Giant Moles
Giant moles are a valuable livestock of the underground, often bred by Dwarves to guard tunnels, thanks to their ability to feel vibrations through the soil.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Giant moles aren't really giant they are more or less the size of a pony, but in compare with the normal ones and with dwarves are fairly big. The giant mole has a cylindrical body, which length goes between 1 and 2 meters, and height is between 70 and 85cm. Females are typically smaller than males. The eyes are small and hidden behind fur, while the ears are just ridges in the skin. The fur is dark grey. As the smaller version the extremities of the thoracic limbs have six digits to allow them to dig more effectively. Furthermore their blood has a stronger affinity with oxygen allowing them to live underground in areas poorly ventilated.
Biological Cycle
In the wilderness during the colder season they would often go in hybernation to follow the cycle of bioavailability of they food. The domesticated species, since nutrition is not affected by natural factors, tend to skip the hybernation period.
Additional Information
Domestication
Several dwarven clan have domesticated this species long time ago. Most of the times they start to be trained when very young by their trainer, who uses a vibrating metal music instrument associated with palatable treats to get them used to the commands.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
The principal tasks for which they are used are digging tunnels, cargo transport and guarding. Most clans decorate the fur of their own moles with colored metal rings, presenting the traditional colors of the clan.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Giant moles have very poor vision and hearing, but their paws have receptors that allowhem to perceive vibrations through the ground up to 60m of distance, for this ability they are often trained as guarding animals.
This animal is commonly diffused, therefore is not subject to any protection laws.
I love the implication that a mole the size of a pony still wouldn't be considered giant. Makes me wonder about what would. Anywho, I like them, great job :)
I guess I have been influenced by Moorcock's "Chronicle's of Corum" where there's a dwarf from another dimension that's actually some 8 feet tall... Or possibly from Boo the giant miniaturized space hamster of Baldur's gate franchise... I do not know, but I am sure everything is relative... I'm pretty sure that they still are very large moles :D