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Graslaufer

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Description

(made in Spore)
Graslaufer
Size: 50 cm total (20-25 cm long tail)
Weight: .8-1 kg
Diet: Omnivore
Habitat: Woodland, Scrub-land, Wetland, Meadows, Savannah and Farmlands.
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Description:
This popular game animal relative to the tree dragon prefers grassland with few trees and bushes with a clear creek or stream for a water source, but this adaptable creature can with just needing open grass to hunt, short bushes or tall grasses to hide,  a water source, and a tree or bush to sleep in order to thrive. It feeds on grains, seeds, vegetables, berries fruits, leaves, bugs, and small animals preferring small rodents and lizards. It able to do quick burst of short-flights, but cannot fly over long distances or long periods as they tire quickly. Mainly they fly to quickly escape danger and predators, and they can fly at speed up to 43-61 km/h only a minute at best. They do this in order to either reach a hide like up a tree or in a dense bush, or simply get out of reach and gain distance to run away. Otherwise, they mainly walk or running as their primary mode of locomotion and rarely fly even preferring to climb up trees using their clawed hands. They also are powerful jumpers with it long powerful legs to easily get liftoff to fly away quickly with. So it is more of like a high powered flying jump than actually powered flight. Their flight muscles are mainly made for speed over endurance and this why they tire quickly preferring run or climb for most locomotion. They are prey for many predators during their entire life span including humans, but due to camouflage and speed allow them to normal escape predators as long as they have require cover to escape into. They will flock together as they feed during the day, and if one spots a predator they let out an high pitch laughing sound to alarm the others. Only mother graslaufer will defend herself and her young, otherwise graslaufer will only fight back with claws and teeth if caught preferring to run away. Females are not territorial, but males are even drive not only males but females if it feels there too many graslaufer for its territory's resources to support. Males and females are the same size, but males are far more aggressive by comparison. So adult male will try to manage his territory by seeing that number of grasluafer can be supported with his harem and their offspring being able to easily get enough food, patrol the territory for roaming males and even roaming females. To avoid the many ground predators, they will climb up and sleep in trees but it will also sleep in dense bushes. Rarely will it sleep directly on the ground, and they will even feed in the trees and bush but preferring feeding the ground as it is a great runner.They are active mainly at day, but will forage during the night especially during fall. They will use their powerful feet to dig up foods, and powerful sense of smell to find food. Mainly depend on their excellent sight and good hear to detect predators. It will often roost in trees during the hottest part of the day for shades, groom itself, nap and general relax. It also loves taking dirt baths. They do not migratory or hibernate, but instead of fatten up in fall and smell out any food even under the snow to help maintain their weight. With good habitat, most graslaufer do not die from cold or starvation but predator including humans as the grasluafer is forced to be exposed as it searches food further away from very limited hides and cover. It is not uncommon for them to roost together for warm and limited shelter. Normally 50%-75% of graslaufer annual fatality happens during winter due to predators and severe ice storms.  The average lifespan is 1-2 years due mainly to predation, but domesticated grasluafer can live up 27 years.
Reproduction:
The breeding season is early spring and while there is no real sexual dimorphism males will be far more vivid colored than females during the breeding season. The male will mate will mate with all the females in his territory and even try to mate with female in neighboring territory, but not unwanted roaming females in his territory. Also he will become so aggressive to point of actually getting violent unlike the rest of years where a male graslaufer will rarely do any real violent just aggressive harassment and threatening. Male graslaufer can get so violent to point of seriously injury and even kill other graslaufer but this very rare as often losing rival or invader will retreat before the conflict build up to that point. Most rival and invaders are scared by the males threat display of fluffing up and hissing very loudly before the male will leap around hissing and kick dirt at the rival. Then it will start biting at the feathers and build up to more violent and fatal actions. Still always at least one roaming males success in mating with a female due to combination absence of territory's male, and in fact females will mate again if their nest and eggs get destroyed. Males court females by spreading the wings out and flapping to show off their bright coloration and strength. Females start nesting at the beginning of breeding season and it takes 2-3 weeks to build a nest in bush or tree off the ground, but it is common for them to use abandon nest over over making their own. After successful mating, a female will laid up to 10 eggs which take 23-26 day to incubate. However if the nest is destroyed, the female will try and mate as soon as possible again to begin built another nest to laid eggs in. So roaming males will try to destroy nest, and thus females after laying their eggs will become aggressive against males even the resident male. Breeding/Nesting season ends by late spring- early summer. After hatching, the chick take only a full day in which they finish up the last bit of yolk, dry off, and become strong enough to leave the nest. The chicks will join the mother as she forages, and mother Graslaufer will become aggressive to anything she think is a threat to her young. The mother will attack any predator going after her chicks even risking injury to herself, but in predators where she out-class in size and strength she will lead her chick in escaping even grabbing up her chick with her mouth and hands. The chick will remain with their mother for up to 15 weeks where mature to juvenile, and by next breeding season after winter where they will become fully sexually mature.
Humans:
A very popular game-animal due to wide spread and numerous populations but also due to the challenge of the hunt from camouflage, sense of smell, and hearing in avoid being found and avoid being near humans. However grasluafer have been know to live near farms and simply dart into dense cover anytime any human comes near where they remain silent and still until the humans leave.  Due to difficulty in spotting a graslaufer, hunter will use hunting animals to flush a graslaufer from hiding and shot a graslaufer as soon as tries to fly away from pursing hunting animal. The feathers are popular in hats fashion and for quills. Also the meat is prized by many hunters. The heads and body is often stuffed and displayed by hunters to show off their skill especially Male Graslaufer with vivid coloration due to pretty appearance, aggressiveness, ,elusiveness and rarity. Domesticated Graslaufer are raised for not only meat, feathers, and eggs; it is restock hunting grounds for nobles. So gamekeepers homes are often have pens of Graslaufers which they use for their own consumption but for the the game reserve they work on. Grasluafer is symbolize hunter prizes, but it is sometimes to characterize noble as bright and noble looking while being cowardly and hard to find when needed. Graslaufer is common symbol for gamekeepers and hunter's coat of arms. Even some noble house use the Graslaufer as their coat of arm. A popular dish of kings and noble is a fruit and herb graslaufer with honey glaze, but commoners rarely eat graslaufer unlike nobles as commoner get to only eat for very occasion like great holidays. It is not unheard of poach hunting on game reserve for Graslaufer to sell them for great profit as graslaufer sell a good price. For poachers, this is felony crime that means the punishment of losing an arm, life in prison and even death.
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