Snowdeer
Write about a species that survives in a cold environment. — #WorldEmberSpecies
Basic Information
Anatomy
Snowdeer are considered a greater deer species. They have four legs with large, crescent-shaped cloven hooves. Each foot has four toes; two large toes that can support their weight and serve as shovels in the snow as well as two smaller dewclaw-like toes. They have a relatively long, flat back and short tail. All snowdeer have a mane of denser hair around the neck and chest, but the mane of males grows longer and thicker than females. Both male and female adult snowdeer shed and grow two palmate antlers annually. Cows (female snowdeer) have smaller antlers, up to 8 "fingers" or prongs; bulls (male snowdeer) have proportionally larger antlers, up to 12 fingers. Elderly snowdeer may not grow antlers at all.
Genetics and Reproduction
Snowdeer mate in the late summer, during the end of the month of Brightmoon, They have a gestation period of 23-25 weeks, or about five months, calving in the spring. Female snowdeer (cows) typically have one or two calves, though triplets are known to occur. In a herd, generally only about 50% of adult females will reproduce each year.
Growth Rate & Stages
Snowdeer calves grow quickly to enable them to stay ahead of predators. As mammals they nurse from their mother for the first few months of life; though they can begin to graze and wean from their mother around three months of age, they will continue to nurse for a year and a half or until their mother calves again. Young snowdeer are considered calves for a year; from the year mark until three years of age they are called "nublings", referring to the stubby single- and two-pronged antlers they grow during this period. They will begin to grow a full set of antlers starting in their third year, and at this time they are also sexually mature and will enter mating rituals with other adult snowdeer. Generally, snowdeer antlers gain a finger for each year of age up until 8 fingers for cows and 12 fingers for bulls. Elderly snowdeer, generally those 20 or more years old, often do not grow antlers at all.
Ecology and Habitats
Snowdeer are well-adapted to the year-round cool temperatures of Oskksul, and are found all over the continent including mountains, plans, and forests. They will change food supplies based on what is available seasonally in their environment, and herds are often migratory. They are excellent swimmers and unphased by river and lake crossings.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Snowdeer are primarily ruminant herbivores, with a diet consisting of grasses, leaves, bark, lichens, mosses, berries, and fungi. However, they have been known to consume bone (shed antlers) and eggs and even scavenge on fish when they are nutritionally stressed, such as in breeding season for bulls, calving season for cows, or if vegetation is scarce.
Biological Cycle
Some herds of snowdeer will migrate to take advantage of seasonal vegetation across the continent, while others seem to be non-migratory and will change dietary habits seasonally to adapt to their habitat. They do not hibernate, though they are significantly less active in the deepest winter months. They are always white, but when temperatures are the warmest in the summer months, lowland snowdeer are known to shed the warmest layers of their coat, revealing a brown-gray undercoat. Snowdeer who do not experience warmer temperatures do not experience a summer shed and maintain a light cream or white coat year-round. Due to the extreme sunlight patterns of Oskksul, where some times of year are nearly entirely light or entirely dark, snowdeer are ultradian, meaning that instead of a daylight-based sleeping pattern, they sleep when they need to digest food. They usually get 10-14 hours of sleep in a 28-hour day period in chunks of 4-6 hours.
Behaviour
Snowdeer are herd animals, who band together in herds that are anywhere from 5 to 50 individuals, depending on habitat and personal preference. They have also been known to form herds with other prey animals, both temporarily and permanently. The prey-driven flight or fight instinct governs their response to predators, with preference given to flight when possible. When they cannot flee, they will form circles with the most vulnerable (calves and the elderly) in the center, nublings in the next concentric space, cows nursing calves next, and all other adults on the outside, and attempt to drive off predators using their antlers and hooves.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Herds are the social structure, usually consisting of 5-50 individuals which includes male and female adult and young. The herd is led collectively by the oldest adults, who guide the group when choosing when and where to eat, sleep, migrate, etc. Cows choose bulls to mate with based on a seemingly complex set of characteristics which can include size, age, antler symmetry, and the male's courtship song, which is unique to each bull. Cows are known to have strong preferences for a single bull, and generally will choose that individual again and again unless there is a drastic change in that male. Bulls usually have 2-3 of these fairly monogamous females, and these smaller groups along with their calves and nublings form stable family units within a larger herd. With a fairly 50/50 gender distribution this does cause some males to be perpetual bachelors, and these individuals take on more scouting and protecting roles within the herd when they are young but eventually break off to join cow-less bachelor herds if they do not form any relationships with female snowdeer as they near their early adulthood. Bulls rarely fight seriously amongst themselves though all snowdeer will engage in practice or play fighting and some young bulls play fight to show off for potential mates.
Domestication
Snowdeer are generally easy to domesticate and are less skittish than many other grazing herbivores. They are also larger than many other deer, making them a favored choice for companion and pack animal amongst the Dracanis of Oskk. The dracanis raise domestic herds of snowdeer, supplementing from wild herds only when necessary for genetic diversity. Careful stewards of species and conscientious of the snowdeers' propensity for close family units, they prefer to catch a young bull and all of his cows, nublings before they mate for the first time, or young unmated adults. Gelded (castrated) bulls will shed their antlers within a month of gelding and not grow another set, but gelding is not always practiced.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
The dracanis highly value the snowdeer as pack animals and companions, and they are not a common food source. Snowdeer are killed and consumed only with great ceremony for certain celebrations or in times of dire need. When snowdeer die naturally, the meat can be consumed only after being dried in a special ceremonial procedure. Shed antlers are commonly used in dress, decoration, tools, art, and more. The pelt and leather created from the hide of snowdeer is the most highly coveted of all other options.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Average Intelligence
Snowdeer are of equal intelligence to your average dog, or intelligent horse or pony.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
As prey animals, snowdeer have excellent hearing. They also have an extra set of bones set on the front of legs beneath the knees which are extra sensitive to vibration, allowing them to detect the approach of predators even when conditions such as high wind or powdery snow prevent them from hearing well. Their eyesight is fairly good, though they see fewer colors than most humanoids; they see instead in extra high contrast to be able to discern details in snowy and other monochromatic conditions.
Lifespan
25-35 Years
Average Height
At the shoulder, snowdeer stand between 4 feet 6 inches and 6 feet.
Average Weight
Bulls generally weigh between 500 and 900 lbs, while cows weight in at 450 to 800 lbs.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Snowdeer are usually a light cream to white color on most of their body year round. They may have a gray-brown tint on the muzzle, ears, chest, around the eyes, the tail, and around the knees and hocks. Some few snowdeer who experience warm summer temperatures shed the outermost layer of their winter coat, revealing a gray-brown undercoat in some areas. They have eyes that can range from a honey-brown to a dark brown-black, and very rarely a hazel brown-green. Antlers are some shade between bone-white and a medium brown. Very rarely, melanistic snowdeer who are a dark gray-brown their whole life have been observed.
Geographic Distribution
Snowdeer feature prominently in the art and culture of the Dracanis people.
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