Koagle

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Koagle
Information
Natural Habitat: Griffon's Aerie
Classification: Lower Griffon
Average Size: 1-2 long, .5-1' tall
Average Weight: 10-30lbs
Coloring: Grey, brown, variety of patterns
Distinguishing Features: Broad wings, sharp claws, unassuming adorableness


The koagle is a strange mix of beasts. With the body and ears of a koala and face, wings and talons of an eagle it's hardly a beast born from nature. Both a creature of the tree and air it's comfortable in both but completely at ease in neither. It's a recent creature, found nearly a year ago, and is believed to be an accident produced by a mage and some spoiled grifola.


Description

The short dense fur is soft to the touch and covers a muscular body that's built for climbing. Inch long claws, a fully articulated thumb, short legs make it well suited to life in the trees. Should they lose their grip and fall they can catch themselves with their broad wings and sail to safety. Or, when on the ground, flutter up to a branch and take up residence in the safety of a tree. Some of the more adventurous ones have been experimenting with the use of their wings, mimicking the larger griffons. Their tail is stumpy and serves no purpose.

Color can vary from grey to nearly black with a variety of patterns blossoming quickly. The body and wings can be different colors as if, as the case is, they're two animals spliced together. Each successive clutch has additional mutations which are leading to eyes in more colors than a dark brown and greater size with longer claws.

A koagle's digestive tract is a curious thing. With a beak designed to rip and tear flesh and a gut made to ferment and slowly digest plant matter lunch is a hard thing to decide on. The beak is incapable of grinding down the leaves it prefers so it eats small rocks and pebbles to aid the digestion process. Some are scavengers and augment their diet with carrion, young birds, eggs, insects and whatever else calls their trees home. They're leaning in the direction of hunting fish and small animals but their attempts are laughable at best. Its lack of a tail to use as a rudder makes it difficult to do much more than glide. Sustained flight is impossible.

Habitat

The coastal region to the south of Griffon's Aerie and extends up to Talatibitem, where the only true foothold they've managed to secure, is located. They inhabit a very small region and are rare given their newness and difficulties in reproduction and mere survival. Great old trees are the favored homes for most koagles but some are experimenting with the beach and tall rocks near Secca.

Breeding Habits

It is difficult to tell at this point whether they mate for life or meet up each fall and spring to compete for a partner. They spend a period of two to three weeks preening and building a nest. They tend to pick large junction of branches in a section of three that can support their weight and that of some youngsters'.

The female deposits between 10 and 13 eggs roughly 2-3" in size into the fur and feather lined nest. The parents split responsibility of keeping the nest warm, swapping out daily so the other can eat and drink, for a period of 3 weeks until the eggs hatch. At that point it's up to the female to rear the young. The cubs suckle for another month and throughout that period they stretch their wings and prepare for their first flight.

Between the time they were laid to their 5 month birthday their numbers are halved. The problems with food, too many cubs in one nest, competition between rowdy fledgelings, result in a good number being shoved to the ground before they're able to even glide to safety. They're forced from the nest before they reach 6 months in age so their parents can raise another clutch before the winter strikes.

Other Characteristics

Being lower griffons they have no comprehension of Common or any other language. They communicate between themselves with a series of whistles and clicks. Barking serves as a threat to predators.

They haven't been successfully tamed but a small number have been collected to display as curious oddities in various zoos and collections. There's likely one or two people trying to peddle them off as exotic pets but keeping one can easily lead to missing a finger or worse. They do not appreciate affectionate touch from anything other than a koagle. A curious person encountering the koagle's fluffy inviting appearance has ended tragically more than once.