[Nebelung]

Owldeer


What are they?
As their name suggests, they are a cross between an owl and a deer.


Diet?
Since owls are carnivorous, Owldeer do enjoy small rodents and birds if they can catch them. But given they are deer as well, with a whopping four stomachs, they also browse the much more plentiful vegetation and can be found chewing their cud during the heat of the day.


Behavior?
Owldeer tend to be shy creatures, and are more active during the early morning hours and just after sunset. Since they are hunted (mainly by man, but can fall prey to wild cats, wolves, bears, and other beings), they do not stay in wide open space during the day and can be found browsing in small groups hidden throughout the forest. Owldoes are calmer than Owlbucks, especially during the mating season. But they are known to pick fights with one another in order to establish their rank within a herd. But once it is settled, everyone gets along.

Unlike with many grouping animals, owldeer tend to be a little more unique.

Owldoes and fawnlets band together in small herds to help keep track of each other. One dominant owldoe, usually one that is older and more experienced, will lead the herd. Owldoes are free to remain loners, but chances of survival are cut in half, even more if they are raising fawnlets. Once fawnlets are old enough to follow their mothers, they will do so for nearly two years before they venture off on their own. Female adolescents may return to their mothers' herd with their own fawnlets.


Owlbucks band together in bachelor herds, as more in a group increases chances of survival. Only during the mating season do they ever interact with owldoes. However it is not unknown for owlbucks to form family groups with specific owldoes. During the mating season, or run, males compete with each other for decent nesting territories. Hisses, screeches, and trills are used before battle to intimidate others. Once the battle has been fought, the winner protects his turf from the males. He and an owldoe will work together to build a nest. A few days after mating, the owldoe will lay up to two, maybe three eggs. If the owlbuck's Antlers are large enough, he may make a small nest to hold the eggs in until it is time for them to hatch. Most males head off to rejoin their herds, but some are known to stay until the fawnlets are old enough to trail after their mothers and leave the bedding site.


Owlstags, or The Great Stag, wanders alone. They are an elder, more experienced owlbuck whom has earned their right to breed with most owldoes. He poses as the Owldeer Guardian, and is known to alert herds of any nearby danger, as well as lead them to different locations with better resources. This owldeer, however, is extremely rare. Only one is known to exist at a time. When he senses his end is near, he will choose one of his offspring to take his place.

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Owldeer

When it comes time for there to be a new Owlstag, He will choose one of his offspring to take his place.

Rules

-No spamming. "Marking" is all right, but please no bumping.
-No fighting.
-No giving artists or mods a difficult time. If there is a problem, please contact me.
-Please do not ask to be a mod or artist. If applications are open, then you may fill out an application.








- They are omnivorous, leaning more towards vegetation. But they are known to hunt when prey is available.
- Owldoes are females. Owlbucks are males. Fawnlets are offspring. The Owlstag, or Great Stag, is the Guardian of all owldeer.

[Nebelung]

Rarities and Subspecies

While each individual is unique itself, they still remain part of a specific sub-species. Some are more widespread than others, making them much more common than other sub-species.

Common - Tyto and Horned Owls

Whitetails - Recognized by their lighter brown/grey coats, forward-facing antlers, large brown and white tails and rumps, and white bellies, 'bibs', and eye rims. Whitetail Owldoes are known to have up to three fawnlets at a time. They usually have tyto faces.

Roes - Recognized by their reddish to muddy brown coats and thick, erect antlers. They have white rumps, which are kidney-shaped on males and heart-shaped on females. Owldoes are known to have up to two fawnlets at a time.

Mules - Recognized by their grey-brown coats, black-tipped tails, and forked antlers. They look similarly to whitetails, with the exception of small details, so they are known to herd together while foraging. They are most likely to cross-breed with other Owldeers not belonging to their own sub-specie. Owldoes are known to have up to two fawnlets at a time.

Blacktails - Recognized by their black tails and darker coats. Their antlers are more erect than whitetails, but they also branch out. Owldoes can have up to two fawnlets at once. They usually have horned owl faces.

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Uncommon - Tyto, Horned, Barred, Snowy, Screech, Burrowing, Elf

Fallows - Recognized by their normally cream coats with white fawnlet flecks and even paler underbellies. Their coats can also come in a range of colors from white to a dark Grey-brown. Their antlers are long and shovel-like. Owldoes have one fawnlet, which is born with a pale coat that darkens gradually as it ages. They normally have Tyto faces that match their coat colors. However on rare occasions can have other owl faces like Barred and Snowy.

Muntjacs - Recognized by their small sizes, dark pelts, and small antlers. Owldoes usually have one fawnlet at a time, but can have up to two. They usually have Burrowing, Screech, and Elf owl faces.

Sikas - Recognized by their shaggy manes on their necks, long, erect antlers that knob at the end, and spots. Their coats can range from white to black. Their spots can be strong or faint, and are easier to spot near their rumps, which are white and heart-shaped.

Keys - Recognized by their similar appearance to whitetails with the exception of their height. They are short and thin, with long legs and tails in comparison to their bodies. Owldoes can have up to three fawns at once, however are more likely to have two. They usually have saw-whet owl faces.

Pudu - Recognized by their small size, short legs, and stocky build. They are normally dark in color, except for their fawnlets, which are a reddish brown color. They usually have Elf owl faces.

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Rare - Great grey, Eagle, Great Horned, Spotted

Elk - Recognized by their large build with pale mahogany coats and sharp, spike-like antlers and long, shaggy chocolate manes. Owldoes have one red fawnlet, very rarely twins. They usually have Eagle or Great Horned owl faces.

Reds - Recognized by their large, thick build and red coats. Their antlers are dark-colored and spike upwards. Owldoes have one fawnlet at a time. They usually have spotted or eagle owl faces.

Caribou -

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Stag - Any of the species listed previously.

Moose -

Irish Elk -

----- COLORATIONS ------

Once in a blue moon, the laws of genetics seize to exist in peculiar instances. These uncommon colorations are more likely to take place in common sub-species, but the hiccupped genetics can be bred into other sub-species through hybridization.

Whitetails are more prone to be carrying these unusual genes, but Roes and Fallows have shown them as well.

Melanism - A development of dark-colored pigmentation that causes coloration to be much darker than usual, and sometimes even completely black. Average eyes.

Amelanism - A lack of melanin that causes either mostly yellow pigmentation with colored patches, or completely yellow pigmentation. Usually average eyes or red eyes.

Erythrism - A reddish pigmentation sometimes caused by diet or lack or overproduction of specific pigmentations. Average eyes.

Leucism - A white coloration caused by reduction of all pigmentation. Also known as "False Albinism". Blue eyes.

Albinism - A white coloration caused by a deficiency of melanin. Red eyes.

Vitiligo - A condition that causes depigmentation, or paler or whiter patches to occur that tend to grow and change shape with age. Usually average or blue eyes.

Xanthochromism - An unusually yellow coloration caused by a lack of certain pigmentation. It will only affect the feathered parts of the Owldeer. Usually red eyes.

Piebaldism - A disorder of pigmentation, causing blotches of absence of pigmentation throughout the coloration. Usually two different colored eyes, or blue eyes. This is much more common than most other odd colorations.

Heterochromia - Different colored eyes in complete heterochromia, or one partially different-colored eye in partial heterochromia. Caused by injury or inherited; an unusual or lack of distribution of melanin. Common in piebaldism.

[Aries .]

I'm curious, would they have eggs or live offspring?

[Nebelung]

They lay eggs, which are ferociously protected by the males during this time. Once they hatch into fawnlets, the does look after them and the males leave.

[adelphi prime.]

I love these guys! If you ever make them adoptables, you'll have one follower right away.

[nimrod.]

I love that these are a thing cx

[Netherland Dwarf]

mark

[nervousnickel]

These look really nice. Marking!

[lesser caligula]

Finally! You made them

Marked!