Terriot ((Tehr-ree-ot))

Basic Information

Anatomy

Terriots are a quadrupedal species that are completely furred up to their two small horns. They look to be a cross breed of a goat and dog, despite having no real connection with either of the two. They have a long tail and hooved feet. They have two horns which protrude from their head and are covered in fur. They have two ears, a snout with thick whiskers, and eyes that somewhat resemble the eyes of a tiger. They tend to be thick boned and sturdy creatures despite the fact that they are incredibly soft due to their dense fur.

Biological Traits

As the species spread over the world, traits of their species began to adapt more specifically to climate of the region they are found in. Terriots in hotter climates, like deserts, are seen to be what the creature is mostly likely to look like without fur, due to the abnormally short fur they possess to mitigate the heat. In contrast, terriots found in winter biomes are seen to have the largest and softest coats for the exact opposite reason. Color, tint, and sometimes even size and bodily structure also tend to be affected by these regions, but to a lesser extent.

Genetics and Reproduction

Much like most mammals, the reproduction process, gestation method, and growth rate are pretty similar to many land animals similar to it--dogs and goats included. While there is not much deviation from these methods and processes, one thing to note about them is that they tend to mate for life. Should the partner terriot fall ill and pass, then it will not mate with any other terriot.

Ecology and Habitats

While terriots can be found in any place where there is civilization, commonly as a pet for the people within them, they are naturally found in somewhat colder, more rocky, climates. Though as years of domestication has shown, they can survive in most places provided they aren't too hot--due to their abnormally thick fur. Even then, there are some classes of terriot that are capable of quickly shedding layers of their fur to accommodate hotter environments.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The diet of these creatures consist mostly of meat, though they are generally willing to eat most things. That and of course water. While they are more than capable of finding these things out in the wild, despite how they tend to lean towards a more vegetarian diet due to not being avid hunters, they absolutely love finding other species--humans especially--to form symbiotic relationships with in order to trade food or assist each other in hunting it.

Biological Cycle

Much like similar creatures, terriots will shed as the seasons grow warmer, and grow out their fur when the seasons get colder. This is also true for the environments that they find themselves in, such as thicker coats for colder climates and thinner coats for hotter ones. They adapt pretty quickly, though their natural biological cycle is in time with the seasonal change.

Behaviour

Terriots are fiercely loyal creatures that actively seek out each other to form tight packs and bonds, or other species to bond with to help one another in survival. They have become a very common household pet, and are known to be excellent workers with what they are capable of helping with in trade for food and shelter. This has made them incredibly friendly to humans, and are often seen seeking out towns and villages in order for the chance to be adopted into a household.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Terriots, unlike a lot of other species, are not hostile towards each other whatsoever, and are in fact very friendly to each other when they cross paths. That don't tend to be territorial, and will often share homes with fellow terriots as long as they are willing to pull their own weight in the pack.

Domestication

It is extremely easy to domesticate a terriot, in fact they often come willing to be domesticated by humans--even if they come straight from the wild. Due to their natural inclination to bond with others, they will often seek to help out the humans they come across as long as there is mutual gain in doing so.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Often terriots are seen as workers on farms, mills, and other establishments where possible, such as pulling farm equipment, herding livestock, and even more unique jobs such as wandering around in bars carrying drinks on their back. While they themselves don't have any byproducts, they are unfortunately sometimes exploited for their fur and pelt, due to the softness and quality of the fur. These poachers are often seen as unlawful, and are typically wanted criminals.

Facial characteristics

For the most part their facial structure, aside from their eyes, is very reminiscent of a goat's head, despite the fact that even its horns are covered in fur. Terriots are sometimes called "the curious pets" of the world due to having a facial structure that makes them looked interested, curious, or intrigued by what they are looking at.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

While terriots are found all over the world, their density is mostly within cooler, more heavily forested, regions. There are some exceptions to this, such as subclasses of wild terriots which favor far colder mountainous regions, and even some which have more coastal residences, but overall they are far commoner in places with plenty of flora such as forests.

Average Intelligence

Despite their overall curious nature, these creatures are extremely intelligent. They are quick to pick up and learn commands, learn routines, and even have a faint idea of time to learn schedules. They even seem to have some understanding of morality. It is commonly thought that the terriot is as close to a human as an animal so far has gotten intelligence wise.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

These animals require other species in order to survive, despite how tough the terriots are. They live to bond with other creatures and humans, forming symbiotic bonds with anything that is capable of helping them and who they are in turn capable of helping themselves. The result is a creature that survives through the relationships it makes out in the wild, rather than its ability to hunt and kill any of the competing species around it.

Lifespan

20-25 years

Average Height

22 in

Average Length

20 in

Average Physique

These creatures are extremely sturdy and durable. Weather and blunt trauma hardly mean much to their thick hides and similarly thick bones, and while they can only do so much with their medium sized bodies, they are incredibly strong as well. These creatures were made with rough work and terrain in mind, despite how relaxed they tend to be.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The patterns on their fur, the colors, and tint all change depending on the class of terriot and the location. In fact the patterns tend to be unique to the terriot, even within the same class, even if the colors and body tint remain similar among members of the same subclass. What seems to be consistent among all terriots, is that their heads tend to be wildly different colors from their body.