Sviwun (Svee-woon)

Sviwuns are quite a common sight in forests. They live in large colonies and make their homes in sweetgum trees. Sviwuns are crepuscular and are often seen sleeping during the day, curled up into spiked balls and hanging by their tail from the trees branches.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The sviwun is a small mammal with short legs, a round body, and a very long, mostly hairless tail. The back is covered in spines made up of hollow, stiff fur. Their underside is cream-colored while their back is brown with white-tipped quills.

Genetics and Reproduction

When ready to find a mate, a sviwun hog will seek out a sow by scent-marking various branches along the tree. If a sow is interested by the scent, she will seek out the hog and become his mate. Sviwun pairs will stay together until the pups are born, after which the mother takes care of them on her own. Sviwuns find new mates every mating season.

Ecology and Habitats

Sviwuns are arboreal and therefore are reliant on forests. They prefer temperate deciduous forest where the sweetgum tree grows, in which they spend most of their lives.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Sviwuns are omnivorous and will eat everything from insects to mushrooms to berries and nuts. They also eat the sap from the sweetgum trees.

Biological Cycle

Sviwuns do well in temperate climates, and can even survive cold winters thanks to their ability to control their body temperature through the tail. Their quills also help with insulation against the cold.

Behaviour

Sviwuns are naturally social as they live in large colonies, but they lack the intelligence to organize any structure in the group, and as such the colonies have no leaders. Sviwuns socialize with eachother by grooming and sharing branches. When faced with a threat sviwuns would rather defend or run away than fight back.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Despite living in colonies, sviwuns have no leaders, or any sort of social structure among themselves. They simply share the tree they live in and forage for food together as their simple lifestyle requiers no more than safety in numbers.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Sviwuns have rather poor vision and mostly rely on their sense of smell to quide them. Sviwuns navigate by scent-marking places and objects that are of importance to them, as well as other members of the colony.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

The sviwun has a symbiotic relationship with the sweetgum tree, the sviwun will rid the trees of insects and parasites, and the tree gives the sweerax sweet sap and protection.

Name Origin & Meaning

The name "sviwun" comes from the varan words "svir"=to cling/hang, and "wun"=sleep.

Lifespan

4-5 years

Average Weight

400 - 600 g

Average Length

30 cm (tail included)

Geographic Distribution

• Lakishi forest
• The sanctuary
• Uvaro forest

Terminology

• A male sviwun is called a hog.
• A female sviwun is called a sow.
• A juvenile sviwun is called a pup.
• A group of sviwuns is called a colony.
• The plural of sviwun is sviwuns.