Firefly-tailed Pony

Overseas Indians and other immigrants referred to it as Saint Xavier's Horse since it was spotted in Italy on the same day as Saint Francis Xavier.

The firefly-tailed pony has a horse-like body shape, but also resembles the pony breed, and its stripes are comparable to the now-extinct thylacine. Their color is pale mocha with chocolate tails, pale cappuccino hooves, and a gray snout. Chocolate brown stocking designs and pale brown skin. When bioluminescence is present, the tail tip turns white. Despite being descended from a pony or foal-like adult, the firefly-tailed pony evolved into a Shetland pony, but less small.

In 2025

Due to numerous inconsistencies, I redrew this species in 2025 because it has to be improved and new stories added to fit the rebooted universe. Since real horses and ponies don't have rear stripes like thylacines, I omitted them and instead drew a horse that was as quick as a sports car. Because it is a wild animal that is smaller in adulthood than a real Mongolian wild horse, this pony is said to be the only known wild horse with the common term "pony." The tarpan, an extinct subspecies of wild horse that is linked to Mongolian wild horses and domesticated horses, sometimes known as mustangs, is the closest relative of this species.

The ponies' thick, black mane occasionally has lighter patches. The epithet "bluish tan dun" describes their general coat color, which is mousey tam with dark faces and legs and whitish on the back. They can be easily identified from other horse breeds by their black back stripes and sporadic leg stripes. The pony's black tail hair had a whitish tip that was covered in the firefly luciferase enzyme, which is derived from fireflies and works on firefly luciferin, another substance that fireflies make. The main size of the firefly-tailed pony is 10 hands at the withers, 5 meters long in length, and 200 kilograms.

Similar to fireflies, horses also produce light through the chemical mechanism of bioluminescence. This happens in specialized organs called photophores that release light; these are often found on the end of the tail of a pony. These ponies generate the enzyme firefly luciferase, which interacts with firefly luciferin, another substance made by fireflies. This reaction generates light when magnesium ions, ATP, and oxygen are present. A breathing tube or abdominal trachea is used to deliver oxygen. Numerous creatures have had genes encoding these compounds introduced into them.

The enzyme firefly luciferase has medical applications, particularly in the detection of magnesium or ATP, and it is also utilized in forensics. The "cold light" that fireflies emit lacks both ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths. The light has wavelengths ranging from 510 to 670 nanometers and can be yellow, green, or pale red.

Since ponies are nocturnal animals, only males have this luminous tail, which is used to entice ladies at night. The firefly-tailed ponies may reach a top speed of around 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), similar to Arabian horses. However, because they are elusive in herds or unison, they are not as swift as wild horses in short or long sprints.

This species' kicks, like those of horses, can produce a lot of force; measurements have shown impacts of up to 9,000 Newtons, which is the same as being struck by a small automobile or having double the force of a heavyweight boxing punch. A kick is a potentially deadly accident because of the serious injuries that can result from this intense impact, which include bruises, facial fractures, skull fractures, and catastrophic internal injuries.

• Regrowth: When you dispose of horse manure, it's waste unless all of the following apply: it is used as soil fertilizer. it is used lawfully for spreading on clearly identified pieces of agricultural land and in grassland.

With non-horse species like feral dogs, the firefly-tailed pony naturally respects its meal. Honeyguides or birds of prey then tell them to locate the prey by staring and aiming for a response. As a grazing mammal, the firefly-tailed pony eats any kind of grass or crop plant.

When fireflies search for an ordered honeyguide and return to their bacterially coated tail, their bioluminescence is detected. The next step is for feral goats to dig up the roots of wheat or mosses by whistling. Firefly-tailed ponies are known for social distancing because they may be heard groaning from a distance from their adversaries or rivals, or they can call on their supporters to assist their master on their own initiative.

They live in three groups, though, unlike horses and zebras: solitary or living alone to find a mate before forming their own "group," "audience," and "social distancing," which is different from equine behavior. After escaping from their groups, they now communicate with other non-ponies for their own and develop natural mutualism.

The pony has a high level of intelligence and is naturally calm, kind, curious, and affectionate. They are independent and a little stubborn. Because it has not ceded its freedom to man in return for food and care, unlike domesticated ponies, the pony tends to rely more on its own assessment of a situation than to let its master make decisions for it. Horses are often quite gregarious and curious animals. Nonetheless, it is essential to be able to interpret their basic body language cues before approaching due to their size and fear-based behavior. Compared to dogs, horses exhibit more subtle cues, such as wagging tails to show friendliness and enjoyment.

In contrast to tamed horses, wild ponies obey instincts that enable them adapt to their surroundings and thrive in natural herds in wetlands. A dominating stallion, a number of mares, and their offspring of wild ponies lead their tiny groups. Clearing the hierarchy and minimizing conflict are goals of the dominating leader. While the stallion provides protection, mares frequently choose where the herd goes or grazes.

The pony was always on the move, occasionally covering many kilometers in pursuit of food, water, and even fireflies. For their own kind, Firefly-tailed Ponies have a variety of sounds and gestures, such as whinnies, neighs, and snorts, which can be used to express panic, greeting, reassurance, aggression, calmness, or alertness.

Similar to farm and wild horses, these wild ponies form close-knit herd bunches, with some mares and stallions pursuing predators while mares and foals run away.

Threats

• Overhunting.

• Livestock competition.

• Habitat loss.

• Harsh winters and droughts.

• Genetic bottleneck from near extinction.

• Capture for zoos during the early 20th century.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Endangered (EN)

Conservation Efforts

• Habitat protection.

• Anti-poaching enforcement.

• Rescue and rehabilitation centers.

• Awareness campaigns against illegal pet trade.

The pony's natural habitat was Sawintir, which included subtropical, Mediterranean, and tropical savanna areas. Around the 1800s, Sawintiran humans (the Basques and Picts thrived in this realm) and fairies brought it to Earth and dispersed it throughout Afro-Eurasia. In order to work and cultivate, individuals from Earth were also brought to Berbania, Reinachos, and Thatrollwa by the 2700s.

• Movement Pattern: Full Migrant

• Individual Type: Solo/Herd

• Population Trend: 

  • Earth: Stable

  • Berbania: Unspecifc

  • Reinachos: Stable

  • Sawintir: Decreasing

• Population: 

  • Earth: 1,000

  • Berbania: 50,000

  • Reinachos: 200,000

  • Delphia: 500,000

  • Sawintir: 450,000

• Locomotion: Terrestrial

• Habitat: Tundra; Taiga; Montane Grasslands and Shrublands; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests; Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mountain.

• Earth: 

  • Extant & Introduced (Resident): Andorra; Albania; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; China; Croatia; Czechia; Denmark; Estonia; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iran; Ireland; Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Netherlands; North Macedonia; Norway; Pakistan; Poland; Romania; Russia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Tunisia; Turkey; United Kingdom; Ukraine

Equids, unlike other animals and beings, do not require feeding. It's easy to tame because all you have to do is hop on its back. While it may buck you off a couple of times at first, if you stay persistent, you'll have the equid under control in no time. If you're lucky, you'll be able to tame it all at once.

The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature, Eohippus, into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began domesticating horses around 4000 BC, and their domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BC known as domesticated horse. Although some sources claim that it was not a genuine wild horse due to its resemblance to domesticated horses.

In Southern Europe, perhaps as early as antiquity, the human-caused extinction of wild horses in Europe began. Although the hunt for wild horses dates back to the Paleolithic, many cultures throughout history relied heavily on horse meat as a source of protein. The expanding human population on the Eurasian landmass continuously reduced the tarpan's range because they are large herbivores. Because wild horses frequently stole domestic mares from pastures and damaged hay stores, they were also targeted. Farmers also suffered financial losses as a result of interbreeding with wild horses because the resulting foals were difficult to raise. The tarpan became extinct in the wild in 1879, due to hunting, and in 1909 the last captive horse died in Russia.

Beginning in the 1930s, several attempts were made to develop horses that looked like tarpans through selective breeding, called "breeding back" by advocates. The breeds that resulted included the Heck horse, the Hegardt or Stroebel's horse, and a derivation of the Konik breed, all of which have a primitive appearance, particularly in having the grullo coat colour. Some of these horses are now commercially promoted as "tarpans". However, those who study the history of the ancient wild horse consider the word "tarpan" to describe only the true wild horse.

• Coming soon

2019-2020 Renders

• Navajo: Ałchiní łį́į́ʼ

• Coming soon

• https://www.deviantart.com/ognimdo2002/art/Firefly-tailed-Pony-845450557

• https://www.deviantart.com/ognimdo2002/art/Firefly-tailed-Pony-2021-879562692

• https://www.deviantart.com/ognimdo2002/art/Firefly-tailed-Pony-2025-1239651352