Emerald Tree Hare

Hi everyone! After an absence of... well, a good while, I'm back with an entry I've been working on, on and off, since the last time I visited Santharia, though it's been slow going, as I seem to have been lacking in inspiration and motivation. It still has a long way to go before it's finished, but I'm at last getting back into writing mode, and hopefully will have this done before long.
I also have a couple of other entries I've been working on too, same as this one, on and off for the last few months, so hopefully I will soon have made up for my absence.

Emerald Tree-Hare

Overview

Amongst the lush canopy, and plentiful greenery, which make up the forests on the Scattersand Shoals, hides a unique and dazzling creature, the Emerald Tree-Hare. This small animal spends much of it's time scampering along the boughs of it's canopy home, or using its beautiful emerald-green wings to carry it from tree to tree, searching for the flowers of the ember vine, and more importantly what collects inside each of the blooms, the sweet nectar on which the Hare predominantly feeds.

They have also been known to become very friendly with people, who have come to be familiar to them. The Eyelian researcher, Genani Ra'anouf, was famously claimed by an Emerald Forest-Hare, who she affectionately named Mims, short for Mimic, due to the creature's ability to camouflage herself seamlessly into her forest home. The word 'claimed' is used because an Emerald Tree-Hare can never be tamed, even from birth. But it will happily become a friend to those it deems deserving, and only on the animals own terms.

Those who have been fortunate enough to lay eyes upon one, all say that they were, at once, completely enchanted. The gleaming fur and feathers, the large, honey-coloured eyes, and the delicately tufted ears all come together to create a stunningly beautiful edition to the world of fauna.

Appearance

Though very few have actually had the pleasure of being claimed, many visitors to the forests of Scattersand Shoals, particularly those on Aiden, have witnessed the creature, both from a distance, in flight, and at much closer quarters . The wingspan of the animal is around one and a half peds, once it's reached maturity, which it does so at around a year old. Those who have seen the Hare while it's airborn, when asked to recall the event, have all voiced the awe and wonder they felt, at the magnificence of the creature's fur and wings. The following is an account from Tenrans Jorek, husband of Genani Ra'anouf...

...When seeing an Emerald Tree-Hare for the first time, the first thing that one notices is the beautiful set of feathered wings, which extend from the shoulder joint, and out, to a wingspan of over a ped. From observation of fallen feathers, they appear to be mainly of a brownish-green hue. But when the creature is in flight, the entire body looks to be made up of many different shades, of such magnificent diversity, that one can only describe it as 'a rainbow of green'. As the hare moves, the colours seem to shift independantly, and it is, to my way of thinking, that this aids the animal to camouflage itself into its forest home...

It has also been observed that, though the feathers and fur don't have the same diversity of hues when the animal is stationary, they still seem to shimmer and glisten, and don't match the dullness of the fallen feathers. This oddity was noted by Genani, while she and Tenrans were observing Mim's going about her daily business one day.

... Mims took off from the Waterfruit Tree, and, as she did so, one lone feather broke away from her wings, and floated to the ground. As it descended, I was stunned to see it's colourful brilliance fade, and disappear. By the time it had reached the forest floor, the feather was nothing more than a dull moss-green, incomparable to it's former beauty. It's almost as if, when they're attached to the living body, the feathers are alive too, like a tree blossom in full bloom, and when they fall, their former gloriousness withers and dies, in much the same way as the afformentioned flower...

When not in use, the wings are tightly folded against the body, Though the animal seems most at ease when airborn, it is also comfortable scampering through the tree branches, or along the forest floor. It is thought that this is why the wings are held so firmly in place, so as to keep them out of the way during such activities.

Up close, of the Hare is around a two and a half fores long, and much smaller than one would imagine when seeing it in flight. The head and body make up around a fore and a half, with the other fore being the length of the tail, which is long and quite thick, with a profuse tuft of fur at the end. The head is small, no larger than a fist, though it remains in proportion to the rest of the body, and from the top protrude two long ears, each around two palmspans in length. Delicate, hair-like, silvery whiskers grow sparsly around the nose and above the eyes, which are large, and the colour of malise honey.

A short neck, of slightly less width than the head, attaches the head to a streamlined, tightly muscled body. The ribcage is large, in comparrison to similar creatures, such as the tarep rabbit, due to the animal having significantly larger lungs. This is thought to be because the Hare needs the extra air in order to fly at the speed to which it's accustomed. On from the ribcage, the body thins out slightly, and leads on to the powerful back legs. These, in addition to the long, elegant fore legs, aid the animal in both taking off, and running at high speed, through the tree branches or along the ground. A five-toed paw is located at the end of each of the legs, each one armed with sharp, black claws, used for gripping onto branches, or in defence, if required. Though this is not usually the case, as the Emerald Tree-Hare is an expert at quick getaways.

To touch, the Emerald Tree-Hare is made up of a diverse mixture of textures. The thick fur on the head and body is around a nailsbreadth long, and is smooth and silky soft. The hair on the legs is very much the same, though it grows slightly longer at the point of the joints. The fine whiskers, around the nose and eyes, are really quite sturdy, though they feel as delicate as a spider web.

The downy underside of the wings are almost as soft as the body fur, but that changes on the uppers, where the feathers become much more rigid.

The tail is of an interesting texture, as the fur, which is no more than a grain in length, is ribbed, giving it a similar feel to rope. The animal has been seen to use its tail to wrap around tree branches, when in a slightly procarious situation, and it is thought that this ribbing has a non-slip effect, to aid them in gripping on to things. The tuft at the end of the tail is made up of longer, silky hair, slightly less than a palmspan in length.

Special Abilities

The Emerald Tree-Hare's main ability is that of flight. The animal spends much of it's waking hours on the wing, and seems to take genuine pleasure in doing so. It can reach astonishing speeds, thought to be possibly more than 60 strals an hour. This along with its ability to seamlessly camouflage itself into its forest surroundings, sometimes makes it seem like it has disappeared into thin air. One minute it's there, and the next it's gone. This comes in very useful when escaping from predators.

When not in the air, the Hare continues to move at a considerable speed, particularly along the branches of trees. Using it's claws, and it's tail for both balance and grip, the Emerald Tree-Hare seems fearless. Both adult and young have been seen to play chase, gamboling through the treetops, seemingly without a care in the world.

The large ears allow the Hare to hear the most minute of sounds, alerting it to the presence of any predators, that might be lurking nearby. This, added to its speed, makes the Emerald Tree-Hare a very elusive prey, for other animals and people alike.

Territory

The Emerald Tree-Hare inhabits the dense tropical forests of the Scattersand Shoals, particularly those on the isle of Aiden. It is believed that it is exclusive to the Shoals, having never been found in any other territory.

Habitat/Behaviour

The Emerald Tree-Hare lives in thickly forested areas, usually in the canopy layer, though it will often venture into the understory, and even to the forest floor. It makes its nest in a tree crevice, usually choosing one with a narrow entry, and then hollowing out the inside, using its strong teeth to gnaw away the wood. This can take a few weeks to do, but once it's done, the Hare will use this same nest for its entire life, moving only if it is forced to do so, due to damage or danger. The inside of the nest is a large, almost perfectly spherical shaped space, and the Hare will line it with an array of grasses, mosses, and its own fur and feathers. It will never soil this carefully collected bedding, going so far as to consume the feces of it's young, when they're too young to leave the nest, in order to keep it clean. They will change it, replacing it with fresh bedding, every few months.

It is a very social animal, though it does live alone, rather than in a group. It is happy to forage in the same area as another Hare, and also to play, if the mood strikes. Social grooming, and napping has also been observed. As has been mentioned before, the Emerald Tree-Hare has also been known to occasionally become friendly towards people, usually attaching itself to just one person. Such a thing cannot be engineered to happen, it is all down to the Hare, and whether it chooses to do so. It has to become familiar with the person in question, so he or she would have to be a fellow resident of the Scattersand Shoals. The Hare will be extremely cautious at first, while trying to establish if there is any danger posed. This can take anything from a couple of months, to a few years, if at all. The slightest feeling of being threatened or forced, and the Hare will bolt. The fact that a connection must be established on the animals own terms means they cannot be classified as a pet, and it is often described as being more like a friendship.

The Hare spends much of its time flying through the canopy, usually looking for ember vine, and, more importantly, the vase-shaped blooms that grow upon it. But it has also been observed to fly simply for the fun of it. The Emerald Tree-Hare seems to genuinely enjoy being airborn, and is very often seen swooping towards the forest floor, leaving behind a rush of leaves and dust, as it turns skyward once more, and looping around tree branches.

The call of the Emerald Tree-Hare consists of a high pitched whistling, more like the call of a bird than a mammal. They don't tend to use it very often during the daylight hours, unless alerting each other to danger, or during the mating season. But at dusk, when the sky over the Scattersand Shoals turns from a serene blue, to fiery orange, the forest is alive with the melody of their almost musical cries. It's unknown as to why they do this, but it is a regular occurrence, happening every night without fail. Aside from the whistling, the Hare also makes a soft tutting noise. This sound is usually heard if the Hare is displeased, or, more commonly, when they're interested or curious about something.

Diet

As previously mentioned, the Emerald Tree-Hare feeds mainly on the sweet, nutritious nectar of the ember vine. The vines grow in abundance in their canopy home, each one covered in large golden blooms. Dew is collected inside the vase-shaped flowers, mixing with the extremely thick, sticky nectar, diluting it, and making it easier for the Hare to drink. They will consume the nectar of 9 to 15 flowers a day, and they will also substitute their diet with plump, juicy fruits, and some of the more substantial vegetation.

Mating

One is always aware of when the Emerald Tree-Hare's mating season has begun, for their whistling calls can be heard from anywhere in the Scattersand Shoals, from sunrise until sunset. If one was to go exploring the forests during such a time, they would also find the canopy to be a riot of movement, as the Hares perform their annual ritual. One such time is record here, by Tenrans Jorek...

... As we entered the forest, and looked up, neither Genani nor I could believe our eyes. Dozen upon dozen of Emerald Tree-Hares, both airborn and not, raced through the trees above us, circling and swooping, scrambling and diving. The effect given, was one of the trees themselves being alive, such was the number, and the diversity of hues...

Both the male and the female become sexually mature at around 10 months old. Being very sociable animals, the Emerald Tree-Hare has no need to go looking for a mate, during the mating season. It tends to be the female who actually does the choosing, and, it has been found, that they're not all that picky. In general, most females seem to be content with the first male that they come across. Once the choice has been made, the pair begin a pre-mating ritual, which tends to last around three to four days. This consists, mostly, of a near constant game of chase, with both the male and the female taking it in turns to do the chasing. The two will also sleep and eat together, never being seen apart.

The mating season lasts a mere week, after which, the animals go back to their usual habits, until about a month later, when the females begin to get their nests ready for the birth of their young. They begin to develop a soft, downy fur on their chests, which is easily plucked out using their teeth. They use this pale green fur to line their usual nest, making it extra soft for the babies.

They give birth two weeks later, to between two and four young, which are commonly known as kits. They are born the same pale green as the down, lining their nest, and the fur is of the same soft, fluffy texture. The kits are suckled by the mother for eight weeks, during which they will open their eyes, and begin to move around and explore their safe little den. The wings begin to develop proper flight feathers at around five weeks old, and by the time they've finished suckling, they're ready to take their first flying lesson. This is the only time when the Emerald Tree-Hare is truly vulnerable, as they rely of their ability to fly to quickly escape from potential predators. It only takes one miss-step, for a clumsy youngster to topple to the forest floor, where, if they don't back into the trees in time, they might make a tasty meal for a hungry shinui cat.

Usages

The chance to discover any usages for the Emerald Tree-Hare is slim, as it's so difficult to capture and hunt. On the odd occasion when one has been caught, the meat is found to be fairly tasty, though not enough, so as to be worth the effort of tracking the animal down.

The fur is unbelievably soft, though most people find it undesirable, due to the colour. The fur, like the feathers, loses all of its lustre at the point of the animals death, and turns into a dirty shade of green. The feathers make fine quills, and are far easier to come by, as all one needs to do is to wander around, scanning the forest floor, for an hour or so, and you're sure to acquire half a dozen or more.

As quoted before, the Emerald Tree-Hare is untameable, and therefore doesn't make a good pet, though a few have tried. It finds it unbearable to live in confinement, resulting in them refusing to eat and drink, which ultimately leads to their death. Hiring someone to capture one is an expensive investment, as it is such a difficult task.To pay out so much, only to have the animal die, makes them rarely sought after.

Myth/Lore/Origins

The call of the Emerald Tree-Hare is a wonderful sound. Early sailors, passing through the Scattersand Shoals, would hear the lovely sound in the evenings, and would say that it was so beautiful, that it must be the voice of the earth, bidding the sun farewell, as it set for the day.

The following is a children's fairy tale, telling of how the Emerald Tree-Hare first came to be...

...One day, a little rabbit wandered, lost and alone, in a great snowstorm. He was cold, wet, and hungry, and desperately sought food and shelter from the bitter cold, as he trudged through the fallen snow.

Suddenly, he came across a small patch of fresh, green grass, the only patch still left sticking out of the snow, which was growing ever deeper. He gave a cry of joy, and was just about to take a bite, when he heard a small voice. He looked up, and there was a little mouse and her three mouse babies.

"Please," said the little mouse, "My babies and I are so hungry. May we have your grass to eat?"

The little rabbit looked down at his patch of grass longingly, then he looked up at the mouse family, shivering before him. He nodded.

"Of course you may," he replied, and he watched as the mice gobbled up the grass, until there was nothing left. So, still hungry, he wandered on.

Suddenly, he came across an old burrow, the only burrow not filled in by the snow, which was growing ever deeper. He gave a whoop of delight, and was just about to crawl inside, when he heard a small voice. He looked up, and saw a little squirrel, and her four squirrel babies.

"Please," said the little squirrel, "My babies and I are so cold and wet. May we please have your burrow?

The little rabbit looked down at his cosy burrow longingly, then he looked at the squirrel family, trembling before him. He nodded.

"Of course you may," he replied, and he watched as the squirrels crowded into the burrow, until they were all squeezed in tight, and there was no room left. So, still cold, and wet, he wandered on.

Now, all this time, the goddess, Eyasha, had been watching the little rabbit, and saw that his good deeds portrayed his true inner beauty. So she called out to him.

"Little rabbit, I have been watching you, and I have seen the sacrifices you have made this day, in order to help others. For these good deeds, I will grant you three wishes. What is your first wish to be?"

The little rabbit thought for a moment, then replied...

"I wish I lived in a place that is warm, and green, where there is fresh food to eat whenever I feel hungry"

In a moment, the little rabbit found himself in a great forest. The snow was gone, and the sun shone brightly overhead. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a great cat lunged at him, and chased after him, trying to capture him to eat. The little rabbit cried out...

"I wish I had the ability to escape into the trees, so that the big cat can't eat me!"

All at once, a pair of beautiful wings sprouted from his back, and he took off, into the air, and flew well out of reach of the cat. He landed on a tree branch, and looked around at himself. He found, to his astonishment, that he had become a dazzling green colour, and his tail had become long and flexible, so that he could grip things with it.

"Oh, thankyou, Great Eyasha!" the rabbit exclaimed, as he admired his beautiful new fur and feathers.

"You still have one wish left, little rabbit," said Eyasha, "What is it to be?"

The little rabbit thought for a moment, then replied...

"I wish that I had a beautiful voice, so that I can sing my gratitude to you every evening till the day I die."

His final wish was granted, and the little rabbit kept his word. Every evening, as the sun set, he would sit in his forest home, and sing his thanks to the goddess. And he passed it on to his children, and they to theirs, and it's a promise that is still kept to this day.

And that is how the Emerald Tree-Hare came to be.

Researchers

The main research on the Emerald Tree-Hare has been done by Genani 'Tallclimber' Ra'anouf, an Eyelian who, along with her husband, Tenrans Jorek, has committed herself to discovering the flora and fauna, living in and around the islands of the Scattersand Shoals.

Genani Ra'anouf's connection with the aptly named Mimic, took around eight months to come into being. Though the Hare didn't seem to mind Genani's husband, Tenrans, being in the same vicinity, she always shied away from his touch, leaving him to have to content himself as being the observer of the unusual friendship between his wife, and the mischievous Mims. This friendship has given even more credit to the tales of Genani's infamous gift of having a way with the animals that she's dedicated her life to.