Kammar

The kammar, which means 'flying rat', is a fur-reptile from Andaperna and Nuat Duinis Talou. It is very unique because its juvenile form and its adult form differ vastly in regards to appearance, behaviour and abilities. It is the only fur-reptile in eastern Erana, that undergoes a metamorphosis, while other continents and western Erana have more of these metamorphosizing fur-reptiles. Before reaching adulthood, they are short faced, rather bulky and tailless small creatures, not dissimilar to a small rodent. Adult animals on the other hand have lost their bulk, are rather slender and have evolved their front limbs to wings, which can carry them over long distances. They also develop a short tail, which aids them with navigating.

A kammar is born at the size of a mouse and later in life reaches a length of about two feet. Most kammar are sand coloured, but some lean into a pinkish light brown. They are also covered in fur, which is thin and comparable in colour to their skin. Kammar in the wild tend to occupy holes and burrows abandoned by other animals or spaces under and between rocks and logs. They are, as a result, not good burrowers. Adult kammar are slender, almost weasel-like in appearance, except their weird front limbs, which are defined by a long, turned back outer finger on the paw with a membrane stretching along it and towards the body, forming a wing of sorts. This special adaptation enables them to fly long distances and at relatively high speeds. Adult kammar tend to have less, shorter and thicker fur. Some adults develop dark spots.

A kammars lifecycle is somewhat special. It is nor bound to certain time limits or reached body weight or size, but rather to seasonal change. As life in Andapernas summer can be harsh on wildlife in general, kammar evade this in part by aestivating. Especially well fed semi-adults may, instead of a regular aestivation, rather fall into a torpor and secrete a thick and slimy sweat, which covers them completely and forms some kind of cocoon. From this they emerge as adult kammar of said appearance.

Young kammar look like rodents and feed like most rodents, eating mainly plant matter, but if there is a chance, they also eat insects, worms or pillbugs. After the metamorphosis they tend to be more carnivorous, extending their diet to small vertebrates of all kinds and also eggs. While young kammar of course life on the ground, adults can be seen inhabiting shrubs, trees or larger rocks and cliffsides. As there are hardly any airborne predators in Andaperna, they sleep only half hidden on branches or rocky protrusions.

No matter what growth stage, kammar are strictly diurnal creatures. The young live in small groups of up to six, rarely eight individuals, which form a lose bond, but mostly only tolerating each other without any special interaction like common food collection or grooming. Adults live alone, forming rather small territories, which they fiercely defend. To look for food, they venture away from their individual rock or tree and are less aggressive on encounters with other kammar, unless pushed into a conflict.

For the peoples of Andaperna the kammar has been a form of pet or a companion animal for a long time. They are easily kept and, if caught at an early stage in life, can be trained well to become loyal to their owners. Especially religious specialists train them and almost every temple or sacrificial area has a gishim (also called 'kikkir' or 'eshuppas'), which is a kammar pen, where the temple's kammar are held. While juvenile kammar are mostly nothing more than cute pets, adults are used as carrier pigeons by the Andaperna people. They are more intelligent than pigeons and can be especially trained to memorise four to five destinations. They also don't need as much food, as their fur-reptile metabolism lets them expend less energy on keeping up their body temperature. One negative point is, that they travel slower than pigeons, though. Kammar are essential in communicating major events of religious significance to those whom it might concern. One especially well observed and communicated phenomenon is the Warakzandeshayas Marramashas.