Crying Hound
Similar in appearance to large versions of Short-eared dogs
Other common names: cry-hound, ghost dog, marsh-hound, boghound, swamp dog
Basic Information
Anatomy
Compared to many other canine species, crying hounds are long in body, giving their a low or crouching look to their silhouette. Their limbs are slender but well-muscled, with semi-webbed toes, and they move with a silence and fluidity normally attributed to felines. It is because of this that earliest mentions of the species referred to them as "crying tigers" instead of hounds. They have long, pointed muzzles that slope rather gradually to the bulk of their skull and neck, again not appearing very "doglike" until the head is raised and short ears perked up. Depending on the specific habitat and time of year, the hound's coat and tail can appear rather sleek and wolflike, or more bushy and foxlike. Females are generally larger than males, but males have a short mane of bristly guard hair that runs down the spine to be raised when agitated.
In the wild, crying hounds are found shades of warm or cool grey, grey-brown, to nearly black. They are uniformly colored save for darker legs, and each hair is ticked or banded to some degree. In captivity, the crying hound can be found in more pronounced versions of each of these colors--including medium-to-pale brown, mink brown, and almost blue grey--as well as more or less ticking in the fur. With the goal of being used in service to the Rangers, selective breeding has pushed for greater size and increased intelligence in captive populations.
Their name refers to the eerie cries that mature hounds use to seek out makes and to communicate between packs. They use an expressive growl when warning, and can also hiss and scream when seriously threatened. Otherwise, they are generally quiet animals, using a number of different quiet whines and murmurs to communicate at a close range.
Growth Rate & Stages
One of the biggest downsides to raising crying hounds for work is their slow reproductive rate and the length of training for each hound to become work-ready. Each litter produces between one and three pups, and though the pups grow to sexual maturity quickly, they are not considered trained, mature adults until three or four years old. In captivity, hounds are not usually bred until after they have reached this point of maturity, and working individuals must have worked successfully in the field for around one year before being allowed to produce pups.
Ecology and Habitats
Their dense coats and webbed feet makes them very well suited for wetland environments. They can occasionally be found in upland and dry-ground forests as well, but only if undisturbed and the foliage adequately dense. Packs make their dens in thick underbrush, and don't feel safe enough to claim territory if these dens don't feel sheltered enough from threats.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Though packs of crying hounds are able to bring down prey larger than themselves, smaller family units and individuals subsist mainly on small animals (including waterfowl, frogs, snakes, and even large insects), and all supplement this diet with carrion, crustaceans, fruit, and some other types of fortifying plant matter.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Crying hounds are found exclusively in the southern wetlands, with some spillover to the forests north of Greymantle Marsh.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Crying hounds have very good senses of hearing and sight (which functions best in darkness and dim light, suffering a little in bright light), but their sense of smell is excellent. Once locked onto a scent, crying hounds will ceaselessly follow the trail nearly to the point of exhaustion. If the scent is compelling enough and the pack closely-knit (usually among sibling groups) crying hounds will sometimes function almost in relay, with exhausted hounds stopping to rest while the others continue, then catching up and taking over for the next tired hound to continue tracking.
Lifespan
12 years in the wild, up to 20 in captivity.
Conservation Status
Uncommon in the wild. The species is not in danger of disappearing, but the creatures are very elusive and rarely encountered. Hunting of crying hounds is outlawed, save for special cases carried out by Aeskethi Rangers. Live-capture of crying hounds is occasionally carried out to rescue injured or abandoned hounds, or to replenish captive hound bloodlines with new genetic material.
Geographic Distribution