Plowbeasts

I grew up on a farm, surrounded by plowbeasts, always doing labour and constantly reproducing so that they could be used for clothing, meat, and milk. I used to wonder what they were like in the wild and if they were different biologically in any way. I became a researcher to find these answers. The answer was that they were quite vicious and that they had subspecies, a discovery which I am proud of, though ultimately it doesn't matter anyways.

- the guy who discovered that there were subspecies

Basic Information

Anatomy

Quadrapedal beasts, approximately the size of a cow with intensely canine features. Long snout with star teeth and a maine. A coat of short and soft fur, usually between brown and white in colouration but is occasionally grey or black in the mountainous subspecies. Equipped with claws on front and hind legs and a tail that curls inwards to the body. Females have small udders and males have two extra back teeth on the upper row of their mouths. Extended shoulder blades that got them their name, perfect for tying a plow to.

Genetics and Reproduction

Standard male/female reproduction. Pregnancy lasts ~40 days before a calf is born. Calves reach sexual maturity at 8-9 years old in females and 10-12 in males. From these ages males and females seek each other out and will breed on sight of another fertile plowbeast of the opposite sex. They go past their sexual prime around the age of 60, but can still reproduce up to 80.

Growth Rate & Stages

Calves are born unable to walk and must be cared for by their mothers for 2 months before they can get up on 4 legs. As they grow they become less and less dependant and (in the wild) separate from their mothers around the age of 7. Their bodies grow in similar stages to humans, starting put with constant growing, than having it slightly drop off and having it come right back up again with puberty, lasting until, in this case, the 24th year of the lives of both males and females. They die around their 110th year.

Ecology and Habitats

The natural habitat is forests, plains, and the lower reaches of mountains depending on the subspecies, but all subspecies can survive pretty much anywhere outside of a desert. They prefer places where they can hunt, but as omnivores can survive as long as they have food, the forest dwelling subspecies being a perfect example as it is almost a herbivore.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They are omnivorous and require a very small amount of food daily relative to their mass, about 1.5 times the amount a normal human needs to survive. Most subspecies prefer meats over vegetables and hunt in packs, but the forest subspecies is nearly a herbivore and the domesticated variants are usually given more plants than they are meats. They hunt on their own after the age of 7 and rely on surprising prey and mauling them because they are typically too slow to catch anything when it's running.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

All 5 basic senses, with a heightened sense of hearing and a lesser sense of smell.