Cù Sìth

Basic Information

Anatomy

Cù sìth are massive predators, of close relation to dogs. These gigantic beasts are powerful all around, with a thick neck to support a large head and robust limbs with paws as wide or wider than a warrior's hand and claws as long as daggers. Its ankles rest closer to, but do not touch, the ground than dogs and their tail is long and heavy.

Ecology and Habitats

Cù sìth have no preference to where they dwell. They hunt their prey in the hills and grasslands, while they rest within the cover of forests and groves.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Cù sìth are omnivorous but tend toward meat over other foods. In comparison to other such creatures, however, they have powerful stomachs that allow them to digest meat that has been dead longer than most predators. This makes a cù sìth equally likely to steal a kill from another predator as they are to hunt their own food.
Unlike bears which they bear morphological similarities to, cù sìth are active predators and have a distinct preference for large prey. The leading preference of prey is large deer, but aurochs and boars are also common. Small deer and sheep are occasionally preyed upon, but larger animals are prepared as they tend to be less agile and swift. As they cannot maintain high speeds for long periods of time, ambush is the preferred hunting tactic. Prey is usually killed when the cù sìth grabs the rib cage over the back and delivers a bite to the back of the head, neck, face or nose, but prey (especially young ones) may also be pinned to the ground and eaten alive. Such hunting habits can occasionally be an issue, as it may extend to domestic cattle. While large prey animals are preferred, cù sìth also regularly consume insects, particularly larvae, crabs and clams, as well as dining on berries, flowers, nuts, mosses, and fungi such as mushrooms.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Cù sìth have large heads attached to their bodies by thick, muscular necks. The base of this head is wide, with large cheekbones and a long, lupine muzzle, filled with wolf-like teeth.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Cù sìth are endemic to the region of Kiaglatch, and adapted specifically to that region. They may occasionally be found in the bordering regions from time to time, but they do not last very long, generally, and would struggle to form a permanent population.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Cù sìth have excellent senses befitting a great predator: the highest of these senses is their smell, which rivals that of bears' and allows them to detect a carcass from several miles. Their hearing is also acute, allowing them to hear sounds too low frequency for humans to detect. Their night vision is also fine, being able to see several miles ahead with only the light of the moon to guide them.

Origin/Ancestry

Amphicyonid

Lifespan

5-7 years

Average Height

5-6 ft. at the shoulder

Average Weight

400-1000 lbs.

Average Length

7.11 ft.