Females and pups of the Cryptwolf species.


Much like in a lion's pride, females are responsible for most of the hunting, though in a large pack with more males, pretty much all but the Alpha and his harem/any other females with pups are tasked with this job. Females are quite sociable with their families, showing great devotion to their pups and their mates, the kind which is rarely seen in "wild" animals.

Females may have up to eight pups in a litter, though 4-5 is the most common amount. Unlike most wild animals, they will rarely shun the runt of a litter and seem to go out of their way to help it survive alongside its stronger siblings. When females lose a pup, they mourn for many weeks, and will actually bury the pup and sit by its grave to be sure nothing disturbs it. Males share this mournful behavior, as well, though it seems more deeply striking with the females.

Pups grow quickly but they are not fully mature until nearly a year of age, though they are sexually mature at around eight months. Male pups must go through an initiation from the alpha at eight months, where he will decide whether they deserve to stay with the pack or if they should go off and find a new home. If he allows them to stay, he will strip their mane and let them continue living normally. If he denies them, the pup and any others who are denied or who wish to join him are forced to flee from the territory as quickly as possible before the alpha himself hunts them down. Female pups are almost always permitted to stay with the pack, unless there is an overpopulation or it would risk inbreeding, and then they are sent off as well, though not as violently as their brothers.