escape the treat and move deeper into territory's where food was quickly running low.
once realizing the once beautiful beasts were on the brink of extinction they became protected but sadly no females survived but now thanks to some humans there numbers are slowly starting to improve
~Marra~
Marra are omnivores and live in more of a swampy marshy type of an area, when pray is scarce they can eat nector or honey with there long thin tounges. they can rip bark and dig in the ground with there long blunt claws that do not retract fully like most cat species nor stop growning, they are used to find roots and grubs or make dens underground. there nostrals are slightly larger as well to help them sniff for there meals within the bark of trees or under layers of dirt, there eyes being larger as well since these are mostly night time hunters being about the size of a small panther, the majority of there kills are made at night when hunting.
~how the environment influences the marra~
marra adapted to live in marshy areas that can be from ho to freezing and many trees close together with a wet landing, there wings are smaller and blunt not really made for flying but to glide between the trees.
there fur is scruffy to hold in warmth but they can poof out slightly when to warm. there whiskers are as long as there body is wide, including there wings when tucked in so if they need to know if they can fit somewhere they will test it with there whiskers first, even though they have floating collarbones like cats there wings cant bend the same way there body can so they wont risk an area to tight (youngsters do sometimes get themselves stuck and break wings as a result).
there tail is long and thick much like a monkey and as seen above they can use there tail to hold onto branches and brace themselves, its even strong enough to hold there entire weight should they feel the need to hang upside-down to grab something from the water, they have even been seen eating upside-down.
there paws are slightly webbed to help them grip tree branches and help them swim during the wetter seasons of spring and summer, due to where they live they don't need to worry about snow since it doesn't really snow vary much.
there front legs are actually shorter than there front giving them an odd gate but they are exilent jumpers, using there legs for speedy getaways when on the ground to get to high branches or to launch themselves from branch to branch, there kicks can hurt too, they can lean back on there tail to give a quick kick to unsuspecting predictors
~family life~
marra live in a pack like society, haveing a large alpha male that defends a territory and there clan of 2-20 submissive males and will defend it and there cubs and mates with his life. they can hold a territory of almost 30 miters depending on clan size and strength, the average cub littler can be from 1-3 cubs once a year making them slow breeders but can start breeding at the age of 2
the clan is vary important to the marra because it helps take care of kits but also allows for better hunting, these beasts can take down a full grown moose using teamwork witch they could never do alone, but they also take care of each other, if one is sick its looked after until better and everyone pitches in to help raise cubs.
a marra out on its own is vary much at risk due to humans who still hunt them or from other predators so there is safty in numbers for this cat.
~breeding~
breeding season normally occurs around the middle of fall to early winter, during this time alpha males will change much like deer, there mussels getting thicker, there feathers and tails getting beautiful bright colors, the brighter they are means the healthier the male. they also begin to grow horns witch are very important, they are not only for display but to help find mates and defend there turf, at the end of breeding season the horns shed, submissive males do not grow horns.
these horns are vary important to the breeding season because the bigger the horns the better, big horns normally mean they are in there prime and vary strong and healthy, while smaller horns means either weak or sick, or they are young and inexperienced, likely having just been ran out of there clan by the alpha. they use these horns for battle as well and there fights when seen are vary viscous and hard to watch because if it gets that point they could fight to the death. but they is not always the case they try to avoid this by attacking the colorful feathers or trying to break a horn to make them look less desirabul, death fights normally occur between a more desired male and a less desired one because the less desired one needs a clan. number of horns are important too, if they have more than 2 horns like an average alpha would they would be rejected no matter how large because more than 1 set of horns is a genetic mutation and also leads to many other problems with that male such as epilepsy, blindness and other problems.
the submissives are picky and will leave a clan if they feel the alpha cannot protect them and are vary much in control of the breeding season, if they do not wish to mate you better just go on your way because they can be just as viscous as the alpha males when angered.
