Dhaewu (Thee-WUH)

Dhaewu (no plural) were a non-sentient species of small, intelligent, omnivorous mammals native to the planet of Lexicon.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dhaewu have a triangular and slightly elongated face, extremely short black whiskers, and tiny pointed ears. They have an pointed snout, with a black colored, heart-shaped or rounded nose. It has thick, warm, insulating fur that is also used as camouflage. It also has a large and very fluffy tail, which also serves as a way to keep balance. They have retractable black claws on all of their paws. They additionaly have fur on the soles of their feet and on their paws.
They have four, short limbs, and their skeleton is thicker and wider, giving them more bulk and a wider frame due to Lexicon's higher gravity. Despite that, they are still very quick and nimble. Their body shape is rounded to stop heat from dissipating.
They also have a very high tolerance to cold temperature, which makes them more adaptive to survive in below minus celsius temperature. Their arteries , nerves, and veins, which are very strong and have muscles, are located very close to each other that makes a chain of heat – transferring the warmer blood in the arteries and colder blood in the veins. Additionally, the warm blood passing through the legs also helps the paws to stay warm.
The color of their fur comes in only one color, which is pure white to blend in with the frost and the snow of the tundra, however brown colored ones do exist , but are extremely rare. They cannot sweat and have no sweat glands. They have adjusted and adapted so much to the frigid conditions of the tundra that they cannot survive higher temperatures and will suffer heat exhaustion if the temperature exceeds above 15-16 °C.

Genetics and Reproduction

The first half of the twenty-seven days when Roalas is in the sky, the Dhaewu's attention switches to reproduction and a home for their potential offspring. Dhaewu tend to select dens that are easily accessible with many entrances, and that are clear from snow and ice making it easier to burrow in. They build and choose small, compact dens for warmth in frost-free, slightly raised ground.
They grow up more quickly, and their their gestation period is extremely short.
Dhaewu are primarily monogamous and both parents will care for the offspring.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Dhaewu are omnivores, which means they can eat both plants and animals. Their favorite and common prey is gigito, but in generally they will eat any small animal they can find. They also eat the carcasses of dead animals left by larger predators that would eat them. For plants, they only eat berries like the berries of the rhaleng plant. They survive Lexicon's harsh and cold tundra, as well as food scarcity by either hoarding food or storing body fat subcutaneously and viscerally. But at times when the food is so scarce, they may eat other animals’ feces as well.

Behaviour

To keep warm and prevent heat from escaping, Dhaewu curls up tightly tucking its legs and head under its body and behind its furry tail. This position gives them the smallest surface area to volume ratio and protects the least insulated areas.
They are rather shy creatures, usually seen skittering around the tundra in small packs when Roalas is in the sky or solitary during the long night, yet normally staying out of the reach of Lexiconian interaction. Lexiconians are perceived as a threat and, as such, an Dhaewu will be more likely to hide than hunt. Sometimes they can be domesticated, but that is rare, as they prefer not to interact and close with Lexiconians.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The saying "the brown dhaewu" is an Lexiconian idiom referring to an different person who does not fit in with the rest. The odd one out sort to speak. The idiom arrived due to the extreme rareness of a brown colored dhaewu, and the fact it is so visible when surrounded by the majority of the pure white ones. It's usually used in a negative way and has negative implications.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Dhaewu have extremly good hearing, allowing it to hear its favorite prey, the, burrowing up to 11-12 cm of snow. They also have a keen sense of smell, smelling up to km. They have poor eyesight, but excellent night vision due to the dim light of Roalas.
Like all of Lexiconian life, Dhaewu evolved with the ability of charging so it can support and nourish itself during the next twenty-seven days when Roalas isn't in the sky.