Wampus Cats and Subspecies
Overview
Wampus cat is a name given to several different similar feline beasts with similar builds and behavior. All of the beasts labeled as such have a typical feline build, with six legs, a long tail, and extremely intricate Tear patterns.Subspecies
There are five major wampus subspecies: Skulking Tigers, Striking Cheetahs, Swiping Leopards, Striding Lions, and Silent Panthers. They were all first described by a journeying trader of the Bountiful Khanate, whose given names remain to this day.Skulking Tigers
The skulking tiger subspecies is Terra-Umber, with a small ruff of fur about where the skull meets the neck, and a pattern of strangely flowing stripes that resemble snakes, the tiger’s most favored prey. They live among the trees of the Boreal Shadowcast Forest and the foothills of both the Landrise and Boundary Mountain Ranges.Striking Cheetahs
The striking cheetah subspecies is Aether-Eldic, with a streamlined frame that tapers into a long golden tail, and a pattern of erratic, blotchy spots that reflect the light of the Sun. They live in the warm, temperate plains of Central Lyardia and the Garden of Life.Swiping Leopard
The swiping leopard subspecies is Hydro-Cryic, with a bulky body of layered fur the color of snow, and a pattern of almost snowflake-like splotches that create an odd, wavering illusion of movement. They live in the cold and barren landscape of the Cardinal Tundra, Conquered Steppes, Polar Islands, and the Isle of Snowfall.Striding Lion
The striding lion subspecies is Pyro-Deslot, with a flaring mane of dusty fur that encircles the neck, and a shining pelt that shifts from sandy brown to a deep, dirty red. They live in the deserts of Split-Solar and Rustiron as well as the northernmost islands of Kracon.Silent Panther
The silent panther, sometimes jaguar, subspecies is Lux-Sonar, with a sleek coat of strangely pitch-black fur. This is one of few species of beast that have a potential to be albino. They live in the wet jungle of the Vita Cloud Forest and the Island of Crestos.Basic Information
Anatomy
All wampus cats are feline beasts, with six legs, long tails, medium to large ears, padded feet, whiskers, and extremely sensitive eyes.
Biological Traits
Lifespan
On the low end of the spectrum, young male striding lions have some of the shortest lives if they cannot kill the leader of an already established pride, living about 5 years in observed cases. On the high end, female silent panthers manage to live up to 20 years in observed cases, with easy hunting and few deaths resulting from pregnancy.Genetics and Reproduction
Male wampus cats become sexually mature at three years old, and females at four. Pregnancies last about four months, and litters are usually 2-5 kits.
Dietary Needs and Habits
All wampus cats are purely carnivores.
Behaviour
Most wampus cats are solitary; the only exceptions are Striking Cheetahs, who live in female-male pairs, and Striding Lions, who live in groups termed as ‘knots’, with one dominant male, up to two non-dominant males, at least three females, and assorted juvenile young.
Additional Information
Domestication
It is believed that silent panthers and swiping leopards were once kept as pets and hunting beasts by the Empire of the Butterfly’s Wingbeat. While it is unknown if they were properly domesticated or just tamed, numerous carvings of royalty sitting with white six-legged cats, those cats lounging about with royal children, and children playing with white six-legged kittens, it can be inferred that the albino strain of silent panther was once a domesticated pet.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
The pelts of all wampus cats are considered luxury products. The cloaks of royals used to be lined with silent panther’s fur, and the mane fur of striding lions would similarly line their collars.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Wampus cats live on every continent but Kracon. Evidence, including six-legged feline fossils with extensive injuries, points to a forgotten clash During the Darkness between felithrope communities and the few wampus cats that were placed in the archipelago. Fracture scientists have named this subspecies of wampus ‘stalling jaguars’, as their habitat only ever extended around the edges of the northernmost islands, and after the ‘jabbing’ injuries on recovered bones.
Average Intelligence
Wampus cats can be very smart, around the intelligence level of most canine beasts. They have been observed solving simple problems, like food behind doors that are connected to levers.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
All wampus cats are capable of a species-specific primal spell, termed ‘loom, look, and listen’. Though the specific element differs between subspecies, the effect is the same: the wampus becomes hard to focus on, while its own senses are amplified in whichever direction it is focusing on. All subspecies use ‘loom, look, and listen’ often when hunting skittish or perceptive prey, such as Ambush Swans and Escape Rabbits.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Wampus cats have a symbiotic relationship with a species of avian beasts called Spawnpeckers. Spawnpeckers eat small insects that suck blood, lay eggs, and generally hitchhike on the bodies of wampus cats.
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