Deep Forest Bear
Basic Information
Anatomy
The deep forest bear is a large quadruped creature that measures 3.4 metres standing, and 1.8 meters at the shoulder. The males weigh between 270-400 kilos and females 300-500 kilos. Their paws are wide between 35cm and 45cm from heel to tip not counting the claws. They have heavily padded paws with razor sharp claws an average length of 10cm. Very similar in stature to a Terran Grizzly bear, they have a mottled brown-black colouring, they have two layers of fur, a thick undercoat of soft downy fur, and a top coat of guard hairs that act allows air to circulate and maintain even heat distribution.
They have a wide face with a short snout, and large ears, no tail to speak of, they have a large rump and wide shoulders. They are generally quadruped but can walk for short distances on their hind legs.
Genetics and Reproduction
Deep forest bears have two heat cycles a year one in mid-spring, with pups being born during the height of high summer where the bears hide in the deeper reaches of the forest away from the scorching temperatures and extra-long days. The second heat cycle is during last weeks of autumn into winter, where pups are born during high winter when the snows are so deep that even the deep areas of the forest are thick with frost.
Not every bear will get pregnant during both cycles. Typically a litter of pups will be born either in summer or winter, and the female will spend the next two years raising them until they are of age to move out on their own. Females will typically stay with their mothers longer than males who drift away from their mothers around the year two mark, while females will stay until almost three.
Ecology and Habitats
The deep forest bear lives on the edges and down deep into the interior of the forests of Ariellian and throughout the forests of Cashal. The bears are not territorial, with hunting and travelling paths overlapping. Dens are solitary and females will mark a cave or build a den in the underbrush well in advance of their first heat and use that den so long as it remains safe from other predators and larger beasts.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Deep forest bears are omnivorous and opportunistic eaters. They will eat everything from insects to hunting and killing large prey animals such as the Brindled Hart or the Beaver. They also eat fish, some reptiles species, berries, and anything else they can find. As opportunistic hunters, these apex predators expand their diets so they can pack weight on as necessary to manage the temperature extremes Aruinnbith has to offer.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Forest bears key sensory feature include sight and smell, their hearing is above average but not what they count on for hunting and foraging. They depend on their sense of smell of find food and sniff out other predators.
They can see beyond the physical boundaries of the forest and see the nexus energy signals that traverse the deeper parts of the Ariellian forest floor. The deep dark sections of the forest where these bears make their home see very little natural light so they require an extra sense to navigate the deeper areas of their territory.
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