arboreal_priestess (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
arboreal_priestess) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2018-01-10 10:14 am
arboreal_priestess) wrote in fandomhigh2018-01-10 10:14 am
Entry tags:
The Cryptozoologist's Field Guide, Wednesday, Per 1
Class met in the Danger Shop today, now that she'd gotten a brief rundown about how it worked. The students stepped into a room made of two distinct biospheres; to one side was a desert not unlike something found in Arizona or Nevada and to the other side lay a verdant jungle, though one with significantly less overgrowth than one might find in a real jungle. On the desert side, no animals were easily visible, just an assortment of cacti growing in sporadic patches. On the jungle side, flashes of brightly colored feathers could sometimes be seen, and loud yowls and strange bird calls could be heard. In Verity's arms was a large creature with black wings and by her feet was another bit of cactus.
"Morning!" she called when the class arrived. "So, cryptozoology is hardly an exact science. Most of the time, we have no idea how things evolved or why, or what ecological niche they filled. In fact, cryptozoology is an excellent field of study when you want to prove that nature has a sense of humor. So, before anyone asks the questions 'Why?' or 'How?' rest assured, the answer is probably 'I don't know.'"
The ball of feathers in Verity's arms cheeped and raised its head; looking like an oversized raven. "Sometimes, nature takes a species that we think we know well and changes it up, presumably for ha-has." Very scientific. "Resulting in species like two I have here. The first, at my feet, is the Cataceae veprecula, or the cactus cat." Verity nudged the cactus with her foot and the green ball unfurled to reveal a three-foot long green cat with a coat full of what looked like spines. "At some point, the cactus cat evolved a spiny coat, like a porcupine or a hedgehog, presumably for protection, and also turned green, probably for camouflage. They hunt in pads and, like lions, they're primarily ambush predators, though they're genetically closest to lynx, while being still a completely distinct species. Cactus cats can be found in both warm and cold desert regions and are primarily nocturnal."
The creature in her arms gave a loud squawk and flung itself out of Verity's arms and into the air. There, the class could see that while the creature had the head of a great raven and the body and general size of a Maine Coon cat. "This is Crow," she said, nodding at the creature. "My brother's pet, a European Church Griffin--or Gryps vegrandis. While all of the larger species of griffins have been hunted into extinction in my world, several varieties of lesser griffins still exist, though they are heavily endangered. We know of at least twenty species of lesser griffin, from the Carrion Griffin, Gryps vegrandis fulvus, which can grow to the size of a large dog, down to the Petite Griffins, ryps vegrandis microgryps, which grow to no more than six inches in length."
Crow flew off into the jungle, where he was greeted by several more griffins of various types, including one that looked like a mashup of a macaw and a spotted cat. "Griffins are mammals, for all that they resemble birds, and their feathers are made of keratin, the same way hair is, but isn't quite properly either. By all rights, griffins shouldn't be able to fly, as they don't have hollow bones and they do have dense muscles, but screw physics, they're half cat, half bird, they do what they want."
"While cactus cats live in pads of the dominant male, several females and young, griffins flock in mated pairs, or triads, generally for life. If a lesser griffin is separated from its mate or mates, it will pine away and die. We have no way of knowing whether there are any lesser griffin species native to North America or if they were all imported at pets or game animals, though they have pretty much settled in every biome North America has to offer."
From her bag, Verity pulled out notebooks and pencils to hand out. "Today, your job is to hang out with these different cryptids and take notes on their behavior. What can you discover about them? What do they eat? How do they interact? Take as many notes as you can, either by observation or direct interaction."
"Morning!" she called when the class arrived. "So, cryptozoology is hardly an exact science. Most of the time, we have no idea how things evolved or why, or what ecological niche they filled. In fact, cryptozoology is an excellent field of study when you want to prove that nature has a sense of humor. So, before anyone asks the questions 'Why?' or 'How?' rest assured, the answer is probably 'I don't know.'"
The ball of feathers in Verity's arms cheeped and raised its head; looking like an oversized raven. "Sometimes, nature takes a species that we think we know well and changes it up, presumably for ha-has." Very scientific. "Resulting in species like two I have here. The first, at my feet, is the Cataceae veprecula, or the cactus cat." Verity nudged the cactus with her foot and the green ball unfurled to reveal a three-foot long green cat with a coat full of what looked like spines. "At some point, the cactus cat evolved a spiny coat, like a porcupine or a hedgehog, presumably for protection, and also turned green, probably for camouflage. They hunt in pads and, like lions, they're primarily ambush predators, though they're genetically closest to lynx, while being still a completely distinct species. Cactus cats can be found in both warm and cold desert regions and are primarily nocturnal."
The creature in her arms gave a loud squawk and flung itself out of Verity's arms and into the air. There, the class could see that while the creature had the head of a great raven and the body and general size of a Maine Coon cat. "This is Crow," she said, nodding at the creature. "My brother's pet, a European Church Griffin--or Gryps vegrandis. While all of the larger species of griffins have been hunted into extinction in my world, several varieties of lesser griffins still exist, though they are heavily endangered. We know of at least twenty species of lesser griffin, from the Carrion Griffin, Gryps vegrandis fulvus, which can grow to the size of a large dog, down to the Petite Griffins, ryps vegrandis microgryps, which grow to no more than six inches in length."
Crow flew off into the jungle, where he was greeted by several more griffins of various types, including one that looked like a mashup of a macaw and a spotted cat. "Griffins are mammals, for all that they resemble birds, and their feathers are made of keratin, the same way hair is, but isn't quite properly either. By all rights, griffins shouldn't be able to fly, as they don't have hollow bones and they do have dense muscles, but screw physics, they're half cat, half bird, they do what they want."
"While cactus cats live in pads of the dominant male, several females and young, griffins flock in mated pairs, or triads, generally for life. If a lesser griffin is separated from its mate or mates, it will pine away and die. We have no way of knowing whether there are any lesser griffin species native to North America or if they were all imported at pets or game animals, though they have pretty much settled in every biome North America has to offer."
From her bag, Verity pulled out notebooks and pencils to hand out. "Today, your job is to hang out with these different cryptids and take notes on their behavior. What can you discover about them? What do they eat? How do they interact? Take as many notes as you can, either by observation or direct interaction."
Talk to Verity