The Tayah

Truly an oddity in their own right, the Tayah are strange, or seen as strange animals because at a glance, they shouldn't be capable of what they can do. The Tayah have earned the nickname the Flying Tigers and far more dangerous in their natural habitat of dense jungles within which, they cn maneuver around the trees effortlessly while hunting and stalking prey. They are less threatening outside of these regions, but are otherwise seen as exotic and prized pets for nobility.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The tayah are quadrupedal felines, most closely resembling the average tiger.They lack a mane that surrounds their jaw. Collectively, they are noticeably more narrow of builds. The most notable difference between the tiger and the tayah is the membrane of fur lined muscle fibers that make up the wings of the creature. Most closely resembling the flying squirrel's design, the tayah has a length of muscle and skin that strech from their front legs, a hand's length or two above their wrists to their hind legs at a similar orientation. This allows the tayah to glide from tree to tree.

Genetics and Reproduction

The tayah are mammalian, practicing sexual reproduction of live birth. A mother will care for her babies for a number of years until they are capable of hunting on their own, at which point, the children will leave their mother to fend for themselves.

Growth Rate & Stages

A full grown tayah is not that much smaller than a full grown tiger. This had led to much of the confusion surrounding these creatures, because something the size of a tiger shouldn't be able to keep itself airborne the way the tayah can.

Ecology and Habitats

Tayah are more at home in dense jungles and more warmer climates. Very often they will not trod upon the soil, especially if there are branches close enough  to support their movements. They tend to keep to these areas for a number of reasons, primarily for hunting, otherwise, they enjoy the shade and versatility in their movement in the trees, making their homes up high rather than down low.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The tayah are ultimately omnivores, however, they consume far more meat than they would fruits or vegetables. They hunt prey, kill it, then eat their fill then and there. If lounging, the tayah are known to pick fruit off of trees or dig for root vegetables in the ground.

Additional Information

Domestication

I is very difficult to domesticate the tayah, they are wild cats after all. Mostly domestication comes in the form of ornamented chains and cages from them to dwell in on display in someone's lavish palace. This is not domestication, obviously, it is captivity.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The tayah have for years been hunted for their pelts. A pelt of tayah fur is very very valuable in most markets, especially Omparish nobility, who frequent Keur and Olog for safari hunts of the creatures and other native beasts. Some more inventive folk have even fashioned gliding suits out of their pelts for recreational and other uses.

Facial characteristics

Their snouts tend to be more narrow than most felines, this is possibly to assist with their aerial aptitude, or maybe even from their method as devouring their prey, choosing to go for the most juicy parts of the catch, or pulling up root vegetables from the ground.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The tayah are most commonly found in the jungles of Keur and Olog, even sometimes being seen as far north as the Golden wood of Saleohapt's Old Kingdom. Some may be found elsewhere in the world, but that is mostly attributed to poachers, capturing the creatures, then ferrying them across the sea, where they subsequently got loose.

Average Intelligence

Though the tayah do not speak, they are incredibly crafty creatures. They will stalk their prey in the trees for hours, never letting them know they are being followed before pouncing and bringing their quarry down with a well placed claw and an iron grip of their jaw.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The tayah has feline eyes and whiskers of their face and ears. This allows them to gague wind paterns and predict weather so as not to be caught in a situation where they are unable to move at their fullest. Their tail is also topped by a lentgh of fur which serves a similar purpose. Their tongues seem no longer than the average feline, but it should be noted that the tongue is pointed, as opposed to rounded.

Lifespan

20 years

Average Height

3'-7' to 4'-0"

Average Weight

350 lbs

Average Length

5'-3"

Average Physique

The tayah generally have a toned build, but it is clear their hind legs have a great deal more defined muscle mass. Their sloping necks come down from muscular, yet compact shoulders, their legs, generally bent more than normal, able to extend farther, or mislead their prey so they can extend and catch them.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Tayah are known for having stripes on their fur, like that of a tigers, which allows them to blend into the canopy, carrying anywhere from a red-brown hue to a light gold hue on the fur coats.