Aeternian Wildlife

## Overview

The wildlife of Aeterna can be characterized as being being beautiful, elegant, and just as dangerous as that of other nations. The people of Aeterna have a great need of the creatures that they share the land with, shaping their history, beliefs, and way of life to be much different than that of any other.

### Peafowl

The males extravagant eye-spotted tail covert feathers which he displays as part of a courtship ritual. The term peacock is properly reserved for the male; the female is known as a peahen(which is rather plain in appearances). Peafowl are forest birds that nest on the ground, but roost in trees. They are terrestrial feeders. All species of peafowl are believed to be polygamous. In common with other species, the males possess metatarsal spurs or "thorns" on their legs used during territorial fights.
The gardens near the castle have a rare breed of peafowl resulting in a magnificent lack of color. See white peacock.

### Cattle/ Cow

Cattle are raised as livestock for meat (beef and veal), as dairy animals for milk and other dairy products, and as draft animals (oxen or bullocks that pull carts, plows and other implements). Other products include leather and dung for manure or fuel. The average sleep time of a domestic cow is about four hours a day. Cattle do have a stay apparatus, but do not sleep standing up, they lie down to sleep deeply. In spite of the urban legend, cows cannot be tipped over by people pushing on them >.> looking at all of you crazy Aeternian drunks out there.

### Sheep

Sheep are raised for fleece, meat (lamb, hogget or mutton) and milk. A sheep's wool is the most widely used animal fiber, and is usually harvested by shearing. Ovine meat is called lamb when from younger animals and mutton when from older ones. Counting sheep is popularly said to be an aid to sleep, and some ancient systems of counting sheep persist today. Sheep also enter in colloquial sayings and idiom frequently with such phrases as "black sheep". To call an individual a black sheep implies that they are an odd or disreputable member of a group

### Wolf

The wolf is a native to the wilderness and remote areas of Ikhaya and Aetrna. Males averaging 95–99 lb, and females 79–85 lb. Adaptations to hunting large prey, as it is gregarious nature, and has a highly advanced expressive behavior. Fond of travelling in packs however there are solitary creatures among them.

### Horse

Horses are prey animals with a strong fight-or-flight response. Their first reaction to threat is to startle and usually flee, although they will stand their ground and defend themselves when flight is impossible or if their young are threatened. They also tend to be curious; when startled, they will often hesitate an instant to ascertain the cause of their fright, and may not always flee from something that they perceive as non-threatening. Most light horse riding breeds were developed for speed, agility, alertness and endurance; natural qualities that extend from their wild ancestors. However, through selective breeding, some breeds of horses are quite docile, particularly certain draft horses. Horses are used by the Aeternian military and are often high cost things to purchase.

### Wyvern

The wyvern is usually considered to have two legs, whereas the dragon may have either four or none. The wyvern is regarded, moreover, as the distant, lesser cousin to the dragon, similar to a dog being the distant cousin to the wolf. Wyverns tend to be smaller, weaker, not as intelligent, and ultimately inferior to the much more ferocious and powerful dragon. While a dragon almost always has the ability to breathe fire, a wyvern will usually be unable to breathe fire. Those that can breathe fire are sometimes termed "fire drakes" and are still considered a lesser form.

### Brown Bear

It is a large terrestrial carnivore found in Aeterna, he often feeds on lake fish but is known to attack humans, particularly if food is involved. The typical size depends upon which population it is from, this is in part due to sexual dimorphism as male brown bears which average at least 30% larger than their counterparts. The brown bear is often described as nocturnal. However, it frequently seems to peak in activity in the morning and early evening hours. Bears who dwell in areas with more extensive human contact being more likely to be fully nocturnal. In summer through autumn, a brown bear can double its weight from the spring, gaining up to 400 pounds of fat, on which it relies to make it through winter, when it becomes very lethargic. This species is mostly solitary, although bears may gather in large numbers at major food sources (e.g., moth colonies, open garbage dumps or rivers holding spawning salmon) and form social hierarchies based on age and size. Adult male bears are particularly aggressive and are avoided by adolescent and subadult males both at concentrated feeding opportunities and chance encounters. Female bears with cubs rival adult males in aggression, and are much more intolerant of other bears than single females. Dominance between bears is asserted by making a frontal orientation, showing off canines, muzzle twisting and neck stretching to which a subordinate will respond with a lateral orientation, by turning away and dropping the head and by sitting or lying down. During combat, bears use their paws to strike their opponents in the chest or shoulders and bite the head or neck.

### Salmon

Are a fresh water game fish that are caught in the rivers of Aeterna making them a predominant food source. Salmon is a popular food. Classified as an oily fish. Typically, salmon are anadromous: they are born in fresh water, migrate to the ocean, then return to fresh water to reproduce. However, populations of several species are restricted to fresh water through their lives. Folklore has it that the fish return to the exact spot where they were born to spawn.

### Red Cap

Is a type of malevolent murderous dwarf, goblin, brownie found in Aeternian Folklore. Redcaps are said to murder travelers who stray into their homes and dye their hats with their victims' blood, which is where they get their name. Redcaps must kill regularly, for if the blood staining their hats dries out, they die. It is stated in some legends that the Redcap also drink the blood of their victims, after dying their hats. Redcaps are very fast in spite of the iron-shod boots they wear. Outrunning a redcap is supposedly impossible. In appearance they are short and wiry, with ragged pointed teeth and sharp claws like steel. They wear a red bonnet (or hat) on their heads, and are generally bearded with wrinkled aged faces. In legend there is variation between some Redcaps. Some wield a pickax, others have very sharp claws. However, this could be due to the age and location of the depiction.

### Cougar

Also commonly known as the mountain lion, it is an ambush predator and pursues a wide variety of prey. Primary food sources are ungulates, particularly deer, but also livestock. It also hunts species as small as insects and rodents. This cat prefers habitats with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking, but can also live in open areas. The cougar is territorial and survives at low population densities. Individual territory sizes depend on terrain, vegetation, and abundance of prey. It is reclusive and mostly avoids people. Fatal attacks on humans are rare, but have recently been increasing.

### Falcon

These birds kill with their beaks, using a "tooth" on the side of their beaks. As with hawks and owls, falcons exhibit sexual dimorphism, with the females typically larger than the males, thus allowing a wider range of prey species. As is the case with many birds of prey, falcons have exceptional powers of vision.