Flora & Fauna of Pern

Fauna

A note: Terran creatures are red-blooded, Pernese creatures are green-blooded.


Bellclaws
Creatures similar to spiderclaws, Bellclaws are more rounded, with a hard carapace, and powerful large claws with a distinct bulbous shape. Bellclaws are highly regarded as food animals, they are caught for that purpose. Bellclaws can be found on the banks of rocky rivers, and on coastline beeches.


Bigmouths
These are Very large fish, comparable to Terran basking sharks, feeding on tiny water creatures that drift freely in the water of Pern’s oceans by straining them out of the water sing fine gillrakes. Several species of Bigmouths exist in Pern, a few of which are smaller varieties of the larger ocean dwelling Bigmouths. Though they will prowl shallower areas such as the mouths of rivers, bays and coastlines.


Bloodfish
A rather odd fish, they live of the blood of their host. They attatch to the blood vessel of a creature, from which it feeds. All attached bloodfish are female. For the first Turn of the bloodfish’s life, they are free-living, and not host bound. They feed on smaller fish, and fish eggs. During this freeliving phase, they are male, they mature qickly and mate with the female whose Host brings the young males close.
Blood fish select hosts by body heat, they do not discriminate between Pernese or Terran species, however, a bloodfish that feeds on a Terran host becomes steralised. To a small creature these may be deadly, but to most human’s they are quite harmless.


Blurwings[/b]
They are the smallest of wherries, found in the tropics of Southern. Blur wings vary in size from the length of a mans finger to the length of his hand. They are usually very brightly coloured, and have long pointed beaks that are used to probe flowers in search of nectar.
Males of the species need only feed on nectar, however, little is known on the diet of the females, in order to produce their eggs they must find a source of protein. And during breeding season, females af been known to use their long beaks to take blood from beach-breeding longnecks, or other large Pern-native species.


Bonefish[/b]
A large marine fish, freshwater living. They are a peculiar sight, bony nodules and scales embedded into its skin easily distinguish it from other marine species. Bonefish are edible, however they are strong enough to break free of fishing nets, so they are caught by strong fishing lines. Their scales are often used as jewellery in Seaholds.


Burdenbeast
A Terran Ox.


Buzz Fly
A stinging fly native to Pern.


Canine[/u]
A Terran dog. However, on Pern, these creatures have been bred to precision tasks born of necessity, tasks such as herding, hunting, guarding holds, and hunting out tunnel snakes. They are never kept as pets as they might have been in Terran times.


Cark
a angerous and aggressive fish common to Southern waters. They are quite large, larger than the Terran-native Dolphin. They have been known to consume a man on rare occasions.


Crawler
A six-legged pest native to Pern, they build webs to catch their prey, smaller flying creatures such as the Buzz Fly.


Crawlie[/u]
A Pern-native creature, likened only to a Terran gecko. Though in contrast, they have six legs, witch similar bulbous toes that are perfectly adapted for sticking to sheer walls, ceilings. They also have a limited ability to change colours – colours such as greens, browns pale golds, natural camouflaging sort of colours. Their diet is based on small insects, that they capture with long sticky tongues.
Crawlies live in temperate areas, so are only usually found in the warmths of Southern. They have been known to become pests when food is easy to come by. Though, they are generally kept in balance by their own natural predator such as Tunnelsnakes and Wherries.


Darters
These are smaller wherries, that feed on insects, crawlers and Crawlies. Darters are a breed of wherries that are extremely common in Pern, and are known to exist all over both continents. They often set their nests quite close to Human settlements for they also scavenge. However, their numbers have taken a considerable drop in recent Turns. As the number of flitters grow, Firelizards choose Darters for they are a good size for hunting. They are also preyed upon by all manner of sizeable felines, and tunnelsnakes. A few species of these are kept, and rather valued by prissy Holderfolk who have a number of marks, and an inclination to show off. For some of these Darters sing intricate delicate songs, and are caged and kept as pets.


Dimglows
Dimglows are large aquatic air-breathing herbivores. They are named after the derisive term for people who are slow, and not vice versa. For, they are quite well known for their limited intellectual capacity.
They are found in around the coasts of the Southern coast-lands, and in the inland sea of Southern. They graze on sea plants. A few inland species survive also in deep lakes and rivers. They are elusive creatures, and they never approach mankind. They are quite valued for their meat and their oils, for which they are hunted.
In appearance, they are stout, strong, with a low dorsal ridges, and six limbs, the foremost of which had adapted for pulling foliage towards the mouth, the rear pairs are flippers, a horizontal flattened and fluked tail is what propels them through the water.


Divers
They are slender, fish-eating wherries, and are comparable to a Terran Cormorant. They are sociable, but noisy creatures, quite vocal. However, their social nature means that they have been tamed, and along the coast line, if they are caught young, they are taught to fish for their owners. Tame Divers are fitted with loose collars that prevent them from swallowing larger fish.
Divers are fairly intelligent, they have long toothed bills, dense feathers, and in domesticated examples, an air of arrogance.


Dolphins[/u]
The Pernese have only recently become aware of the dolphin’s intelligence (though some still consider them dumb beasts). Dolphins, together with those of the dolphineer craft, play a key role in Pern’s seas.
Dolphins, as a consequence of their playful and social nature, are never fished.


Dragons
Long been the Saviours of Pern, they are intelligent, empathic and have the ability to teleport via the Between. Through their bonds to humans, or their Riders, Pern has been repeatedly saved from the ravages of Thread.
Like the Terran myths, Dragon’s are winged quadrupeds who are capable of breathing fire, that is, after the consumption of a phosphine based ‘Firestone’. The dragons of Pern are sentient, though not necessarily as intelligent as their human partners. They have a weakness for remembering past events, as well as a difficulty in naming individual humans other than their own Riders.
Dragons have wedge-shaped heads and faceted, multicoloured eyes which change to indicate the dragon’s current emotional state.
Eye colours Key

• Greens/blues – calm, pleasure, love, and sleep
  
• Orange – uncertainty or suspicion.
  
• Purple – worry
  
• Red – anger, hunger or lust.
  
• White – danger
  
• Yellow – fear.
  

Dragons have forked tongues and forked tails, strong talons, and strong – but delicate looking wings. Their hide is mammalian as opposed to reptilian, it is often described as soft, smooth or suede-like. Dragons need constant oiling and grooming from their Riders to keep their hides from being damaged by the abrasions of air-borne particles, as well as the shock cold of the between, also in youth, their growth spurts tend to make the hide crack of flake.
[see further on dragon Colours available in Dark Moon]
[See further on Ailments, Anatomy & miscellaneous Dragon Information]


Earthworm
Creatures native to Pern, however, they are the exact same as the Terran variety.


Eels[/b]
So named for their similarity to Terran Eels, they are long sinuous fish, quite highly regarded as food animals. Fresh and salt water varieties are both found on Pern, and some of the species can grow to a large size, longer than a man!


Feline
A Terran cat, kept only for purposes of hunting vermin.


Fingerling
Small minnow like fish, native to Pern


Firefly
Again, similar to the Terran variety, they are small pretty creatures native to Pern


Firelizards
Also known as Flitters, or Flits. They are one of Pern’s best know species. They attach themselves to human compantions and the were the source of genetic material from which dragon’s were genetically rendered. Firelizards are smooth skinned carnivores that have beaks only in the hatchling form. They use these to break free of their eggs. In the wild, two natural species are found only in the tropics, though the larger, engineered varieties can live in all regions.
The original Pernese ‘dragons’, firelizards are a tropical species with a highly organizard social structure arranged around different casts, these castes are defined by the colours that they are born to. Each group, or fair, of firelizards is led by a golden ‘queen’. She defends a hunting and breeding territory, permitting no other adult queen to trespass. Of other colours, they run in the same fashions as their larger relatives – Dragons. Running in rarity from common to rare are green through to bronze.
However, they differ to their grander cousins in on respect. Both golds and greens are fertile, however, the greens have little to no maternal instincts and do not guard their eggs as fiercely as a gold, leaving the eggs a lot more vulnerable to predators such as tunnelsnakes.
Come hatching time in the wild, the fair collects a number of small prey items, which feed the emerging hatchlings, imprinting and binding them to the fair as they do so.
Firelizards reach maturity at the age of two Turns, Browns, Blue and Greens all settle to their paternal fairs, however young bronzes go to another fair, an effort to keep diversity within their species. Any young queens of the clutch are forcibly driven out at this age, forcing the young queen to form a fair of her own, in a new territory. Unless of course the young queen challenges her mother, or another gold for her territory., though this is a rarer occurrence.
A notable thing about firelizards is also the thing that made themsuitable for creating dragons. They have a fantastic mental ability. A fair is held together by their empathic and telepathic ties that are established at birth. And hatching Firelizards will bond to humans as readily as they do to their own species. So far as can be established, Firelizards regar a human companion as their ‘fair’, queens regard their human as their territory, albeit one with no clutching sites.
Firelizards also thrive because of their ability to go to the between, and use it as a method of effective teleportation. They also share the second stomach of their cousins, allowing them to chew firestone to produce a flaming gas, though again, golds cannot flame because of their natural intolerance for the firestone.


Fishersnakes[/u]
Large tunnelsnakes, with short, dense fur. Fishersnakes inhabit the edges of rivers, streams or any large source of water where fish will inhabit. They are not as well equipped as swimmers, but these variety of snakes have elongated forelimbs with huge claws and also have excellent eyesight. They choose fishing points beside their bodies of water, standing perfectly still, waiting for a daring or stupid fish to swim past. The prey is then snatched from the water, and killed by the fishersnake’s teeth before it is consumed.


Flatfish
As their name suggests, they have a flat body, they are found usually hovering over the sea bed. They resemble Terran rays more than they do plaice or sole. There are many species of Flatfish, the majority of which are important food sources.


Flameflies[/b]
Nocturnal fireflies found in the trpipical and semi-tropical latitudes of both Northern and Southern.


Fliptails[/b]
Small, hard-skinned animals, related to the Bellclaws and Spiderclaws. Fliptails have curved bodies that spring straight in order to rapidly escape predators. They are found in both fresh and salt water, and are an important part of the food chains, and can be eaten by man once shelled and cooked. They are often found in swarming quantities, and can be caught by fine nets.


Gossamer Spinner[/b]
Or; Spinners for short, They are a variety of Pern-native spider. They spin webs to catch their prey in the same manner that Terran spider's do.


Grabbers [/b]
An important, Pern-native species of marine carnivores. Grabbers all have powerful, vertically flattened tales, and two pairs of fins, one of which is positioned in the middle of their body, and one equidistant between there and it’s tail. They also have a pair of front limbs adapted into grabbing claws, not dissimilar to that of a tunnelsnake. Though, when not in use, these claws are tucked away into a streamlined pouch behind a dangerously toothed mouth. When hunting, a grabber uses their claws to seize their prey, which varies from a whole fish, to a chunk of an unwary larger sea creature. Some ocean dwelling varieties can grow to a colossal size, those of the coastal regions are generally smaller, but can be dangerous to humans as they lurk amongst the rocks, waiting for prey to pass by.


Greystalks[/b]
Shelled marine animals that anchor themselves to rocks by a long fleshy stalk, leaving the rest of their body to catch small particles from the water. They are edible, even if they aren’t incredibly pleasant looking on a plate.


Grubs[/b]
Another bio-enginereed life form created by the early colonists to protect the land from the Thread fall. They are unintelligent, sickly grey, limbless creatures that resemble large maggots. During Intervals, grubs survive on parasites which feed off of plant life, turning the soil as they feed, providing an excellent stimulation for growth, and it is a common fact that Southern is yields more bountiful crops because of these grubs.


Herbeast[/b]
Terran cattle, bred into varieties that provide an excess of milk as well as meat and hide values.


Ice Wherries[/b]
A name given to a wide range of species of the flightless fishing wherries that live in the colder regions of Pern. The wings of the ice wherries are adapted as strong paddles that propel the animal through the water as it hunts.They seize fish with either beak or strong foreclaws. They are a good but fatty source of meat. They are the prey of longnecks and seawhers.


Lizardhawks[/b]
They bear some resemblance to a Terran hawk. Lizardhawks are a group of species spread across Pern. The tropical examples of this species have been known to feed on small firelizards in the wild, as is their namesake, although, tunnelsnakes and other wherries are more common their prey. They have a reasonable intelligence, and if caught young, can be domesticated and trained to hunt wherries or tunnelsnakes.


Longnecks[/b]
Air breathing, aquatic carnivores, that feed on fish, spiderclaws and watercrawlers. A spall, often beaked head is balanced at the end of a long sinuous neck, connected to a thick yet streamlined body. They had a pair of flippers, a vertically flattened tail for propulsion, and a prominent dorsal ridge that is often fairly ornate in some of the marine species. They are found in all of Pern’s major seas and oceans.
Marine longnecks are egg layers, the females seeking out traditional beaches to lay their two eggs and raise their young to the point they can swim and feed independently.
Several species exist to inhabit freshwater rivers and lakes, however they are smaller than their sea-water relatives, and are usually capable of giving birth to live young.


Lopers [/b]
These are the largest of the Wherry species. Flightless herbivores, with almost vestigial wings that are used only by the males in mating displays. They reach up to twice to height of a man, and are named for their steady gait that allows them to cover huge distances. Lopers have a very wide distribution and can eat almost any king of plant matter. An important meat animal with an impressive breading rate.
Lopers are commonly farmed, and one of its smaller subspecies is an ostrich-sized “Farm-wherry”. Colour and density of their plumage differs between the species, and across their geographical range.


Orangegills[/b]
Small, numerous fish that live in huge scholls, feeding on smaller animals such as fliptails. They are caught in nets, and are a valued source of food in coastal holds. They are also frequently used as bait for larger fish.


Packtail[/b]
squat, sea-bed dwelling seafish with a thick fleshy tail, and poisonous spines along its back, a valued food fish, although care is recommended when handling one.


Paddlers [/b]
These are a group of flightless wherries, similar to Ice wherries of the colder regions, although the two groups are not closely related, the plumage of paddlers is much sparser than the fine and dense coat of the of their cold-living cousins.


Redbellies[/b]
A large meaty river fish that breeds in the shallows of lakes. They often migrate hundreds of miles to do so. Adults sometimes venture into salt water to feed, but they are primarily freshwater fish. They prefer colder waters.


Rockmite[/b]
A native crustacean, similar to Terran crabs. They are common, and considered good eating, with fresh and salt water varieties. Found in all manner of water, shallow and deep. Growth sizes depend on region.


Rocksnakes[/b]
A generic term used to name a large number of species spread across Pern. Rocksnakes are generally slender, agile animals that live amongst the rocks, and in caves. These snakes are more often the plague of human societies. They will eat almost anything they com across, and can cause awful damage to stored foods.
Some varieties are poisonous and will bite if disturbed.


Roller[/b]
Pernese equivalent of a Wood louse, considered a pest.


Runnerbeast[/b]
Commonly shortened to ‘Runner(s)’, they come in many varieties, from draft, to racing, and even pony types have been bred.


Sandrocks[/b]
Clam-like creatures that live under the sand of beaches, from which they may be dug up at low tide, they are considered an edible delicacy.


Sandworm
A sand dwelling work, native to deserts, and are considered a pest.


Seapickles
Obscure elongated creatures covered in sharp spines to protect their soft, fleshy bodies. They graze the sea beds in tropical waters. They are edible, however divers must take caution in harvesting them.


Seawhers
Air breathing predators. Seawhers are probably the most intelligent of the native inhabitants of Pern’s oceans. Although some species are smaller than dolphins, they tend to be shy and are rarely seen by humans. Larger varieties are better known and are Pern’s equivalent to the Terran Orca whale, though somewhat less friendly.
Those of the oceans travel in large pods, hunting dimglows and bigmouths, although they have been known to consume humans and the occasional unlucky Dolphin that strayed too close. However, this said, they will not approach a human ship if not damaged. They prefer to distance themselves to humanity.
Seawhers are highly protective of other pod members, and they will not hesitate to even attack a dragon that chooses to exploit a member of their pod.
Seawhers, unlike their land based cousins, are quite streamlined, with a powerful, vertically flattened tail – similar to a Terran crocodile. Their rear limbs have been reduced to stabilizers, their middle limbs adapted to large steering fins, whilst the front limbs have become small flaps in front of the main fins, and are only used in mating. A series of dorsal ridges runs along the back, with one elongated to a triangular fin at the midpoint.
Females give birth to live young, usually ones or twos, and the whole pod cares for the younglings.


Seasnakes
Large, predatory eels, that hunt in packs deep in the water. The name is occasionally given to a certain species of tunnelsnakes that hun in water, some of these are highly poisonous and should be avoided – though there is little reason to be in contact with one, seen as they are totally inedible.


Shipfish
Another – older term for the Dolphin, usually used by those ignorant of the dolphin’s intelligence, and is considered an almost offensive term by both Dolphineer and Dolphin both.


Skimmers
Large flat seafish, that feed on small floating creatures by skimming them out of the water, similar to the Terran manta ray.


Slashers
Southern Carnivorous Wherries. Most species of slashers are again – flightless, although some of the smaller species retain the use of their wings for flight.
They range in size from species as small as a chicken to as large as a human. Slashers have an impressive set of meat teeth – incisors and canines, located in mouths, though some do retain their beaks.
Their main weapons are their claws. Both fore, and hid linbs are equipped with sharp, strong claws that are used for bringing down their prey. The usual hunting method involved the prey being seized by the foreclaws, and being disembowelled by the hindlimbs. Slashers generally hunt in packs, and are considered dangerous. They have been known to take farmed animals as commonly as those of the wild. They would attack a human if given the opportunity, though they avoid dragons and larger whers on the occasion their numbers are small.
They generally tend to live in densely forested areas, or areas away from mankind. But occasionally, their territories do overlap, and it can cause chaos for both parties.


Snowsweepers
Large squat creatures, completely covered in dense scraggy grey fur. Snowsweepers are herbivores that feed in the tundra regions of Southern. Their namesake comes from the fact that a family group (usually five or six) will form a line and move slowly forward over the ground, grazing as they go.
They are often accompanied by “hairpeckers” Flight-able wherries that pick ticks and other parasites from the fur of the snowsweeper. Almost as payment for these actions, the hairpeckers act as lookouts, and alert the snowsweepers to the approach of predators.
In the case of an attack, snowsweepers huddle together and lash out withtheir broad, hard beaks, and forelegs that have adapted into curved cutting blades.


Spiderclaw
Enclosed in a hardened carapace, spiderclaws live on the sea floor, hunting and scavenging for food. Most have small bodies with long legs, tipped with small claws, but some are more elongated, almost resembling oversized fliptails. They are an important food source for the Pernese.


Springers
Short bodied herbivores with stiff tails held above the ground. Springers have large hid legs, which give them their characteristic bouncing gait. Ranging in size from mouse sized, to the size of a sheep. They are found throughout the warmer regions of Southern, here they feed on ground plants, and they nest in burrows beneath the ground, often in family groups.
Spingers are edible and are often taken from the wild as food animals. Firelizards also consume these as a choice meal.
These can occasionally be considered pests to ground based, or root based crops.


Sprinter
Somewhat smaller than the Loper Wherries to which they are closely related. Sprinters are slender flightless wherries that can be as tall as a man in their larger varieties.
Omnivorous creatures with toothed beaks, they are very nervy creatures, and are continually on the lookout for danger. In the presence of which the flee at high speeds, they can in fact outrun wildcats, one of a minority of creatures that can.


Southern Cats[/U]
A genetically engineered feline which were created with the the intentions of developing an intelligent, Impressionable guard/hunt companion. Unfortunately, the scientist doing the experiment was not a qualified geneticist, and his prototypes killed him before escaping into the wilderness of Southern. Wildcats, or Southern Cats, are about three and half feet to the shoulder, and about five feet long, though the males are slightly larger. They have the markings and colourings of a Terran jaguar/cheetah hybrid. Their coat is a rich tawny yellow, spotted with black rosettes.
The body is massive and powerfully muscles with a relatively small head, and long legs built for explosive sprinting power. Over short distances, the southerncat can achieve speeds of up to 45mph. They are also adept climbers and excellent swimmers, making it capable of taking a wide range of prey. Southern cats are aggressive, territorial and highly intelligent. Pairs will mate for life, unmated individuals will remain solitary.
The tropical areas of southern tends to be their main living place. Here they mate in any season, yet elsewhere they mate during the spring.
After a gestation period of 8 months, a female will bear one or two cubs who take roughly three years to fully mature. The lifespan of a Southern cat is estimated at thirty turns.
Territorial disputes will most commonly end in death.
These cats can be tamed if taken as a cub, however if they fail to imprint on the human, the Southern cat becomes a nightmare to train, but occasionally, they will impress to a human.
However, this said, humans tend to drive southern cats away, for a southern cat will hunt and kill a lone human, and they will stray into the livestock of local farms. So, the two species generally do not get on very well.


Stabbers
Slender, long necked wherries with long beaks, they frequent the edges of rivers and lakes, feeding on small fish and watercrawlers they pluck from the shallows – similar to the Terran heron.


Treehoppers
Furred creatures with six legs, and a long furred tail, similar to a Terran Squirrel, save with an extra pair of legs.
They are found in any grouping of trees that can feed them, and within which they can live. Treehoppers are widely known as vermin, causing damage to orchards and eating their way through nut and berry crops.
They are one of the choice prey for domestic firelizards and cats. And are often used as meat in strews, and despite this, they breed so rapidly, their numbers never seem to reduce.
Treehoppers can brow to the length of a man’s arm, and range in colour from a pale grey-brown through to a rusty brown, to a near black.
In temperate regions, they hibernate during the winter months.


Trundlebug
A native insect which does the pollination work done by Terran bees.


Tunnelcats
Similar to a Terran ferret, though a Pernese equivalent. They are of the Pern six limbed variety as opposed to the Terran quadruped. They are long, lithe creatures that are curious by nature, and fearless also. Their long flexible body allows them to chase a Tunnelsnake down it's hole, making them adept for hunting and iradicating the pests in the area.
They are omnivorous by nature, though they tend to be carnivorous by preference.
Tunnelcats are domesticated, and are often used by people, but they are not impressionable, they are simply domesticated animals of Pern. They are not kept as pets, but as with most animals of Pern they are functional pets.

Tunnel snake
The most generic term used for a Pernese animal (save for perhaps Wherry). They are warm-blooded, with six limbs to their body, from which all ‘higher’ creatures have developed. Some are scaled, others have smooth hides, some even are furred. They differ wildly in lifestyle and died, herbivores, omnivores, carnivores and scavengers. All of which are represented, although, all are egg layers. Most are pests, and few varieties are edible.


Vtol
Another native insect, one which can leap into flight from a vertical position.


Watch-wher
One of the ‘mistakes’ created by the settlers in an attempt to produce dragons. Watch-whers are the familiar guard animals of Pern. They are also used by the minecraft below ground.
They are reasonably intelligent, and with some minor telepathic and empathic abilities, and a strong sense of loyalty to their handlers. Watchwhers are low slung ugly creatures with malformed eyes that cause them to be photophobic. They also have a strong, and considerably unpleasant odour to most.
They only show the same range of colours as Northern dragons, gold to green, and nothing of Dark moon’s mutations. Only the golds may breed, the greens having been engineered as sterile. Golds, bronzes and browns are mainly kept for minecrafters, who breed them for work in the mines. Young males, of brown and blue are often sold to holds who want them as guard beasts. Greens are often culled at birth, as their unpredictable patters of mating runs make them unsuitable for work or as guard beasts. Although the minecraft tend to keep some for some ‘sexual relief’ for the males of the mines.
Although it is rare, it is not unknown for a Gold wher to escape to the wild, and all wild whers found in the North are this. They can cause considerable damage to livestock, and will attack humans if disturbed.
Southern, in contrast, has its own breed of wild wher, that is distinct from the watch wher. (see Whers)
[see main article on Whers]


Watersnakes
A name applied to a number of tunnelsnakes that feed in rivers and streams. Most are harmless, but few are poisonous and should be treated with caution. Though the poisonous ones are usually marked more elaborately than those that aren’t.


Wherry[/u]
Pern’s native birds. With a set of arms that abstract them from Terran birds, also the fact that their wings are membranous. Most varieties have a covering of “featherfur” (not dissimilar to the feathers of Terran birds) that covers their body, including their wings. They have powerful hind legs, that are adapted for springing or running, which the forelimbs are adapted for grasping. Most wherries have a beak of some variety, but some are also gifted with teeth.
Wherries come in all shapes and sizes, there are possible thousands of breeds inhabiting pern, and all sorts of ecological niches. Though many of the species have lost the ability to fly. Some have been domesticated, and are farmed for meat, eggs and their hides (which is tanned and classed as ‘wherhide’). Others are taken from the wild as food animals for food sources, for both humans and dragons.
The diet of a wherry varies on species and location, some are carnivorous, such as slashers, some are fish eating, such as the divers, some are herbivorous like the Lopers.
Some of the larger carnivourous species are capable of killing animals large as herdbeasts, though they generally inhabit the untamed regions of Southern.


Whers[/u]
Another of the hiccoughs within the dragon breeding program of the settlers. Whers are a totally wild species found in the Southern Continent, where they were left after the Second Crossing. Like watchwhers, they show the full canon range of dragon colours, and once again, greens are sterile. However, whers are ‘better designed’ than their domestic cousins, although still mainly nocturnal, they are not photophobic. They have long legs and are powerful enough to carry their bodies clear of the ground, and they have little discernible scent.
Whers have a wide range across the entirety of the Southern Continent. They show a similarly complex social structure to that of flits or dragons. Golds control large territories, within which they construct breeding dens; a single gold territory typically contains five or six smaller territories controlled by males who fight to maintain their borders and attract the gold to their patch when she is ready to mate. As a result the small blues are very rare as the larger bronzes and browns kill then quickly in territorial fights. Greens do not hold territories, and wander freely through those of the males, as greens are comparative small and agile, they can generally avoid detection unless they are in mating heat, in which case males welcome them.
A mated gold will lay 7-10 eggs in an underground den. She keeps them warm by piling rotten vegetation around them, after hatching, she feeds the young for a month before abandoning them to find their own territories.
Wild whers are generally smaller than their domestic cousins, a gold will reach the size of a Terran female lion. Greens and Blues are roughly half of this size, though mature blues are rarely seen.
The wings of the larger whers are completely useless, totally unable to suspend them in flight. However, smaller greens can use their wings in short glides.
Though wild whers are active hunters, they will readily take penned livestock if given the opportunity.


Whersport[/u]
the closest natural relatives to the firelizards, whersports are much less notable as a species with respect to their mental contacting abilities. They have only two colours, the males are brown, and the females are green, with smooth hide having a far more mottled appearance than the more sheer variety of the firelizards. They are larger than their cousins, large males reaching the length of a man’s arm. Usually these creatures are shy, and withdraw from human contact, they live in the tropical forests where mated pairs defend hinting territories, they take small wherries and other small animals. Whersports have heavily clawed front limbs that they use to rip open the rock-like nests of certain tropical crawlers, they collect their spoils with long sticky tongues.
Their wings are functional, but they are rarely used, except in emergency, they are poor fliers, and vulnerable to aerial predators, rarely leaving cover if they can help it.
They are edible, and they are considered a delicacy by humans, reflecting the fact that they are difficult to both find and catch. Though the Weyrs do not tend to partake in this particular meat, a kind of ethical issue.


Whitewings[/u]
Seawherries that inhabit coastal areas, nesting in cliffs and feeding on fish. They are a common sight around most coasts. There are several species of whitewing, all are very similar and can only be told apart by their differing sizes and the details of their plumage.


Woolbearer
or woollies, are the equivalent of Terran sheep. They have been bred for specific purposes, though none are regarded for anything of intelligence.


Yellowfins
Large powerful deep sea fish . Yellowfins travel in schools, feeding on smaller fish. Their meat is very high quality, and highly valued. Although catching them does require much skill, as they can rip through most nets. In some places, schools passing close to the shore are herded into inlets and are butchered there.


Yellowstripe[/u]
A small, native fish with yellow racing stripes.


Yellowtail[/u]
Small, Pern-native fish with a yellow tail, and a dorsal stripe. Considered not worth eating for they are very bony, and do not contain much meat.


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