Pocket Gryphon

Basic Information

Anatomy

Pocket gryphons are much like their dangerous, non-pocket-sized versions in their anatomy and physiology:

• Quadrapedal
• Two feathered wings
• An avian head
• Taloned or otherwise avian front paws
• A furred body with back paws and tail of some mammallian
• Consistency between the type of bird throughout and the type of mammal throughout

They are generally very light, as almost all varieties of pocket gryphon can fly. They tend to have muscular wings in order to lift the otherwise unavian body, but the mammallian body can be strong and muscular, lithe and trim, or any other body type a mammal can have.
The defining trait of a pocket gryphon is that it is, well, small. They don't have to be literally pocket-sized, but by definition a pocket gryphon is a cross of an avian with a small mammal and as such pocket gryphons are less than 3 feet in size and less than 75 pounds in weight. (The actual distribution of sizes is vast, with the smallest being the humming-bun coming in at a whopping 4 inches in height and 2.5 pounds.)

Genetics and Reproduction

Pocket gryphons are made by two different means: reproduction or magical inception.

Life, Uh, Finds a Way

It's not actually a mating free-for-all with pocket gryphons. They have genetic dependencies in order to create viable offspring:

• Only pocket gryphons of the same type can mate with each other and produce viable offspring. (For instance, one that was partially feline could not reproduce with one that was partially rodent or canine etc.)

• They do not have to be the same species, which is to say a squirrel-based pocket gryphon may mate with a chipmunk based one; in these cases, the young take after one parent or the other.

• Additionally, a child gryphon may take on the mammallian traits of either of its parents and the avian traits of either. Which is to say a pigeon-squirrel and sparrow-chipmunk could create little baby pigeon-squirrels and sparrow-chipmunks but also pigeon-chipmunks and sparrow-squirrels.

This is not to say that pocket gryphons only seek partners that produce viable offspring. Sometimes your sparrow-squirrel pocket gryphon decides they want a childfree life and gets themself a cardinal-cat girlfriend and you know what? That's just fine.

DIY is Only For Trained Professionals

Pocket gryphons are largely considered to have been a wizard's creation some time long ago, but it must have been a wizard's life work or the work of several wizards given the variety of species now. That said, some still practice the art(?) of creating more, though the practice is not widely talked about and can be frowned upon for both ethical reasons and "ugh, more gryphons?" reasons.
For those not trying to create a new breed, they generally find that chimerical experiments like those that create pocket gryphons are more stressful, cost-heavy, and time-consuming than it is to just...purchase a gryphon from a breeder.
There are dedicated pocket gryphon breeders that seek to manage new breeds, though usually breeders tend to stick to one or two breeds they specialize in and produce very good stock of these instead of trying to get creative. The vast majority of pocket gryphons a person will encounter were either bred in captivity or, uh, the natural way.

Growth Rate & Stages

Eggs

Pocket gryphons lay eggs, generally about the size of quail eggs (about 1.5 inches long, 1 inch wide) and the shape of a typical bird egg. These eggs come in clutches of 4-8 and have an incubation period of approximately 20 days (1 Ostellian month), regardless of the breed of gryphon. The egg may be slightly larger for the larger breeds, but generally the incubation time is still relatively predictable.

Hatchling

A baby pocket gryphon is known as a hatchling and is born hairless, largely featherless, with unopened eyes. They generally open their eyes around 7-10 days old, though any nightvision or other visual prowess comes much later; a hatchling is lucky to see from their nest to the next tree or rock until they're a few weeks old. They begin to grow downy fur and feathers much more quickly, sprouting preliminary growth in the first few days and looking like their expected juvenille form by the time their eyes have properly adjusted.
Hatchlings are dependent on their parents for food even after they learn to fly (something that depends on the type of avian species they are, as some birds have much more elaborate feather layers and structures to grow in, though typically all pocket gryphons learn to fly by 2 months or so). The parents may crack nuts, remove the hard exoskeleton of insects, or smash fruit for their young, though typically by the time they are growing their flight feathers, they phase out of this.

Juvenille

A pocket gryphon graduates from hatchling to juvenille when it is able to fly and find/catch its own food. It will still roost with its parents and siblings for some time; in cases where the nest becomes too crowded, the parents will assist their juvenilles in building a nest or series of nests to house the whole clutch.
A pocket gryphon remains a juvenille until it is ready to depart and build its own nest, travel, or seek a mate. (Usually this is around 6 months, but it could be up to a year and is largely based on an individual gryphon's personality and maturation rather than a developmental phase.)

Ecology and Habitats

Pocket gryphons vary a lot in their preferred environments, with some hating water and some craving it, some preferring high altitude and some being burrow lovers.
Overall, they tend to prefer a middle-of-the-road climate. Pocket gryphons tend to dislike the cold and become more sluggish during the winter, bedding down to a light hibernation where they're less into treats and flying and more into snuggling and being carried place to place. They pick up energy again as spring approaches. Some breeds also tend to dislike the heat, especially those with particularly thick fur; they may shed heavily going into summer and prefer swimming over flying. (Pocket gryphons don't have the ability to sweat, so they tend to pant like dogs or seek out shade, water, and dust baths to help cool down.)

Dietary Needs and Habits

Pocket gryphons are typically considered omnivorous, though there are different preferences based on what type of animalia the gryphon consists of. (This is especially true based on the talons and beak of the gryphon; nut-cracking birds tend to make nut-cracking gryphons, for instance.)
A well-known fact in the pocket gryphon keeper community (who call themselves "gryphies") is that almost every pocket gryphon loves chocolate and will gladly devour any you leave out. Even if the pocket gryphon is made of animals that should not have chocolate (such as a cat or dog), they'll still gladly (and safely) eat it. This fact alone is a big reason why you see so many rotund pocket gryphons.

Behaviour

Pocket gryphons tend to inherit the behavior and temperament of the animalia they are crossed with (whether bold, skittish, cuddly, or independent etc.). That said, bred pocket gryphons are usually bred for friendliness and as willing companions. Some can be bred or trained for specific tasks such as finding things, hunting small game, sending messages, or causing general mischief.
All pocket gryphons are territorial of their nests and their young and all breed see nest-sitting and hunting duties shared by both parents. (That said, there have been rare instances when a clutch of eggs of different mating couples were observed being shared in one central nest, where 2 or more gryphons would sit on the nest together while the other partners fed and protected all nest-sitters, not just their own partners.)
Other behavior such as courtship, mating practices and monogamy or polyamory, and the willingness to be a surrogate to eggs or young that are not their own vary by breed.
In the wild, pocket gryphons are known to either stay close to or always know where their birthplace was, and often migrate back to breed or pseudo-hibernate. The parents recognize their offspring and will generally welcome them back, sometimes even helping build a nest for their children. It is not uncommon to find a tree that hosts several generations of pocket gryphons within its hollows.

Additional Information

Domestication

Wild-born pocket gryphons tend to be much harder to domesticate than those bred from domestic stock, with many an aspiring parent losing a finger or even an eye from a well-placed talon or peck when they got too comfy around their furry-feathered friend. Pocket gryphons in captivity also tend to have weaker flight muscles and rounder bodies, but this is just because they have a comfier lifestyle and don't need to hunt, flee, and fly as often.

Average Intelligence

Pocket gryphons are known for being clever, though not terribly wise and sometimes not very smart. "Bird brain" is a common insult thrown around here, though in reality it's likely just as much because of their small mammal flightiness and short attention spans as it is anything to do with their avian minds. They're generally known to be charming, sweet little sillies.
That said, some can be taught to mimic speech, memorizing words and phrases and being able to apply the words to accurately describe the world around them. (Or, you know, curse creatively.) Others can be taught to do puzzles and tricks (especially those of a corvid variety) and all pocket gryphons remember faces at least enough to know those who were very kind (or very cruel) to them.
This is all to say nothing of their inherent social structures and communication with each other, which can be extremely complex and sophisticated.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The strength (or weakness) of a pocket gryphon depends largely upon what its two component animalia are. Some are extremely well-suited to flying, such as one of the largest breeds the alba-cat, and others may be suited to nocturnal vision, smelling something a mile away, or hearing intruders even while snoozing in a loud tavern.
In general, all pocket gryphons are known for being very sensitive to changing weather conditions such as air pressure, temperature changes, or humidity. For this reason, many ship captains will keep one to watch for storms and they've saved a household's clothes drying on a line from sudden rainstorms many times.

Lifespan

20 - 60 years, depending on the breed

Conservation Status

Abundant to the point of being considered a nuisance by some, though specific sub-breeds are rarer or more protected than others.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Often, pocket gryphons follow the avian rule of females being duller in color and males being showy and bright in plummage. This is not a rule, however, as their coloration is also impacted by the mammal they are crossed with. (Similarly, you cannot count on a specific gender always being larger or smaller than the other.) In general, pocket gryphons bred in captivity tend to be brighter in color (both from concentrated breeding efforts and the lack of need to blend into their surroundings that their free-born cousins have.)