( clearer version/full size: http://fav.me/d65lizn )

So finally got around to making the cavern hounds' species sheet (not like I have anything better to do for the next week). I made a couple of minor changes to their anatomy since the last versions of them were drawn without any reference to anything. This time, I referenced a lot of different animals (see: Animal Parts) so that they'd look more believable. Made it so they have more than just three claws on their "shovel" paws, adjusted their back and shoulders some, made their ears a bit less fluffy, changed the tail to be more of a "bob," as well as a few more minor things.

If you want one of the above designs, go here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10621532/

//copy-pasta their species info from the other sheet… (with a bit of extra info)

General Info:
Cavern Hounds (a.k.a. "cave dogs") are a species of cave-dwelling canine that has evolved to live in dark places, which has made their eyes very small due to how little light they actually see. They are about the size of a medium dog (about 13"-17"), and they are also rather flexible (not so much as felines, but perhaps comparable to dog breeds like the Norwegian lundehund) so they can get in and out of tight caverns rather easily (though they tend to stick to large caves that give them plenty of space). They usually stay in the very backs of cave systems and use their sensitive whiskers to feel everything around them. Because they often dig, one of their arms has become very mole-like and is used for shoveling dirt and rocks out of the way. That arm is very sturdy and has a thick layer of matted fur over its large muscles and tough skin to protect it from the hard earth. The other arm is used for plucking bats from the ceilings of their caves for consumption (they can "stand" on their hind legs to reach better), as well as for general use in holding/grabbing things. Bats are an unusual treat for them, since the bats usually are very high up; their usual diet consists of bugs, small reptiles and amphibians, roots, and fungi. Whatever grows in the cave or around the cave is usually good for eating. They live in most climates, since caves often retain a constant temperature, but they can be mostly found in Eurasian areas in the mountains. At night, they will sometimes venture outside of their caves to find extra food. Males do this often when their mates are pregnant; they only have one partner in a lifetime, unless death separates them. Litters are rather small, consisting of only about two to five pups (max), due to the small confines of caves--making smaller litters easier to manage. Once a pup is old enough (after about two years), it will leave the cave of its parents to find another, as well as a mate. Sometimes, they just need to go deeper into a cave or into another, connected cave system to find another family of Cavern Hounds to join or take a mate from.
Their "tusks" (bottom canines) are dull and grow throughout their lifetime; they use them for digging up roots and worms when their claws have done most of the work. Their "hands" are modified paws, with one looking similar to a mole's "hand" and the other looking more similar to a monkey's. Though not shown in the above examples, they sometimes have extra toes on their hind legs, as well as short and "bob" tails. Their muzzles are bull terrier -like and their fur is course and rough to protect them from rocks. The "hunch" on their back contains a lot of shoulder muscle for their "shovel arm." Left arms being the "shovels" are more common than right arms (thus right-handedness for grabbing hands).
It is very rare, but sometimes, they are born with either both "shovel" arms or both "grabbing" arms; in these instances, most do not survive very long without assistance. They tend to avoid other animals since they have been preyed upon by other wild canines, as well as big cats and large predatory birds.

Markings/Colors
Their markings range from most of what any dog breed can have, but the colors are often desaturated and usually are on the light side, since they don't get much sun (their "whites" are usually not whitewhites). However, they can also be very dark, so as to blend in with the darkness of the cave and the world outside (since they only go out at night). Coloration usually just depends on how deep the cave is that they were born in; the darker/deeper the cave, the lighter the dog (and vise-versa). Cavern Dogs in captivity often have brighter/more saturated colors due to them not needing the dark/desaturated coloration as much.
Spotting is very common in their genes, possibly due to the better camouflage in rocky caves, but brindle is also a possibility. Browns are common, especially the darker shades ; grays aren't as common, but they're still often seen.
The skin/pelt/eye colors on the species sheet are only general. Nearly any [desaturated for wild, saturated for captive] color seen in a dog can be on these canines. Those are just suggestions. The eyes and skin are also limited to natural canine colors, though some of those (the eyes in particular) are very uncommon and won't be seen in every other dog.

Faults:
Some things you usually don't see in Cavern Hounds are considered very rare, as well as genetic defects. Things such as straight muzzles, long upper canines, tusks growing from the top of the muzzle (like barbarossa pigs), tails with short fur, long tails, floppy ears, two of either type of forearm, wide-open eyes, no whiskers.
Some of those traits just have to do with the overall appearance of the Cavern Hound, but others (like two of one kind of forearm and no whiskers) can be life-threatening to the Cavern Hound.


Questions?
(if you have any questions, just ask, and they will be posted and answered here!)



Currently, these are a closed species. However, if you already own one (via this adoption sheet or by ordering a custom), you may create one more for yourself, so long as it follows the species' guidelines and you show it to me for approval. If you have a really interesting idea/concept for a Cavern Hound, I may allow you to create it (but you'll have to show me before you post it so I can approve of it). Breeding isn't allowed just yet, but look forward to it in the upcoming month or so. One of the main reasons I'm not allowing them to be open right now is because I don't want a bunch of people just ignoring the species guidelines and doing all sorts of weird junk that doesn't match the species at all.



© Paige R.