Stoagan

Tolara's Beloved Pet

Saleh'Alire » Fauna ⭲ Organic ⭲ Mundane ⭲ Mustelid

A member of the Mustelinae family of animals, the Stogan is a long-tailed cousin of the Stoat or Weasel; native to the Ajda-Donesh Basin of Tolara (including both the Ajda Wet Forest and the Donesh Dry Forest, but expcluding Nang Kap'ahu Delta) they're ellusive creatures oven hunted for their fur. In recent decades, however, they've become popular childrens' pets due to their size, demeanor, and general trainability.

Anatomy & Appearance

Generally described as being about the width of two arms placed together, and as long as your arm from fingertip to shoulder, Stoagans are fairly uniform in appearance across both the 23 known wild species, as well as the 5 domesticated breeds.
Stoagans have an elongated neck with a far-set head that's generally larger than that of its cousins, topped with two small rounded ears. Eyes are typically round, and black or honey in color- and the nose is typically framed by 6 long whiskers on each side, typically grey or black in color.
A Stoagan's body is near perfectly cylindrical, with no bulging in the midsection. Back legs are powerfully muscled, while front legs are slender. Both end in a set of non-retractable claws that are large compared to the size of their paws- each of which has 6 toes. Coloration in wild populaces is a marbled brown fur, spotted through with white or cream. In the 5 domesticly bred Stoagan types, however, patterns range from a solid to striped, while colors range from blonde and tawny fawn to black.

Domestic Care

Incredibly intelligent and resourceful creatures, Stoagans are easy to train and take easily to domestic life even when caught in the wild. Temperamentally they tend to be calm and inquisitive, and enjoy routine play with caretakers. As natural climbers and scramblers, however, many keepers find it difficult to provide them with adequate climbing space.

Status
Semi-Domesticated
Conservation Status
Common
Classification
Mustelinae
Related to

• Weasel
• Leamur
• Polecat
• Mink

Geographic Distribution

• Ajda-Donesh Basin
  • Donesh Dry Forest
  • Ajda Wet Forest

Average Lifespan
5 to 15 years
Average Height
1 to 2 feet
31 to 61 cm
Average Length
2 to 5 feet
61 to 153 cm
Average Weight
3 to 12 lbs
1 to 6 kg

The provision of food is typically much easier than the provision of enrichment and play for a Stoagan in captivity; as omnivorous scavengers they're capable of consuming a diet consisting of anything from fruits and nuts, to insects and even other smaller rodents; many keepers have found it easier to combine enrichment play and nourishment for captive Stoagans, through the use of a highly varried diet combined with puzzle toys and similar contraptions hidden throughout their running space.
Because they are inquisitive by nature it's generally not recommended that captively bred and raised Stoagans be let to freely roam outside of one's home or hut- especially in non-native regions they're unaccustomed to and generally unsuited for; this is less of a concern with Stoagans that were caught in the wild and then domesticated, but typically fully domestic Stoagans are improperly capable of caring for themselves and lack the necessary survival knowledge to survive even in short outdoor increments.