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Description
Common Name: Shunka Warakin
Scientific Name: Canecfero Maculosus

Height: 66 in to 78 in tall at the shoulder
Weight: 750 lbs to 1,200 lbs
Defining Features: Small round tufted ears, small pupilless eyes (usually red, brown or golden in color, though blue, gray and green eyes are not unheard of), powerful short limbs, long flexible torso, long curved dull claws for digging and climbing, able to leap horizontally up to 500 feet in a single bound
Physical Description: Shunka Warakin are a large carnivorous species of mammal native to dense forested areas, swamps and river deltas, anywhere that has adequate places to duck and hide their large, low slung bodies. They are a powerful species, known more for their sheer brute strength than for their agility or speed. They can manage short bursts of intense acceleration, but these are short sprints, used only to run down prey at close range or to briefly escape from a threat. After only a few hundred feet, they start to tire, but at a more casual pace, they can keep moving for some time. Their thick bodies are covered in a coat of long, coarse fur that is somewhat rough and scratchy to the touch. It protects them from debris as they move through thick underbrush and shakes off water, dirt and grime very efficiently. This coat of theirs comes in a wide variety of shades, most of which are some shade of brown or black, but breeding in captivity has introduced some lighter colors, such as tans and creams. Supposedly, they do occasionally come in white, both in the wild and in captivity, but this is extremely rare and to own a white shunka warakin is supposed to be a symbol of elite status. Most shunka warakin have white markings on them somewhere, usually focused on the feet, chest and sometimes the face, but their white patterning can spread to cover almost the entire body in some cases. These white markings are also commonly covered in spots, called "ticking", which helps to break it up and hide them more efficiently in the thick brush of their hunting grounds. Their bodies are long, the torso thick and muscular but also flexible and supple with a long spring like spine that gives them the ability to jump huge distances when combined with their powerful thighs and hind legs. They feature a long furry tail that acts as a rudder to steer when cornering at high speed, and though they are not very fast, they are extremely flexible and very agile. Their long, thick bodies are capped by a short but extremely muscular neck and a large blocky head. Their faces are dominated by their thick drooping muzzles and a large nose with wide nostrils, completely designed to find scent trails in their vegetation heavy territories. Their large mouths are full of rounded dull teeth designed to crush bone rather than to cut, slice or rend, and they can take huge chunks of meat out of their prey with each snap. They hunt by leaping onto the backs of prey, grabbing the skull in their jaws and literally crushing it, which means they have an incredibly powerful bite that is fueled by their large cheeks and well muscled heads. Their skulls are topped by a pair of short, rounded ears which feature little tufts at the tips, believed to be part of their communication with each other. The ears are highly mobile and used to display the warakin's mood, it's believed that the tufts at the end simply make them more easily visible to other warakin. They have small, pupilless eyes that are designed for low-light situations, during the day they are virtually blind and it doesn't get any better in darkness, so they navigate primarily through their sense of smell and though a heat sensing patch of skin at the front of their muzzles.

Distribution: Dense forests, swamps, river deltas
Habitat: Shunka warakin live in dense wooded areas, particular around or near rivers and lakes, areas where there are a lot of places to hide and ambush prey. They are a shy, reclusive species and tend to avoid areas with too much traffic or activity, so they don't venture near to the city very often and instead will generally keep to themselves. They rely on trees, which they can climb by jumping from limb to limb (at least those that are thick enough to hold their weight, they don't climb very high), to keep them safe at night from their rival species the shadow wolf. So they spend their nights sleeping in the crooks of large oak trees or lounging at the tops of large, precarious rock formations.

Classification: Scavenger/Predator
Diet: Loose carnivore, will eat roots, figs, mushrooms and berries when food becomes scarce. They are notorious for stealing and eating the young of other animals, particularly shadow wolf pups. They will also sometimes cannibalize the cubs of other shunka warakin, to ensure that their own young have the best chance of survival and can hog all of the resources. They have also been known to attack and eat children when the opportunity prevents itself.
Danger: Moderate. They're cautious and intelligent creatures, so they are usually smart enough to leave cats alone. Once they have a bad experience with one, they never forget it. So cats aren't usually on the menu, but they will defend themselves if backed into a corner and will fight to defend their cubs or a densight.

Life Cycle: Shunka warakin are loners that only come together to mate and that's it, they spend the rest of their time living alone in large, sprawling territories. Males will often claim territory that encompasses the territory of several females, and he will mate with them all during the spring, when the shunka warakin go into estrus. Though incredibly intelligent creatures with clever minds and complex behaviors, courtship is actually kept rather simple for them. The male doesn't usually have to do much of anything to win a female's affections, sometimes she will have him follow her for a day or two to test his determination, and often times the male will visit her with a carcass to further persuade her into allowing him to mate with her. But the whole affair is often short and simple, a few days of him shadowing her is often enough. They'll mate several times over the course of about a week and then the male returns to his own territory to seek out other females to mate with. A female may mate with several males over the course of a month, depending on how dense the population is. If they succeed, she will be pregnant for about six months, at the end of which she will give birth to anywhere between two and five cubs. Cubs are born fairly large and independent, able to hear and smell within days of being born. Their eyes remained closed for about a month, and it's usually two months before they can walk, run and move around competently, but after only a few months, the cubs develop enough skills to follow their mother on hunts and to play outside of the den. They begin to eat solid food at about four months old. The cubs will stay with their mother in her territory for about eighteen months, at which point they start to drift away from her almost subconsciously. Males move away sooner than females, the drive to mate moving them farther and farther from her watchful eye, but females will often remain in their mother's territory until they reach physical maturity at age two. Then they too move away and the cycle begins anew. Shunka warakin don't stop growing until they are four years old, with five years old being considered their physical prime. They can live to be almost thirty years old in the wild, with males having the shorter lifespan due to combat that may occur over females during mating season. Captive shunka warakin can live even longer, some reaching fifty but thirty to forty years is the average life span.

Behavior: Shunka warakin are a loner species that does not live in groups. Instead, they claim territory alone, hunt alone and raise their cubs on their own. They are large and powerful creatures that have no difficulty taking down large prey when they need to, but gluttonous and nonspecific about their diet, they will eat almost anything that will fit in their mouths. This includes the kills of other animals, which they frequently steal and scavenge off of, they only do about 40% of their hunting themselves. Not many creatures can stand up to their massive size, their incredible physical power or their stubborn, aloof attitudes, so they have an easy time picking off of the kills of other animals, especially shadow wolves, with whom they compete for territory and space. Shunka warakin are notorious for killing and eating the cubs of other animals, but shadow wolves in particular are a favorite for them as the wolves are their only serious competition. They will also cannibalize the cubs of other warakin, if the cubs are left unattended for long. Males in particular like to eat each other's cubs as, once the litter is lost the female will be more likely to go into heat again, and the intruding male can then breed with her and bare his own children. They are not above or below savaging graveyards either, using their sheer strength and long claws to dig up remains. They have also been known to pick off kittens that wander too deeply into the woods unattended. Though they will sometimes stoop to eating cats, it's unlikely as they prefer quiet, secluded areas to call home. Most shunka warakin have had poor run ins with cats, so the species as a whole has become reclusive and avoidant, keeping their distance from cats and their homes and leaving most towns and villages free of their terror. But shunka warakin are extremely intelligent animals with an impeccable memory that does not fade with time. Some that are wronged, attacked by cats or have had family and loved ones killed by hunters will go on a cat-eating rampage that can be incredibly dangerous. Wild shunka warakin are not to be taken lightly. They morn their dead, understand that cats can be enemies and dangerous foes, and they will fight back if cornered or crossed in any way. Despite this tendency to sometimes turn into man-eaters, they make loving laid-back companions. They form intense bonds with their handlers that they never forget and are difficult to break, once one has befriended a shunka warakin, it is said to be a friend for life. They do well in captivity, smart enough to understand the glorious benefit to having someone to bring you food every night, and are somewhat easy to tame and train. They are gluttons for food and will do almost anything to be rewarded with such, from basic riding training to complex stunts and trick shows. They do not do well with other pets though, that same gluttony can spur them to hunt the other animals in the house and their intense bond with their owner can lead to jealousy issues if another pet is trying to take all of the attention. They definitely do not get along with shadow wolves, putting a shunka warakin in the same home as a shadow wolf is like throwing water on a grease fire, it tends to blow up spectacularly. The two species are on a kill on sight basis with one another, even having them pass in the street can be dangerous if either animal is not well controlled. Fortunately, shunka warakin that were bred in captivity are more used to the presence of shadow wolves than wild ones would be. It is highly recommended to seek out a breeder of shunka warakin rather than going out and taming a wild one. Domesticated warakin are more relaxed and easier to train, but they can be prone to weight related health problems such as diabetes and joint issues that can develop if the warakin is allowed to eat itself into obesity. Maintaining a healthy diet to avoid excess body fat is crucial to caring for one of these animals.

Tamable: Yes. Wild ones are more stubborn and aloof, while domesticated individuals bred in captivity are more relaxed and laid-back, even a little lazy.
Ridable: Yes. They are typically ridden with square blocky saddles that sit across the top of the shoulders.

(( My descriptions are terrible and I'm sorry. I was trying to get across that they have the intelligence of elephants and the leaping and climbing abilities of a mountain lion, if that clarifies anything for anyone. They can't really "climb" trees so much as they simply jump into low-hanging branches, they are adept jumpers. Kind of like lions and bears, they're too heavy to just straight up climb, but it's enough to escape most of life's minor annoyances. ))

Description
Common Name: Shunka Warakin
Scientific Name: Canecfero Maculosus

Height: 66 in to 78 in tall at the shoulder
Weight: 750 lbs to 1,200 lbs
Defining Features: Small round tufted ears, small pupilless eyes (usually red, brown or golden in color, though blue, gray and green eyes are not unheard of), powerful short limbs, long flexible torso, long curved dull claws for digging and climbing, able to leap horizontally up to 500 feet in a single bound
Physical Description: Shunka Warakin are a large carnivorous species of mammal native to dense forested areas, swamps and river deltas, anywhere that has adequate places to duck and hide their large, low slung bodies. They are a powerful species, known more for their sheer brute strength than for their agility or speed. They can manage short bursts of intense acceleration, but these are short sprints, used only to run down prey at close range or to briefly escape from a threat. After only a few hundred feet, they start to tire, but at a more casual pace, they can keep moving for some time. Their thick bodies are covered in a coat of long, coarse fur that is somewhat rough and scratchy to the touch. It protects them from debris as they move through thick underbrush and shakes off water, dirt and grime very efficiently. This coat of theirs comes in a wide variety of shades, most of which are some shade of brown or black, but breeding in captivity has introduced some lighter colors, such as tans and creams. Supposedly, they do occasionally come in white, both in the wild and in captivity, but this is extremely rare and to own a white shunka warakin is supposed to be a symbol of elite status. Most shunka warakin have white markings on them somewhere, usually focused on the feet, chest and sometimes the face, but their white patterning can spread to cover almost the entire body in some cases. These white markings are also commonly covered in spots, called "ticking", which helps to break it up and hide them more efficiently in the thick brush of their hunting grounds. Their bodies are long, the torso thick and muscular but also flexible and supple with a long spring like spine that gives them the ability to jump huge distances when combined with their powerful thighs and hind legs. They feature a long furry tail that acts as a rudder to steer when cornering at high speed, and though they are not very fast, they are extremely flexible and very agile. Their long, thick bodies are capped by a short but extremely muscular neck and a large blocky head. Their faces are dominated by their thick drooping muzzles and a large nose with wide nostrils, completely designed to find scent trails in their vegetation heavy territories. Their large mouths are full of rounded dull teeth designed to crush bone rather than to cut, slice or rend, and they can take huge chunks of meat out of their prey with each snap. They hunt by leaping onto the backs of prey, grabbing the skull in their jaws and literally crushing it, which means they have an incredibly powerful bite that is fueled by their large cheeks and well muscled heads. Their skulls are topped by a pair of short, rounded ears which feature little tufts at the tips, believed to be part of their communication with each other. The ears are highly mobile and used to display the warakin's mood, it's believed that the tufts at the end simply make them more easily visible to other warakin. They have small, pupilless eyes that are designed for low-light situations, during the day they are virtually blind and it doesn't get any better in darkness, so they navigate primarily through their sense of smell and though a heat sensing patch of skin at the front of their muzzles.

Distribution: Dense forests, swamps, river deltas
Habitat: Shunka warakin live in dense wooded areas, particular around or near rivers and lakes, areas where there are a lot of places to hide and ambush prey. They are a shy, reclusive species and tend to avoid areas with too much traffic or activity, so they don't venture near to the city very often and instead will generally keep to themselves. They rely on trees, which they can climb by jumping from limb to limb (at least those that are thick enough to hold their weight, they don't climb very high), to keep them safe at night from their rival species the shadow wolf. So they spend their nights sleeping in the crooks of large oak trees or lounging at the tops of large, precarious rock formations.

Classification: Scavenger/Predator
Diet: Loose carnivore, will eat roots, figs, mushrooms and berries when food becomes scarce. They are notorious for stealing and eating the young of other animals, particularly shadow wolf pups. They will also sometimes cannibalize the cubs of other shunka warakin, to ensure that their own young have the best chance of survival and can hog all of the resources. They have also been known to attack and eat children when the opportunity prevents itself.
Danger: Moderate. They're cautious and intelligent creatures, so they are usually smart enough to leave cats alone. Once they have a bad experience with one, they never forget it. So cats aren't usually on the menu, but they will defend themselves if backed into a corner and will fight to defend their cubs or a densight.

Life Cycle: Shunka warakin are loners that only come together to mate and that's it, they spend the rest of their time living alone in large, sprawling territories. Males will often claim territory that encompasses the territory of several females, and he will mate with them all during the spring, when the shunka warakin go into estrus. Though incredibly intelligent creatures with clever minds and complex behaviors, courtship is actually kept rather simple for them. The male doesn't usually have to do much of anything to win a female's affections, sometimes she will have him follow her for a day or two to test his determination, and often times the male will visit her with a carcass to further persuade her into allowing him to mate with her. But the whole affair is often short and simple, a few days of him shadowing her is often enough. They'll mate several times over the course of about a week and then the male returns to his own territory to seek out other females to mate with. A female may mate with several males over the course of a month, depending on how dense the population is. If they succeed, she will be pregnant for about six months, at the end of which she will give birth to anywhere between two and five cubs. Cubs are born fairly large and independent, able to hear and smell within days of being born. Their eyes remained closed for about a month, and it's usually two months before they can walk, run and move around competently, but after only a few months, the cubs develop enough skills to follow their mother on hunts and to play outside of the den. They begin to eat solid food at about four months old. The cubs will stay with their mother in her territory for about eighteen months, at which point they start to drift away from her almost subconsciously. Males move away sooner than females, the drive to mate moving them farther and farther from her watchful eye, but females will often remain in their mother's territory until they reach physical maturity at age two. Then they too move away and the cycle begins anew. Shunka warakin don't stop growing until they are four years old, with five years old being considered their physical prime. They can live to be almost thirty years old in the wild, with males having the shorter lifespan due to combat that may occur over females during mating season. Captive shunka warakin can live even longer, some reaching fifty but thirty to forty years is the average life span.

Behavior: Shunka warakin are a loner species that does not live in groups. Instead, they claim territory alone, hunt alone and raise their cubs on their own. They are large and powerful creatures that have no difficulty taking down large prey when they need to, but gluttonous and nonspecific about their diet, they will eat almost anything that will fit in their mouths. This includes the kills of other animals, which they frequently steal and scavenge off of, they only do about 40% of their hunting themselves. Not many creatures can stand up to their massive size, their incredible physical power or their stubborn, aloof attitudes, so they have an easy time picking off of the kills of other animals, especially shadow wolves, with whom they compete for territory and space. Shunka warakin are notorious for killing and eating the cubs of other animals, but shadow wolves in particular are a favorite for them as the wolves are their only serious competition. They will also cannibalize the cubs of other warakin, if the cubs are left unattended for long. Males in particular like to eat each other's cubs as, once the litter is lost the female will be more likely to go into heat again, and the intruding male can then breed with her and bare his own children. They are not above or below savaging graveyards either, using their sheer strength and long claws to dig up remains. They have also been known to pick off kittens that wander too deeply into the woods unattended. Though they will sometimes stoop to eating cats, it's unlikely as they prefer quiet, secluded areas to call home. Most shunka warakin have had poor run ins with cats, so the species as a whole has become reclusive and avoidant, keeping their distance from cats and their homes and leaving most towns and villages free of their terror. But shunka warakin are extremely intelligent animals with an impeccable memory that does not fade with time. Some that are wronged, attacked by cats or have had family and loved ones killed by hunters will go on a cat-eating rampage that can be incredibly dangerous. Wild shunka warakin are not to be taken lightly. They morn their dead, understand that cats can be enemies and dangerous foes, and they will fight back if cornered or crossed in any way. Despite this tendency to sometimes turn into man-eaters, they make loving laid-back companions. They form intense bonds with their handlers that they never forget and are difficult to break, once one has befriended a shunka warakin, it is said to be a friend for life. They do well in captivity, smart enough to understand the glorious benefit to having someone to bring you food every night, and are somewhat easy to tame and train. They are gluttons for food and will do almost anything to be rewarded with such, from basic riding training to complex stunts and trick shows. They do not do well with other pets though, that same gluttony can spur them to hunt the other animals in the house and their intense bond with their owner can lead to jealousy issues if another pet is trying to take all of the attention. They definitely do not get along with shadow wolves, putting a shunka warakin in the same home as a shadow wolf is like throwing water on a grease fire, it tends to blow up spectacularly. The two species are on a kill on sight basis with one another, even having them pass in the street can be dangerous if either animal is not well controlled. Fortunately, shunka warakin that were bred in captivity are more used to the presence of shadow wolves than wild ones would be. It is highly recommended to seek out a breeder of shunka warakin rather than going out and taming a wild one. Domesticated warakin are more relaxed and easier to train, but they can be prone to weight related health problems such as diabetes and joint issues that can develop if the warakin is allowed to eat itself into obesity. Maintaining a healthy diet to avoid excess body fat is crucial to caring for one of these animals.

Tamable: Yes. Wild ones are more stubborn and aloof, while domesticated individuals bred in captivity are more relaxed and laid-back, even a little lazy.
Ridable: Yes. They are typically ridden with square blocky saddles that sit across the top of the shoulders.

(( My descriptions are terrible and I'm sorry. I was trying to get across that they have the intelligence of elephants and the leaping and climbing abilities of a mountain lion, if that clarifies anything for anyone. They can't really "climb" trees so much as they simply jump into low-hanging branches, they are adept jumpers. Kind of like lions and bears, they're too heavy to just straight up climb, but it's enough to escape most of life's minor annoyances. ))