Name: Arctic Jumbo ear is the collective name for three subspecies of a lagomorph species: The burrowing arctic jumbo ear, the migrating arctic jumbo ear and the parapet arctic jumbo ear. A group of either species of arctic jumbo ear is called a cuddle. Description: The arctic jumbo ear, despite not being a direct relative to rabbits and bunnies it is still classified as a lagomorph due to them sharing very similar appearance. The jumbo ear, whilst it does vary from subspecies to subspecies, can be summed up as a rabbit with dense, white and incredibly soft fur, designed to insulate the animal and suffocate parasites, extremely large ears and a large, bushy tail. Most jumbo ears have two glands on their paws. These glands however only work in the parapet species, and can secrete a powdery substance made of proteins which when combined with saliva will become a tough and sticky, wax-like substance. The burrower jumbo ear is the ‘standard' jumbo-ear, and it fits in with the earlier description pretty well. The migrating jumbo ear is the larger cousin. Its' fur tends to be a bit thinner and have a slightly brown hint to it. The parapet jumbo ear is the smaller one. It's also a lot fluffier than its' cousins. Due to how it developed its' front paws are also equipped with little thumb pads, designed to allow for gripping things. A Parapet Jumbo Ear, sitting watch at night over their fort. Behavior: The behaviour of the arctic jumbo ears vary from subspecies to subspecies. The burrowing jumbo ears do as their names entail and burrow underground to hide from predators. These live mostly solitary lives except for mating seasons, where up to ten jumbo ears get together and dig a large series of tunnels and cradles* to raise their cubs together in. The migrating jumbo ear tends to spend their times in less freezing environments. These travel south in the winter and back north in the summer in packs of 6-12 individuals. The parapets are by far the most social, since they live in groups of upwards of 20 or even 30 individuals. These groups get together and construct what are essentially snow forts. These snow forts consist of a large snowball which the entire cuddle had worked together to roll. Once finished the jumbo ear will dig into the snowball and burrow into the ground, creating winding tunnels and cradles* which house their young. On top of their snow forts they create little bastions which are filled with snowballs that they lob at predators. If a cuddle is large enough parapets will often construct several of these forts. Cradles* is the name given to small, empty and well insulated rooms, deep down underground. These cradles house sleeping jumbo ears and jumbo ear cubs. This is also why a group of jumbo ears is called a cuddle, since they often rub against each other, or cuddle, to preserve body heat. Tamability: Due to jumbo ears reliance on social contact it is fairly easy to tame one. They also tend to have an easy time learning tricks, following commands and being trained. Where is it found?: They used to live in large quantities on a remote planet of varying snowy climates. They quickly became a popular hunting animal, and were planted on planets all over the galaxy. After a while their original planet was pummeled with a large amount of deadly radiation from their host star, which cooked the planet and wiped out all life. Ever since jumbo ear numbers have dwindled for various reasons, leaving them to only a handful snowy planets. Rarity: Sadly, due to both their original home having been ruined, along with relentless hunting, as they are considered a delicacy in many regions, and their fur is in high demand, today arctic jumbo ear are rare creatures. Diet/Method of gaining nutrients and energy: They are herbivores, and eat most vegetables, fruit and berries they can find. Their sensitive nose was also evolved, since on their home there were sweeter foods to be found under the snow. Products?: Meat and fur. The protein rich pulver and waxy substance is also sometimes harvested. Reproduction: Jumbo ears have standard mammalian, two-gendered reproduction. A female jumbo ear give birth to around 3-4 cubs per season. Size: Size varies from subspecies to subspecies. The burrowing jumbo ear tends to grow to be about the same size as your average rabbit, the migrating jumbo ear can be as large as a fox if conditions are well and the castle crafter jumbo ear is usually a bit smaller than your average household bunny. Weight: Usually only around a few pounds, varying on the species. Lifespan: 8 years in wild, 14-17 years in captivity. Abilities: -Fantastic sense of smell and hearing -Very resistant to cold -Can run fast and jump high. Flaws: -Have a strong reliance on social contact -Sensitive to heat -Weak and fragile. Other: There are a whole slew of reasons why the jumbo ear species is going extinct, but the biggest include: Poaching: Due to their increased rarity, demand for their fur, meat or other products have increased. Adaptation struggles: The jumbo ear had an easy role in their own ecosystem, however as they were planted on other planets many cuddles of jumbo ears struggled to adapt to the new ecosystem, frequently dying of disease, predators, etc. In the case of the parapet jumbo ear due to civilisation creeping into their needed space they have been forced to migrate to less prosperous areas, and many starve.
