Purotora: Difference between revisions
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[[Bearhogs]] have had a hard time: at around the beginning of the ice age, many species lost their habitat and died out. Though many lineages did take to various cave systems for refuge, most would only then succumb to various diseases like the [[Golden Plague|golden plague]]. In the end, only the [[Blind Hoofplent|blind hoofplent]] would eventually return to the surface world and diversify into a wide range of species. Despite this, it's not the only surviving lineage of bearhog, with one other group having made it through. That lineage comes from the [[snowprint]], the only species of bearhog to have survived by not taking to caves, instead surviving by toughing it out on the surface world and adapting to live in the tundra. Having lived as a kleptoparasitic scavenger, the snowprint did fairly well for itself, until the solar flare occurred. After that, virtually all of the megafauna had gone completely extinct, including both predators and prey. In this time frame, the snowprint suddenly found itself being the largest carnivore in the region, but there was also not that much large carrion being provided by very large carnivores anymore. As a result, this forced the snowprints to mostly abandon their ancestral lifestyle and switch to actively hunting down whatever game they came across. Over many millions of years, these snowprints would split off and give rise to a whole new species, known as the '''purotora'''.
The purotora and its direct ancestor are the only living bearhogs that have never once been herbivores, having at most been generalistic omnivores and primarily having had a diet of only meat throughout their history. As such, the
The larger size of the purotora not only allows it to tackle larger prey, but it also helps it better retain body heat compared to the smaller snowprint. This is further assisted by a particularly important adaptation to its cold climate, a coat of trichomes which in turn traps air against the skin and keeps the purotora warm. The trichomes are absent between the hindlegs below the butt nostril, as that is where the bearhog will urinate through its skin. A larger size additionally helps the purotora with scaring smaller carnivores off of a kill, such as [[Sprinting Bubbleskin|sprinting bubbleskins]] and [[fluneriga]]s, though it will back down if it comes face to face with predators such as the [[Polar Baron|polar baron]]. If it is threatened by such large carnivores, the purotora can certainly get into a brawl, however it will first try to intimidate its opponent. For this, the creature will unfurl its pair of sails, which normally lie flat against its back to reduce exposure to the chilly winds. The wood spine of their ancestors is now fully encased within the flesh of the sail minus the very tip. Helping act as attachment points for strong muscles, the wood spines help the sails open up and display the large and vibrant patterns, which are useful in intimidating threats or competition. The species can also still rely on photosynthesis for some energy through these sails, allowing them to effectively fast for periods of time until they smell the scent of carrion or detect prey. The purotora still has a powerful immune system to deal with any potential diseases it might contract from consuming carrion.
When it comes to reproduction, the puratora has little to no mating ritual during their breeding season (which occurs when the winter comes to an end in the areas they live). A male will seek out a female and track her down, after which the two will immediately get into combat. In this duel, the female is testing the
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