Help on making a species

[Gherron Dragovalor]

So I'm making a new species for my planet, Refuge. Also, I just want an animal companion for my character. However, I'm having trouble in some aspects, particularly weaknesses and culture. Anyone care to lend a hand? Here's what I have so far.

Name: Vulpten
Designation: Non-sentient
Homeworld: Refuge
Language: None
Average height of adults:
Skin color: Light pink
Hair color: Shades of orange, brown and grey.
Breathes: Type 2
Strengths:
+ Physical advantage: Being used to the twice-standard gravity of Refuge, Vulpten have denser bones, and are faster and stronger in environments with standard gravity.
+ Talons: A great means of self defense and offense, vulpten can use the claws on their front legs very effectively when they are in danger, or are the danger to their prey.
+ Senses: Vulpten have enhanced sight and smell, and can use them to effectively spot out their target, or something that would endanger them.
Weaknesses:
-
-
Distinctions: Wings, front claws, feathered areas on the body.
Average Lifespan: 50 years
Races: None
Estimated Population: About 30,000
Diet: Carnivorous
Communication: Vocal, a series of yips and yelps
Culture:
Technology level: None
General behavior:
History:
Notable Player-Characters: None
Intent: To create a species that can be used as a companion, friend, and partner-of-the-hunt to sentients. Who doesn't want a flying fox for a pet?

Also not too sold on the name yet, most likely gonna change it to something else.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Rylan Thatcher"]
Can they fly or only glide?

A good weakness would be intelligence being poor. Another one to consider is that they have some sort of special inherent weakness such as bright lights, loud noises or very pungent smells.

 

[Ryn'Dhal]

Also, perhaps their wings are not water-repellent? So, with saturation, i.e. a heavy rain storm, they are effectively grounded? Just tossing two cents.

[member="Rylan Thatcher"]

 

[Quietus]

The manner in which these "wings" are attached to the body would not allow for full flight, anatomically speaking. I actually have the artist's book in which this artwork is taken from in detailing the mythological creature known as an "Enfield." Quoted from the page:

"The enfield is a pairing of two extremely graceful and beautiful animals ... Medieval beastiaries and heraldry records depict the enfield both with and without wings. To bridge this gap in reference, I chose to design proto-wings on the enfield inspired by many insects, birds, and feathered dinosaurs. The wings of the enfield make it even more agile than its cousin the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), allowing it to glide and soar above its prey, swooping in for the kill." ~ William O'Connor, Dracopedia: The Beastiary.

With this in mind, you can take those same details for your own creature here. Keep it flightless. The proto-wings would allow for enhanced leaping/gliding abilities, but not full flight. For weaknesses I could suggest the following hard weaknesses:

- Nocturnal. Low activity and poor eyesight in the daytime.
- Highly sensitive proto-wings. The creature must take care to keep their feathers clean and not to lose them, as they bleed profusely and are liable to become infected.
- Small of size. Poses little threat to larger prey and quarry.
- The denser bones could also have a drawback - breaks are often fatal. Non-fatal breaks are unlikely to heal properly without medical intervention.
- Highly stubborn, instinct-driven, aloof, opinionated creatures. Can be unpredictable in nature and extremely difficult to train.

The following would be considered soft weaknesses, as they aren't necessarily a weakness to the individual, but the species as a whole:

- Solitary life. Highly territorial. They only come together to mate. Females raise kits on their own which in turn provides another weakness...
- Low reproduction rate. Your low population number reflects this. They should be considered rare by this number on a galactic scale.

I would also recommend shortening the lifespan of these creatures. Real life foxes, in general, only have a lifespan of approximately 5 years, 12 years max for the smaller types - and getting to that age in the wild is rare, uncommon even in captivity. There's no reason for these creatures to be able to live 50 years. Their physiology doesn't even suggest that they should.

 

[Gherron Dragovalor]

Thank you all for the help! It's greatly appreciated.

[member="Valiens Nantaris"] [member="Ryn'Dhal"] [member="Lorelei Darke"]