Deepwood Volu
What in the world is a Volu?
Found only in the deepest wooded areas of Gaia, the volu is a unique mouselike mustelid, born without a gender, that often nests in the base of rotted trees, half burrowed in the ground. They are a carniverous creature, that has the (known) capacity to digest only two sorts of plants: mirca leaves, and everfernes, both of which are eaten only once, after the creature is matured and ready to develop a gender. The plants have a deciding factor.
Volu are more commonly found in woody, natural colors... sometimes striped, spotted, or neither. Occasionally brighter colors have been known to surface, as well as odd patterns, but they are certainly rare. There are rumors that several mutant species have serfaced... volu that have developed longer tails, feathers, wings, antaennae, and other odd features. This has not been confirmed, however, and is probably just an old wives tale.
Volu are hairless and blind at birth, but the coloring of their skin gives some insight onto whether or not they will be lighter or darker colored. It takes two weeks for a volu to fully mature. After a few days their spots or stripes will be visible, and after one week, they will reach full size. A volu may breed only four times a year, producing litters of three to six young. Those volu who mate for life have a chance at having more young in their litters, but will refuse to breed with volu outside of their mates, and if their mate dies, it will usually die from heartbreak.
</center>
