Pet Sphrobes

Physiology and Temperament

Sphrobes have spherical bodies, with small beady eyes, a thin almost incomprehensible mouth when closed, and four small feet on the underside of their spherical bodies that can retract within themselves. They usually only weigh about a dozen pounds and only sit about a foot or two off the ground, though overfeeding a Sphrobe can cause them to become obese quite quickly as their required calorie intake is very low.
A Sphrobe has a fuzzy layer of soft grey hair across the majority of its body, concentrated more densely around its eyes and legs, some Sphrobes can barely see through their hair around their eyes and require regular trimmings when not in their natural habitat. Sphrobes typically stand on four tiny legs that typically only give them a few centimetres of additional height. When resting they retract two or three of the legs and lay in an almost completely ball-shaped form, keeping on one or two legs out of its body to act as a sort of kickstand to keep them from rolling away. Alternatively, Sphrobes have been known to retract all of their legs so that they can quickly roll away from predators, which is only especially useful if they are on a sloped surface and the predator isn't very fast.
Most Sphrobes have a very calm, and lazy attitude, preferring to sleep or lounge wherever is comfiest, preserving their typically low energy reserves for when they need to seek out food or water. They do not require much sustenance, as their physiology developed to work on a low-calorie diet as their natural habitat is sparsely populated moons and planetoids that usually have very low quantities of food. When Sphrobes do eat, they usually munch on low shrubs and moss and drink from small puddles of water. They don't like large bodies of water as they aren't very good swimmers, though they do float wonderfully.

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Landscape of one of the Sphrobe Moons

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Natural Habitat

The Sphrobe primarily lives on a collection of semi-habitable moons and small planetoids in the far western regions of the Federated Territories of Vash. These moons and planetoids are quite remote and are mostly devoid of life outside of a few varieties of flora and fauna, and there are certainly no settlements or sentient life living on these moons. This is primarily because the moons have a low oxygen concentration and cannot support life outside of a few creatures, including the Sphrobe.
The moons and planetoids that the Sphrobe resides on do not have official names and are typically only referred to as the Sphrobe Moons. The moons have little vegetation and are mostly rock-covered plateaus and valleys. The only vegetation that grows are low shrubs, moss, and long stretches of vine that cling to various rocky surfaces and outcroppings. There are few large bodies of water, and even those become quite low as precipitation is rare. Most drinkable water only forms in small temporary puddles in which animals like the Sphrobe can drink occasionally.
These moons have few native faunas, one of which being the Sphrobe, and the other being the Sphrobe's only predator called the Toba Lizard. Which is a large skink-like reptile that eats the Sphrobe for sustenance, though much like the Sphrobe this creature does not require much and can subsist for many months off of a singular Sphrobe. Sphrobes often get eaten while they are hibernating, or because they simply can't get away from the quick Toba Lizard. Though the Sprobes have a clear advantage on sloped surfaces.

Summary

A Sphrobe is a unique globe-shaped creature with a docile nature and typically a gentle and calm demeanour. They are only found on a small cluster of moons on the western borders of the Federated Territories of Vash. An area in which is devoid of a permanent population as most of the planets here are unsuitable for long-term settlement.
Sphrobes are a popular choice for pets due to their easy attitudes and their extremely low maintenance. This cute little creature can survive for months with very little food or water, and can even go into a hibernating state for nearly a year before awaking and requiring sustenance. Because of these features, they are a prime choice for corporate business workers who have little time for care but have a high desire for companionship.

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Table of Contents

Popularity as Pets

Sphrobes have become a popular pet choice amongst the rich, famous, and corporate workers who have little time for the care of a pet but still wish for companionship. This is primarily due to the Sphrobe's low maintenance requirements, only requiring a small amount of food and water and a small space to relieve itself. It also helps that Sphrobes are typically calm and friendly in demeanour and can hibernate for long periods of time when food becomes scarce. Though the latter is considered a sign of neglect if a Sphrobe is found to be in a long-term hibernated state. It also helps that Sphrobes are cute and expensive to attain, so they've also become a bit of a status symbol.
As their popularity as a pet has increased they have been taken in greater numbers from their homes, which has unfortunately affected their reproduction cycles and their population is beginning to dip. Despite this, the want for them as a pet continues to grow, and breeding programs have been established off of their homeworld to try and make up these numbers. This is a highly controversial practice both because it is viewed as cruel, and because it has begun to generate unfortunate quirks and side effects amongst some Sphrobes. Many Sphrobes have begun to develop highly increased appetites and more volatile and aggressive behaviour. These traits have led to some unfortunate accidents involving the biting off of victims' digits after they have annoyed the Sphrobe a bit too much.