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BASIC INFO
The Lequard name roughly translates to "Liquid Leopard" in their own language.
The very essence of the species revolves around fluidity, meaning each indivudual is able to change it's gender as well as physical appearance to match.
The Lequard has the appearance of a wolf/snow leoaprd hybrid and comes in a variety of colors. Due to genetics, a wide range of traits also appear in the species, such as horns, antlers and other appendages.
The Sclera of the Lequard's eyes is always black. The pupils themselves can be any color.
Lequards branch off into two smaller classes, the Greater and Lesser versions.
The Greater Lequard is taller and slimmer than the lesser, and tend to have slightly shorter fur.
Lesser Lequards have shorter, thicker limbs (they are the size of a medium dog) and a denser body mass than their bigger cousins. They are found in colder climates and have thicker, shaggier fur as well.
HABITAT
Though Lesser Lequards are more likely to be found in colder climates and Greater Lequards prefer Tropical environments, both are very adaptable and can live and thrive just about anywhere on Earth, though each indivual will usually choose one type of habitat and stick with it.
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
A pack of Lequards is called a Court. The Court will consist of the King and Queen, their next-in-lines, and the common pack members. A pack may contain anywhere from 3 to 20 pack members. Some packs are known to keep a member known as the Jester, who is treated just as his title implies.
SIZE AND WEIGHT
As stated before, Lesser Lequards are about the size of medium dogs but have thicker limbs and long fur.
Greater Lequard males are about the size of Maned Wolves, and the females of both species are slightly smaller than their male counterparts.
AGES/MATURITY
Lequards reach adulthood at around a year of age and tend to stay with the Court they were born into until about 2 years of age.
They will then either start a new pack with a mate or strike out on their own until they find one or join another Court.
Lequards live for about a century, and reach old age at around 70 - 80 years.
REPRODUCTION
Lequards are able to change their genders based on their needs. A pair MUST contain a "male" and a "female" to reproduce.
For example, a female lequard meets another female and they become mates. They wish to start a family, but in order to do so, one must become male. Usually the more masculine of the two will go through the trasformation, and then after the mating takes place, it may change back into female or keep its male form based on its hormone levels. The act of changing genders can be intentional, and usually is.
A lequard may also morph into the physical appearance of one gender, but retain the sexual organs of another. It is not uncommon to meet a female lequard sporting a large feather mane or a male with less than the normal amount of plumage.
DIET
Lequards will eat anything they deem tasty. Some prefer strictly meant diets, while others stick to veggies, and some even live off on nothing but sugar.
GENETICS
The standard Lequard has the body and head of a canine, the legs and tail of a snow leopard, a mane (thick or thin) made of feathers, as well as feathers either growing along or at the base of the tail.
Some lines may contain elements such as horns, antlers, wings, and extra limbs among stranger, more mystical appendages. While these genes may be passed from parent to child, new genes may spring up in a bloodline due to the ingrained personality of the individual.
