Snow Wolves

Snow Wolves are a large domesticated canine descended from Winter Wolves and Common Wolves (or sometimes domestic dogs) to produce a highly intelligent guard and companion animal. The species is noted for its ability to understand complex spoken instructions and its icy breath, the latter of which is typical of the larger and more dangerous Winter Wolves of the Daggerjaw. Prices for Snow Wolf pups tend to be high as they are specially bred by the druids of the region to protect their circles, although there have been reported cases of the species running feral in the High Forest.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Snow Wolves are typically much larger than Common Wolves, being almost as large as the semi-sapient Winter Wolves they descend from. They are almost exclusively white in colouration, giving them plenty of natural camouflage in wintery conditions, and their fur is dense with rough guard hairs covering a soft undercoat. They have a somewhat 'spiky' appearance around their hackles. The species tends to be big-boned and muscular with powerful looking shoulders and hind legs. Their eyes are almost always yellow in colour. Like Winter Wolves, Snow Wolves are capable of exhaling icy blasts of wind in powerful gusts from their mouths, giving them an extra form of self-defence.

Genetics and Reproduction

In a pack environment, Snow Wolves mate in much the same way as Common Wolves do, with an alpha male and alpha female being the exclusive breeders in the pack. The gestation period typically lasts 65-80 days, with pups being born in litters that range in size from four to six. 

Growth Rate & Stages

Snow Wolves grow at much the same rate as an ordinary wolf would, with a pup reaching adolescence at around 12-14 months old, and adulthood at two years. They reach sexual maturity shortly after this, and whilst females can breed up until their third decade, males can breed up until the point of old age. Like Winter Wolves, Snow Wolves have exceptionally long lifespans for a canine, living anywhere up to 50 years of age, and in some rare cases slightly longer - proof of their magical heritage.

Ecology and Habitats

Like their name suggests, Snow Wolves thrive in colder environments, feeling particularly at home in the mountains. It is not uncommon for the species to prefer sleeping outside when it snows, completely burying themselves under snow drifts to revel in the chill. They can, however, tolerate warmer climes so long as they are given ready access to water.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Snow Wolves are omnivorous but prefer meat. In packs they are capable of hunting like their wolf ancestors, but they display a cunning in their tactics and perhaps even enjoyment of the chase that is closer to that of their Winter Wolf kin, minus the wanton violence. 

Biological Cycle

Feral Snow Wolves tend to retreat to the mountains during the spring and summer months, whereas in the winter they expand their territory down into the foothills and the forests. 

Additional Information

Domestication

Snow Wolves have been domesticated for a number of purposes, but the principal reason is to have a hyper-intelligent animal capable of guarding its master. For the druids who keep them, they use them to protect their circles as a whole, whereas other people find that the species is a good guardian dog for their family (particularly children), as well as their home and livestock. The underrated aspect of a Snow Wolf is its personality; when bonded with someone or a group of people, the wolf is a loyal and loving friend that many an owner has likened to being more like a person than an animal.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Snow Wolves are usually distributed around central and northern Anuan, with a particular concentration of the animals being in the Daggerjaw Mountains and the High Forest. However, examples of the species have been kept domestically elsewhere, especially in the Eastern Isles.

Average Intelligence

A Snow Wolf's greatest feature is its intelligence, which although isn't quite on par with their Winter Wolf kin, is still very astute. They are capable of understanding almost every word someone says to them, including complex commands, and anything they don't know they will go out of their way to learn. Unlike Winter Wolves, however, they are not capable of speech. Snow Wolves also exhibit a keen awareness of emotions, especially in others but also in themselves, and their grasp of morality and ethics is almost supernatural for a creature that looks to be nothing more than a powerful beast.  

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

A Snow Wolf's hearing and sense of smell is particularly acute, perhaps even more so than that of an ordinary wolf's, and their eyesight is unique among canines for being in full colour and quite sharp. They are known for their ability to sense the emotions and thoughts of others, especially those they are bonded with, and their intelligence makes them good companions for those who are suffering.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Winter Wolves

Scientific Name

Canis lupus nix

Origin/Ancestry

Winter Wolves (Canis lupus hiems); Common Wolves (Canis lupus);

Lifespan

~50 years

Conservation Status

Domesticated (with a small feral population)

Average Height

1.0 - 1.2 metres at the shoulder

Average Weight

90 - 120kg

Average Length

1.8 - 2.2 metres from nose-to-tail

Geographic Distribution

• Daggerjaw Mountains
• High Forest