04-19-2013, 01:15 AM
This is Day Three
This creature is a(n): Muricatta Lactylia, commonly known as the Striped Enchillian
This is its story: The striped enchillian is a mammal that may look like it is a cross between a llama and a skunk but it's closest relative is actually the cow. Striped enchillians have a gestation period of 9 months and females normally give birth to only one at a time. By about 2 years old these creatures are fully-grown and able to reproduce.
The striped enchillian is a herbivore that exclusively eats thistles. These thistles are extremely unique because they only grow on the Andean mountain thistle plant, which is a plant that is only found in the Andes and as a consequence the striped enchillian is a species native only to the Andes. The plant grows best on the most rugged portions of the mountain, which are almost impossible for any animal to reach. To take advantage of this untapped food source, the striped enchillian evolved a long neck so that it can stand on a lower, easier to reach portion of the mountain and stretch its neck to reach the thistles above. Its short legs also help to lower its center of gravity so it possesses tremendous balance and will never slip and fall while reaching for something.
The striped enchillian has evolved extra long ears that it can raise straight up in order to hear for predators. Its natural predators include the cougar and fox. When a striped enchillian detects a cougar or fox it simply runs higher up the mountain until it reaches an area that the predator can no longer reach, then it stays up there until the predator loses interest.
The striped enchillian is best known for its long white stripe that stretches from the tip of its head to the very end of its tail. This stripe appears when the animal is roughly 1 and a half years old and stays with them for the rest of their life. The prevailing theory regarding this stripe is that it is involved in sexual selection for the species. This is why males, like the one shown in the picture, have a stripe with significantly more white fur than females. Basically, during mating season in the late winter a male will find a female and begin jumping side to side in front of her in a way that makes their long white fur bob up and down. Immediately afterwards, if the female has not left, the male will approach the female and lightly brush its tail against her snout in a slow and gentle manner. It is assumed that the length and cleanliness of the male's white fur plays a very important role in whether or not the male gains the right to mate with the female.
There are estimated to be approximately 150 000 striped enchillians in the wild because they habitat a relatively sparsely populated environment. However, they are still vulnerable due to the fact that they can only survive in the Andes and rely exclusively on the Andean thistle to survive, so if something were to happen to their food source then their numbers would rapidly dwindle.
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