Shagrat (SciiFii)

The shagrat (Gigamarmota europeansis), also known as the European shagrat to avoid confusion with the North American capybara (Neochoerus pinckneyi), which is also known as the North American shagrat, is a species of woolly, almost capybara-like ground squirrel, related to the marmots, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the open woodlands, grasslands, and tundra of Eurasia to help boost biodiversity. During the species' creation, it was made to be very similar to the animal it is based off of from The Future Is Wild of the same name. The shagrat is a very large rodent, having the average height of about 3.25 feet (1 meter) high at the shoulders, and weighing 275 pounds (125 kilograms), making it slightly bigger than the South American capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) and about the size of a domestic sheep (Ovis aries). The shagrats are herd animals, living in large herds, often huddling together for warmth and for predator protection. They have short, stalky legs and small ears to reduce heat loss. Shagrat herds spend their winters at the northern edge of the birch and conifer forest away to the south. At the end of the long winter, they migrate back to the edge of the northern ice sheets to reach their summer grazing grounds. The females give birth in early spring, following a gestation period which lasts throughout the winter. In the middle of spring, about a third of each herd consists of youngsters. When shagrats crunch through the banks of shingle and splash through the muddy torrents, their broad feet prevent them from sinking in. Their fur is so thick that a brief immersion does them no harm, they shake off the water before it soaks into their skin and chills them. Shagrat fur is layered as well as thick. An outside coat of coarse hair provides external protection, and a tightly-packed inner layer acts as an excellent insulator. The dense underfur traps a layer of warm air next to the body as insulation, and the long waterproof guard hairs keep this fur dry (these guard hairs are hollow, and the air inside provides extra insulation). This makes two layers of fur. Thus, a shagrat is doubly insulated against the icy winters. Out in the open, shagrats can survive as low as -50. The herds have to cover large distances each day to find sparse patches of grazing. When searching for food after returning to the open tundra, shagrat herds spread out across meadows and root about, pushing rocks over with their strong forelegs to reveal the soil beneath. The big claws on their forefeet dig into the soil to reach underground grass stems and the roots of heather and willow. Claws scrape the ground, and plants are uprooted with broad chisel teeth. If one member of the herd smells danger, it barks a warning and the whole herd leaps to attention. There are few dangerous large animals in the tundra, but shagrats still have things to worry about. An unsettled herd assembles in an open space and, instinctively, the youngsters huddle in the middle. The adults surround them in a defensive formation, all facing outwards. This behavior is very much like that of the shagrat's neighbors, the musk oxen, which employs an identical strategy when under threat from predators like Arctic wolves. The shagrats' chief enemy includes the Arctic wolves, polar bears, and the snowstalker, which can follow a herd for days. When such a predator is present, the shagrats bunch up even more closely, narrowing their eyes and baring their teeth, hissing in threat. When a blizzard (that can reach a temperate of -60) strikes, visibility can drop and traveling shagrats can be vulnerable to the predators that use the whiteness all around as cover when stalking. If a shagrat gets tired, ill or weak and falls behind the herd, it is in serious trouble. The conservation status of the shagrat is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the shagrat's wide range and its tolerance to most of the human activities, including being able to adapt to life in the cities and suburbs.