Desert Plowcat

Anatomy
Plowcats are large feline creatures resembling Smilodons of prehistoric earth. They have a build so great that a hefty man can ride on one without issue. Plowcats possess a mild hunch to their back between the shoulder which is lined with a ridge of bristles. This hump is a fat deposit utilized as a store for nutrients and hydration for traversing great distances and replenishing stamina after a hunt. Plowcats are a beige color with thin stripes of lighter fur and darker speckles littering their body. The ears of the Plowcat are large and pointed and able to swivel around on the skull in all manner of orientation to track noises over long distances through both clear arid desert air and jungle foliage. The nose of the Plowcat is forced like2 that nose of a vampire bat. Plowcats also have outward-curved tusks similar to a saber-toothed cat of ancient earth. The paws and overall build of the Plowcat are wide-set to allow the animal to traverse loose sands, soils, and underbrush with ease when hunting larger, faster prey. The claws of the Plowcat are retractable but sport a great length and sharpness that allow the Plowcat to gain great traction along rocky surfaces and sink their grasp into the flesh of their prey. Female Plowcats have larger tusks than males for foraging along the ground for small fauna which they feed their their cubs to ween them from breast milk.

Genetics and Reproduction
Plowcats procreate through sexual reproduction like most mammals. They bare not apparent direct relation with most other species of the region they inhabit, but they're thought to be related to the ocelots and other intermediate weight big cats of Earth. The average gestation of the Plowcat is nearly seven months.

Growth Rate & Stages
Cubs remain defenseless after birth for up to a 11 weeks before their eyes open. During this time, the Plowcat cub fins it's way around using just the sensory organs in it's paws and nose, sparring with it's litter mates and toying with small insects provided by the mother as hunt training. When a cub's eyes open, the mother knows that it is time to begin the weening process, forcing the cubs unto solid meals that they are gradually taught to seek out independently.

Ecology and Habitats
Plowcats seek out dens in environments bordering deserts and jungles- typically these places where they make dens are hills, cliffs, and other hard-soiled places where they can dig freely to carve out homes for themselves. The Plowcat can dig out a hole three dimes the size of it's body in little under two hours and prefers hand-dug hollows to caves or overhangs.

Dietary Needs and Habits
Plowcats hunt primarily through wooded regions that house intermediate sized prey which can serve to keep the animal fed for up to days in some cases. A Plowcat can often feed itself on surprisingly little food given it's size as the fat store on the animal's back allow it to sleep for long periods of time between hunts to reserve energy. Plowcats also practice blood drinking, lapping around the tripe and meat of a carcass before actually eating the meat in front of it to keep hydrated.

Biological Cycle
During the winter months, the fat stores on the back of a Plowcat grow exponentially, sagging over their shoulders in some extreme cases. This fat story is built up in the months following a cold season and deplete during sleep to keep the animal warm throughout the night.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Plowcats have a superior sense of smell and hearing but lack a keen sense of eyesight common in most other species of big cat. While the sight of the Plowcat is comparable to a lion, their disadvantage is a result of evolutionary emphasis on extrasensory perception through the electrosensors in their nose and paws. Plowcats' noses and paw pads are packed with sensory organs that allow them to sense creatures in the ground around them when traditional prey and hunting tactics are not an option. additionally, the hearing of the plowcat is extraordinarily sharp as their large, pointed ears can track the sound of a lizard or rodent scraping through the sand and stone surfaces around the outskirts of their natural environments from great distances away on a clear day. As well as this keen sense of hearing, Plowcat smell reception is also very sharp for tracking prey and other predators frequenting their territory. A Plowcat's sense of smell is roughly comparable to that of a wolf. The sensory organs on a Plowcat's nose can also be used for intimate communication between pack members and potential mates with males sporting smaller forked nostrils containing higher concentrations of sensory organs.