Aiki Mushroom (
Amanita aiki)
Used in:
Toxic
red mushroom with flat or convex cap, white spore print and stipe ring.
Typically found in the Field biome in association with tree roots.
While highly toxic to humans and feli in particular, the Aiki has a
number of important uses in the creation of Welding Discs, Coat Stain,
Coat Bleach, Aging Potion, and even a flavor additive in Sausage. Aiki
are also the primary ingredient in the crunchy-chewy candy AikEEzEEz,
which has the curious effect of stimulating ovulation and/or sperm
maturation in felis, rendering them more fertile in subsequent matings.
Buku Mushrooms (
Cantharellus buku)
Used in:
Bright
orange or iridescent blue mushroom, stipe thin and bare,
infundibuliform cap. Found in association with mature Brussu tree roots,
buku are edible but psychoactive to humans. Spores have a profound
mutagenic
effect on feli; they can be fed directly to splice the Zoned marking,
cooked and processed with essence of Shuck Berries to create Shuckyus,
or
boiled and rendered into the taffy-like candy Byte-o-Buku, which can
flip genders or create Omni cats. This is particularly useful for feli
breeders on a budget. It is also an important mutagenic component in Switching Potions.
Globeshroom (
Agaricus globus)
Cap convex and dark brown with faint tan speckles when mature, stipe bare, brown spore print. Immature mushrooms resemble light brown snowpack boletes, but mature mushrooms easily grow to the height of the average human. Found in the creek ecosystem, globeshrooms may be eaten but are quite bland and tough when mature. Their large size makes them useful for makeshift shelters if researchers should be caught in bad weather, or simply to provide shade on hot days.
Snowpack Bolete (
Boletus edulis)
A Terran species, brought to Felisfire by colonists. It thrives best in cold, snowy biomes, but
remains an uncommon resource. Edible, brown and convex cap, brown spore
print and bare stipe. Found in association with other tundra plant
roots. Not to be confused with the Globeshroom, which is considerably
larger but can be mistaken when mushrooms are young. Boletes are most
prized for their feli DNA patch Sagittarius-- as with some other Terran
flora, it would appear that Feli genes are sensitive to some chemicals
from Earth!
Uku glowing Mushrooms (
Mycena uku)
Used in:
Conical cap, white
spore print, found in association with multiple grass species in the
Field biome. Bioluminescent; fruiting bodies glow a bright green that is
visible in darkness, provides the mysterious glow often found in the
Fields at night. Uku mushrooms are inedible to humans, but they are an
important ingredient in Coat Bleach and Breeding Potions.
Xutu Worm Mushrooms (
Xutu vermiformis)
Stipe rubbery and vermiform in clusters of 4-5, pink with blue underside, cap absent; pale blue spores released from striped gills at distal end. Found in association with deadwood on the banks of freshwater lakes, these unusual fungi thrive in very wet conditions. While inedible to both humans and feli, many Aquii seem to be intoxicated by the xutu mushroom as a kind of catnip. The essential oils of the mushroom may be distilled and used as a scale and skin moisturizer for hairless feli, but care must be taken to not overdose Aquui on this intoxicant.
Buckgrass Square (
Ulva buckii
Used in:
Buckgrass is not a grass at all, but instead an edible green alga that grows on the bottoms of lakes and rivers. Its membrane is only two cells thick, and grows in a large, ruffled shape that can be gathered and dried into a cube shape for easy storage. Buckgrass accumulates a high sodium content relative to the water around it. As a result, Aquii love the salty algae fresh or prepared, and gain particular exploring energy from the pickled treat Bucky's SaltySquares. Humans with a taste for salt can enjoy buckgrass as flavoring too, and colonists have gathered much of this highly abundant plant from their first arrival.
Moyra Shoots (
Xenoilex moyrii)
Used in:
Short leafy stems, thick and glossy leaves with a distinct sour taste. Thrives in creek environments near shallow fresh water. The sticky sap from the leaves is used in the production of Mashmoyras, a chewy, sweet-and-sour candy that imparts particular hunting focus to Aquui. Moyra shoots can also be cooked and eaten by humans who enjoy the tart flavor in their meals, and Feli often enjoy it as an additive in sausage. Moyra shoots are also one of the botanical components of Basic Species Discs.
Crab Spider (
Thomisus canceriformi)
A large ground-dwelling spider common near freshwater creeks. Bright red, bulbous abdomen with median ridge, pedipalps well-developed with spearing claws. Female body size averages 18-25cm, males smaller at 10-15 cm. Crab spiders are ambush hunters and have been observed lying in wait in rocks along the creek bed, impaling small fish with their spearing claws and retreating to a safe place to eat. Their diet is mostly fish, but these spiders will eat anything they can catch, including smaller crab spiders. They do not build webs, but the female does produce silk to construct an egg case, which she carries on her underside for two weeks. These spiders are quick and can be aggressive, brandishing their claws if threatened, but their venom is mild and they can be caught more easily in nets.
Species Descriptions: Aquus and Scalae
Aquus (
Xenofelis aquus)
The water-cat is one of the five common
feli species, and is second on the scale of genetic dominance in
cross-species pairings. It displays many key adaptations to its
aquatic lifestyle: a streamlined but muscular body covered in smooth
scales, long webbed toes with non-retractable claws, a dorsal sail,
sensory barbels, and small fins on the elbows and jaw. The aquus can
be found in almost any body of water on Felisfire, from freshwater
lakes and creeks to saltwater bays and marshes, and is an impressive
swimmer, reaching a top swimming speed of 30 km/h and a maximum dive
depth of 15-20 m. It swims with powerful kicks of its hind legs,
similar to the Terran otter, and uses its sturdy tail to steer.
Aquii have no upper growth limit and
continue to grow slowly through their entire lives, with some very
old individuals standing 2.4 m tall and weighing nearly 300 kg,
though these elders are not as nimble or fast as their younger
counterparts. The average adult aquus stands approximately 1.2 m
tall and weighs 70 kg. They display all known markings in any
conceivable color, and land-based markings such as Ocelot or Savannah
often take on a distinctly aquatic look, with countershading and
other fish-like patterns. Its skin, while hairless, secretes a fine
layer of oil to keep the scales clean and insulated against cold.
Indeed, aquui spend as much time grooming their scales as other feli
do with their fur and feathers.
Behavior and Diet:
Aquui are unique among feli in that
they are social, hunting and playing in small familial groups. They
tend to be distrustful of other aquui not in their social group, but
will come together to mate or break away from their original group to
start a new one. They are highly inquisitive and intelligent
creatures, often going out of their way to explore new places in
their aquatic habitat.
An aquus' diet consists primarily of
fish, as they do most of their hunting in the water, but they are
also scavengers and will eat nearly anything, including birds,
snakes, crustaceans, molluscs, carrion, and certain plants. They
seem particularly fond of salty Buckgrass and sour Moyra shoots, both
of which have been manufactured into popular treats that no other
feli will touch. They also have a unique reaction to the oil from
Xutu Worm Mushrooms, responding to it as Terran cats to catnip. They
do not eat these rubbery mushrooms, but instead gnaw and rub against
them until achieving a kind of happy stupor. They are the only feli
known to react in this way.
Care and Breeding:
The Aquus may be one of the easiest
feli to care for, with its easy disposition and grooming
requirements, but they need just as much love and attention as any
other breed. Because they are social, aquui require at least one
other feli companion to play with, and they will also tend to become
very attached to their human caretaker. Frequent trips to the lake
and creek are recommended to give your aquus a chance to swim, hunt
for fish, and engage in other natural behaviors. When encountering a
wild aquus, just remember that they are highly curious—if they
approach and make themselves known, they're only observing you. But
do remember that while they are generally easygoing creatures, even
an Aquus won't hesitate to defend themselves against attack, and
their sharp claws and needle-like teeth ensure a painful grip.
An aquus' skin usually feels slightly oily to the touch, but don't
worry, this means your feli is healthy! In fact, dry scales may be
an indication of sickness, and soon leads to other skin problems such
as mites or dermatitis. Your aquus will always groom itself
meticulously, but if dryness should set in, an application of
moisturizing oil is recommended (use sparingly if the oil is
distilled from Xutu Worm Mushrooms; your feli may love the stuff, but
too much can be harmful). Apart from possible skin problems, the
aquus is a low-maintenance, friendly, and very loyal companion for
any Felisfire scientist.
Scalae (
Xenofelis lepidus)
Description: The scale cat is one of the five common feli species,
and is third on the scale of genetic dominance in cross-species
pairings. In general, scalae are reptilian in appearance, with
hairless, tough scaled skin, long dorsal and facial spines, sharp
non-retractable claws, and a long muscular tail with a terminal
fluke. It has no external ears, but the ear openings are present
just below a pair of long, upward-curving horns on the head. They
are muscular animals of highly variable size—some adults are no
larger than adult Zerda, while others stand about 1 m tall and reach
lengths of 3 m or more, including the tail. Scalae can be found in
almost any environment, but they are most common in dry, warm biomes,
as they dislike being cold or wet, and their tough scales protect
them from heat and dryness.
Behavior and Diet: Scalae are the best diggers of all the
xenofelinoids. They spent most of their time inside shallow burrows
that they excavate with their long claws, resting throughout the day
and emerging at dusk to hunt and explore. They are solitary cats and
highly territorial, attacking any intruder that may wander into its
domain. Researchers are advised to be wary of any unfamiliar scalae
they encounter in the field—while most scalae issue a growling
warning before attack, some do not.
Scalae are opportunistic hunters and will eat just about any animal
they can catch or scavenge, though they always prefer a fresh kill.
However their favorite meal is in fact insects, and scalae will spend
an inordinate amount of time digging or tearing up rotting wood for
beetles, grubs, termites, and other delicacies. This tendency has
prompted scalae researchers to create Nubma Nubs, a treat made from
crushed Nubma beetles. Not surprisingly, other feli will reject this
candy, but scalae devour it any chance they get.
Care and Breeding: Scalae are notorious for their ferocious
appearance and bad temper, and most beginner scientists tend to steer
clear. But don't let appearances keep you from studying these
magnificent cats! With a lot of patience, it is possible to get
close enough to a wild scalae to observe it. Make yourself visible
but non-threatening, and return to the same places every day to wait
and observe. Eventually the feli will grow used to your presence and
even ignore you, but it will take time. Never behave aggressively
towards an unfamiliar scalae, because they will bite back, and their
needle-sharp teeth are a very painful reminder.
Even scalae raised in the laboratory can be ill-tempered at times,
particularly while pregnant or caring for kits, but when raised
around humans they are generally much more accepting and friendly.
It has been shown recently that Byu and Ceve leaves contain compounds
that mimic scale mating pheromones and improve their sociability.
Byuceve bars, therefore, are a scalae-breeder's best friend when
attempting to breed these temperamental cats. Don't forget to also
supply them with frequent insect treats—scalae will love you
forever if you do!
Also remember that scalae are diggers. They grow restless and
unhappy if kept away from dirt or sand to dig in, so an underground
portion of the laboratory is recommended. If this is not possible,
frequent trips outside to a favorite burrow or digging spot is the
next best thing. This breed is not recommended for those scientists
who enjoy a neat garden, as they will destroy it. However, scalae
might be ideal for anyone with a large excavation project. But as
with any feli, don't expect a scalae to listen to your instructions;
they dig however much they like, whenever they like, and can be quite
lazy whenever they choose.
With their beautiful scale patterns and relatively short gestation
(six days) scalae are impressive subjects for breeding and an ideal
project for an intermediate-level researcher. But even if you're a
beginner with a taste for the unusual, these scaly cats may be just
the companion for you!
