eehur (/'i:.hʌr/)

Basic Information

Anatomy

At first glance eehur appear similar to human children with fur, but they are proportioned quite differently. They have exceptionally long arms, used exclusively to travel in the upper canopy of their home forests. Their feet are adapted for handling objects and performing delicate work. Flexible ankle and knee joints allow the eehur to do such things as comb their facial fur with their toes, but also make it impossible for their legs to stably hold up their body weight. (An eehur who takes the trouble to learn to walk on its feet does so to show off, much like a human walking on its hands.)

Ecology and Habitats

Eehur live in dense forest with high canopies. They travel by brachiating, and rest by sitting on branches. They are vocally social, interacting with each other over great distances solely by calling back and forth, but mated pairs maintain strongly delineated territory and will violently repel intruders who have not been granted permission to enter.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Fruit is their primary source of food.  When there is nothing in season, they will also eat leaves and insects.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Eehur speech, called Jabber by humans, exists in a dialect continuum across the Great Southern Island. Although individual eehur do not willingly travel out of their established territory, their daily conversations can be heard from two or three kilometers away.  The language is in the process of being described and translated by Haftera Djuur.

Common Taboos

As a consequence of their obligate tree-based existence, eehur believe that touching the ground is instantly fatal.  Eehur who die in the treetops are carried as close to the ground as the living dare to go, and then dropped.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Eehur have very little contact with other intelligent species.  The population living in Haar has occasional visits from chok traders, and hosted a pair of human refugees for two decades.

Lifespan

20-30 years

Average Height

0.5-0.9 m

Average Weight

4-10 kg

Average Length

2.5-3 m, arms fully outstretched

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Skin is dark gray to black, fur ranging from light sand to dark brown to black.  Their coat is usually lighter around the hands, feet, and face, but is otherwise unpatterned.