Lagoras
Lagoras are a widespread large rabbit-like creature roughly the size of an Ox depending on the breed with even larger fur coats. There are a great many breeds all quite different from each other but they do share common traits. Many farms specialize in raising these large creatures particularly in Rhyderia and Ursand where their fur and meat are highly valued. Lagoras have two layers of fur, a thin coat that resides just around the body that is at most an inch thick, the rest of their fur is the second coat that produces the wool and helps them endure winter and predators. In Rhyderia the fur is often woven into horse blankets, clothes, and saddle padding, it works as a good substitute to wool with the Lagoras producing a large amount of woolen fur even above something from their size, the meat of the Lagoras is mostly lean except for the stomach area and the thighs which have a favorable amount of fat which makes them the favored meat of many if prepared right as it is best served rare to medium-rare, anything after that the meat becomes very tough.
Basic Information
Anatomy
A full-grown Lagoras can weight in at 2,000 pounds with some females reaching 2,400 pounds, their skeletal and muscular structure resembles a rabbit with much denser bones and much larger. They have two stomachs which are referred to like the slow and fast stomachs, the fast stomach is roughly half the size of the slow stomach and digests things very quickly with an extremely fast metabolism giving easy access to bursts of energy when needed, when this smaller stomach is full anything excess goes into the slow stomach and is slowly digested, with some material going back to the fast stomach as needed. Should a Lagoras eat something like an apple that begins to ferment the creature can eventually become drunk as a result.
Ecology and Habitats
With the different breeds, there are different optimal environments, those raised in Ursand and Hammerock have even thicker fur coats which can make them desirable beasts of burden there as once it is time to camp they can be laid on and the fur used as a blanket and pillow sharing the warmth of the creature as well.
In general, a Lagoras will eat a large amount in the morning after they wake up to fill their slow stomach and from there they often travel in search of water or more delectable sources of food, such as vegetables and fruits. It is not uncommon to come across a herd of drunken Lagoras if they have wandered near an orchard or group of natural fruit trees, this is even more common in Hammerock as in some places a Feed-beer exists as an alternate method of feeding such creatures.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The Lagoras is a herbivore that also greatly enjoys fruits and vegetables when they can get them, each morning they attempt to fill their secondary (slow) stomach to give them the energy for a casual day with random bursts of energy from their faster stomach digesting something.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Each herd has a Matron and Patriarch they are the oldest mated pair, these two seem to be the ones who choose where a herd goes and when. Despite having mating pairs that they prefer to spend their time with they will breed with other Lagoras if the opportunity presents itself.
Much of the day after their basic eating requirements are met is spent trying to keep their fur clean and at least partially straight, it isn't uncommon to see a group of Lagoras in a circle running their forepaws through the fur of another trying to brush out debris and brush the other's fur.
Domestication
Domestication was a joint effort between the Halflings and Ozari very early in the history of Rhyderia where the species originated and has since spread to most of Savorah. A mix of feeding wandering herds a mix of leaving out fermenting fruits such as apples out for a herd and when they were getting drunk approaching and offering vegetables and brushing the fur of the creatures eventually led to herds being happy to be in the presence of these people.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Some use them as beasts of burden though it isn't the best use of the creature as they movement often jostles loose anything they carry. The main purpose of the Lagoras is to get their woolen fur to turn into cloth and their meat.
Average Intelligence
Lagoras are not the most intelligent of creatures but they can be taught basic commands with enough training and incentive. They are able to determine family members and their owners whether they are nice to them or not. If the owner is nice to them they are treated like family and the Lagoras will often enjoy attempting to snuggle in against their owner, which can become an issue given their large size and thick fur. They love to be brushed, this often requires something more like a blunt rake than a hand brush.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Lagoras have an acute sense of hearing given the ability for their rabbit-like ears to pivot and rotate around which they often do when they are grazing. Aside from this there perception and sensory abilities are not remarkable.
Lifespan
20 years
Average Height
On average six feet at the shoulder
Average Weight
2,000 pounds
Average Length
Eight feet
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
The coloring and markings on the fur vary a great deal between breeds and how selective breeding has resulted in new patterns, the original patterns of the species had lines of contrasting fur color to give the impression that their fur is actually a thick set of armor not unlike a pangolin or armadillo, while the sheer amount of their fur does give some protection in addition to their size this appearance is just to try and dissuade predators.
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