Velmu

The Velmu are a semi-aquatic species native to the planet Shulon. They have both wild and more domesticated variations.

Appearance

Velmu are semi-aquatic animals with a long streamlined body and two sets of legs. The forelegs are shorter with more mobile digits. The hind legs are larger and more paddle-like, which are used for swimming and steering in water. They have long faces, wide noses, whiskers, and a mouthful of sharp teeth.
In terms of size, they tend to be on average six to ten inches in circumference and they tend to grow up to four or five feet in length with their tail taking up about one foot of that length.
They are covered in thick shaggy fur that helps them blend in with leaves and aquatic plants. This fur is often some shade of brown or beige, often with a yellowish or greenish tint. Domesticated breeds often also have other more unnatural colors and patterns, which make it harder for them to live in the wild.
The Velmu have scent glands located at the base of their tail which produce an oil that they use to make their fur waterproof; they also have glands on either side of their head, where the skull meets the spine, which produces pheromones used to mark territory. These glands make them quite stinky, especially if the glands are overproducing.

Biology

Diet

The Velmu is a predator for many species on Shulon, especially the smaller semiaquatic and aquatic creatures as they prefer to spend most of their time in water. They especially go after fish and other aquatic creatures -including shellfish- but they are also known to go after land animals often through hiding until they get close enough for them to attack.

Behavior

Velmu are most active at night when they go hunting. During the day they prefer to spend most of their time sunbathing and napping, generally just resting. They spend most of their time in or near the water, making their homes on the shoreline. They are able to hold their breath for up to thirty minutes.
They are very familiar, living in groups called colonies. These colonies typically have one or two males, up to ten females, and then the females' offspring. These colonies are mostly made up of related family members, mostly through maternal ties as the males leave the colony during the mating season meaning their offspring are in different colonies.
The Velmu give birth to live offspring often in litters of three or four, with the newborn being called pups. They reach full maturity after four years, spending most of that time growing in size. Mothers will take care of the pups for around five or six months after which the young are old enough to be independent. Fathers have little to nothing to do with their offspring.
They are very intelligent able to solve puzzles and recognize patterns as well as being able to use short and long-term memory. They also are known to play.

Uses

The Velmu are often zoological exhibits and sometimes as pets, but are seen as more exotic and high-maintenance pets. They are not fully domesticated and still hold many wild traits and behaviors, with the biggest sign of their domestication being the variation in fur color and pattern.
Their bones are used in traditional medicine often by being ground up into powder and mixed into medicinal powders. This made the Velmu a target for hunters and poachers and resulted in their numbers dropping drastically. They have since recovered due to protective legislature and recovery efforts.
They were also targeted for their meat and fur, but due to the legislature surrounding their hunting, the use of these -as well as their bone medicine- has been drastically decreased and is often seen as cruel or unethical to get.

Planet of Origin 
Shulon