Sniptail

Description

Graceful, cunning, elusive, rare: all words often used to describe Sniptails. They might be a small Bird Sorkogan but they’ve made a huge impact since their arrival to the Kelevas, quickly establishing themselves as a silent but effective predator. Naturally, they’ve migrated toward the mountains and colder areas of the continent which reflect their native habitat’s climate and work to compliment their snowy coats. These do more than just look good: as the Sniptails’ feathers are so velvety that they barely make a sound as they soar through the air.

Their diminutive size may make them appear nonthreatening but they are alarmingly effective predators, able to bring down prey several times their own bodyweight. Upon the wing they can reach considerable speeds as they dive (50 mph) which allow them to deliver punches that can daze or even concuss their prey. Upon the ground they’re no less capable as their robust limbs allow for a steady gait (30 mph) in pursuit of a meal. Speed is everything to a Sniptail—if they can’t catch it within the first few seconds they won’t get fed. Once they’ve caught prey their sharp claws ensure it cannot escape while their serrated beaks do the work of butchering it.

Sniptails primarily feed on animals that look quite similar to them, particularly rabbits. As most of their prey hides it’s key to their survival to pinpoint where they are: fortunately, much like the rabbits they eat, their pair of swivelling ears allows them to isolate noises between the rustling of leaves and the snuffling of their next meal. Once food is secured they may eat the entire carcass even if they cannot digest the bones and fur, both of which are gagged up as pelts or used to make a fluffy downing for their eggs.

Drawn by PeachDayss

Type: Critter

Life expectancy: 30 years

Height: 7"—11" inch. [17—28 cm.]
· Legnth: 1'0"—1'6" ft. [30—45 cm.]
· Wingspan: 3'0"—3'8" ft. [0,9—1,11 m.]

Weight: 5—10 lbs. [2,2—4,5 kg.]

Biome(s): Multi-regional (mountains, evergreens...)

Tameable: Yes

Behaviour

Unnervingly intelligent, they can masterfully adapt to almost any situational advantage and coordinate in complete silence. Some have been seen using cliffs to herd prey they otherwise couldn’t bring down to a plummeting doom; others using the bristling of their blackened feathers to convey intent; and others expressing remarkably readable emotion by positioning their ears to their owners’ glee. Indeed many Sniptail live a double life as a half-wild, half-domestic pet: leaving their residences to hunt amongst the wilderness returning in time for their nightly feed.

In the wild Sniptails live in pairs managing a small territory, hunting cooperatively during dawn and dusk when their prey is most active. They avoid the night as without clear vision they're vulnerable to predators. Their preferences pull them toward forested areas where hollows in trees provide the perfect place to nest and wait out the darkness. Pairs raise clutches every few years, taking turns to brood the eggs while the other hunts.

Tame Sniptails are not so different from their wild brethren only that they find roosts in their master’s abodes. With appropriate equipment they can be taught to hunt on command—making them popular amongst falconers, messengers, and aristocrats alike. Given their non-native presence in Keleva, most Sniptails are of this category, though they will not remain so if they are maltreated; proper care will allow them to form close affectionate bonds with their masters lest they return to the wild in a feral state

History

Originating from a distant land, their importation is one of mystery. It’s thought they’ve been here since the Unearthing of the Dwarves but exactly why or even how remains unknown. It is evident however that their arrival has had degrading effects: some creatures who are found amongst the bone beds of these lands are no longer represented by living individuals—wiped out around the same time as the Sniptail’s supposed arrival date.

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