#orange dewlap

[sitting-on-me-bum]

A brown anole lizard displays its orange dewlap at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. These bubbles of erectile cartilage, covered in skin, help the lizards to look big and impressive to reptiles of the opposite sex, as well as signalling territorial boundaries and scaring off predators.

Photograph: Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images

[peridots-pixiwolf]

[Start ID. A redraw of the official icons of the ten named slugcats from Rain World, arranged in two rows: Survivor, Monk, Hunter, Nightcat, and Gourmand in the first, Artificer, Rivulet, Spearmaster, Saint and Enot/Inv in the second. Each is drawn in roughly the same pose as in the original art and fitted with speculative interpretations of their biology, and the second image is a “dead” version of this. For example, all ten have slug-like rhinophores in place of ears, cuttlefish-like colorful eyes with strangely-shaped pupils, cephalopod-like beak "teeth", expressive barbels or oral tentacles at the corners of mouths, spiny radulas, and the frilly mantle fringes of sea slugs, though otherwise their faces are squishy, simple and mammalian-shaped.

Cream-colored Survivor and yellow Monk both share triangular, bicolored spots matching their eyes (which are tan and brown, and two shades of blue, respectively), small, bumpy fringes, and relatively neutral looks on their faces. Defensive-looking Hunter is mostly a dull orange-pink, though their blobby fringe is a more violent red and their back is purple and marred with lumps. Nightcat is navy blue and flecked with dots of yellow and teal, their rolled rhinophores are a lighter blue, and their shading fractures into stars in some places. Gourmand is almost uniformly tan, their wide, very ruffly white mantle fringe bordered by a spray of white spots, and their beak sticks out from either corner of their smile. Primarily red Artificer, snarling, has yellow markings of multiple sorts, a prominent yellow dewlap and their characteristic dark scar taking out a chunk of its face. Rivulet is a darker blue than usual, with long barbels, red gills and rings, countershading, and a cheerful expression, sticking out their radula. Spearmaster is purple with orange accents, eyes and spots, a large fringe and spines down their back. Saint’s green caryophyllidia are marked by small, yellow diamonds, and their long, thin radula extends far below them. Enot is decorated with mottled red stripes, blue patches, yellow stars, and an uneven and almost cartoonish imitation of blush, though generally the same deep blue as Nightcat, a passive or almost slightly smug look on their face and their rolled rhinophores out to either side.

In the second image, nine of the slugcats’ eyes are crossed out, indicating that these are death icons. They look fairly the same, with mostly expression differences. Survivor is caught in the beginning of a threat display, a karma flower sprouts from Monk’s side, Hunter is burdened with overgrowing, purple and blue rot, Nightcat’s rhinophores are pinned back, and Gourmand looks mildly disheartened. For the final row, Artificer bites its radula between small plumes of smoke, Rivulet drops their expression, Spearmaster looks very startled, Saint looks almost entirely the same besides half-open eyes and their markings greater in number, and Enot grins confusedly. End ID]

If you'll excuse the unusually lengthy ID: the arena meme introduced by @pansear-doodles at long last after a nearly year-long wip status (or, rather, finished a month ago today to honor my own first time playing it!)

Design notes and shout-outs under cut! :]

The following people are some of those who’ve inspired my designs most since I started this eight months ago (or just inspired me to get a little weirder with slugcat biology), among many others for sure, and I thank them for it–but this is simply to bring attention to artists I find cool, and in no way an obligation to interact or anything :]

> @saturncoyote , @carpsoup , @charseraph , @gallusgalluss , @bitsbug , @dopscratch , and @0hmanit (and a special mention to dddeerbo and hunterlonglegs, who’ve since deactivated)!

Survivor: Surprisingly the hardest to pin down the colors for, since nothing with its sibling's palette seemed to match up right (I did have to add in a little blue somewhere for Monk, the beginning of making it clear how much I’m simply going based off of vibes for the colors of scug innards). I consider them, Monk and Gourmand to be part of the same gene pool of slugcats, and even possibly the same colony even if the latter isn't really related, so took a bit of Gourmand's coloring and fit them in with their inspiration: Goniobranchus verrieri. They serve as a bit of an introduction to my ideas of scug traits (i find it really fun how many people have thought to add so many silly sluglike fixtures of biology completely independent of me, buuut here I’m mostly talking about species variation), and like in-game they’re pretty average! They, Monk and Hunter have a couple scars sourced from a piece of Joar's concept art that I'm failing to find, those across the bridge of the nose, under the eyes, and across the rhinophores, respectively, and my Survivor interpretation features many on the back of the neck, as a result of survived lizard bites.

Monk: Their coloring is primarily based off the fact that I associate them with blue fruits, honestly, a bit because I was compelled to establish a familiarity with Rivulet, and lastly inspired by the spots of Goniobranchus kuniei (and geminus, less important to me as one of my characters is a kuniei instead, but more fitting). Between the yellow + blue and the circular marking in the center of their face, they’re meant to bear a little resemblance to an iterator that shares similarities with the characterization I’ve given them, and similar coding of her sibling can be seen on Survivor’s markings around the eyes. As both a “default” slugcat and one whose campaign I haven’t played, though, I can’t say I have much more to point out about em.

Hunter: The whole rot thing made for a really fun time drawing them, and while the color change on their back is a result of this, it’s also an excuse to relate them to Babakina festiva, arguably my favorite sea slug (mostly for sentimental purposes). And to Spearmaster, a fellow messenger slugcat, and it serves as a gradient between Hunter’s pink and the “traditional” color of Rot seen in the DLLs. Aside from their affliction, they’d actually be the plainest in terms of design, as they don’t have any patterns or quirks of body type, just the red + purple and strange lumps + possible malnutrition. I can’t remember if NSH had created them in particular or just...caught + released or something, but it probably wouldn’t be strange for a lab-grown slugcat to be simple like that.

Gourmand: Like the two above, they’re rather plain in terms of coloring and adaptation, and like the two above, I find that fun. I decided it would be nice to avert the “all slugcats being of the same body type, and Gourmand’s out of place as the exception” thing by just...adding more fat to all of them, really. I did want to emphasize their sheer bulk even so, both fat and muscular (not like I couldn’t have still gone further with it, of course, but slugcat anatomy can be a little obfuscating sometimes, and they were intended to look rather plush considering personal size headcanons and therefore the lack of proper gravity), and the thick and flounced mantle looked like a good addition, as per their sea slug Glossodoris hikuerensis. Unlike Survivor and Monk, I didn’t attempt to hold their resemblance to any particular other character (which means a little less to balance out the “default gene pool” thing), so those are all the design notes I have for em.

Artificer: The second slugcat I’ve ever played, or finished the campaign of, my favorite for at least a long time, and the first thing I did was give them yellow accents, the shape of which have troubled me slightly (not quite like the spots or stripes of the others). They’re both a little more appealing and more explosive-looking to me, and considering how early on I played Arti, actually present in some of my older art. It does give them a little resemblance to Saint (completely intentional, two slugcats with strange relations to karma), as well as the fact that its radula is green for familiarity with one of its children (at some point it was going to have all-green markings, even!). I’m generous with their scars, partly because it was fun to overemphasize the one on their face and partly because it does seem like a reckless slugcat, on top of the dangers of its explosive abilities–I’ll probably just keep adding more forever. Mostly-red sea slugs aren’t too common, but Hexabranchus sanguineus works for sure. The ridged, yellow dewlap can expand for combustion purposes, or something along those lines. Arti’s where I began experimenting with a lot of the mildly-offkilter features seen in my interpretation of slugcats, as they’ve once again been a favorite from the start.

Rivulet: I've obviously given other slugcats spots, deeply enjoy the bubbly-soda markings of other peoples' slugcats, and thought seal riv would be cute. Despite not too closely resembling it, they've been government-assigned Hypselodoris bennetti, for color reasons and for a couple sentimental ones. Originally, the colors of every scug were meant to match up with the custom colors I gave them at the beginning of their campaigns, (though Arti, Gourm and Spearmy are the only three who actually apply here, since I've only played through half the slugcats: I gave arti the yellow as mentioned above, gourm brown eyes and spearmy light pink spears, furthered by the outskirts pearl accompanying me and that palette all the way to moon. Tolerance training for eternity in hell cause I already knew about the maroon pearl quest). I initially gave them the colors of the bi flag for fun... but with the limited palette of this image, I was left without pink for a while and decided to see how they'd look in red. I then realized how they now wonderfully matched Moon, and besides, red's a sort of camouflage in deep water! As a side-note, the difference between their eyes and those of others always bothered me a little for anatomical purposes, and the cephalopod eyes were probably influenced by this!

Spearmaster: Inspired as much as possible by @notyourfunnyman ’s wonderful spearmy: designed in a way that helps it fit in with scavengers, at least between the long sensory tentacles, big ruff, back spines and slightly thin/distended anatomy, a form of defensive mimicry. I always had annulate rhinophores in mind, for a little diversity sure, but mostly because the shape reminds me of radio antennae and communication towers (seems fitting for the comms array and being a messenger slugcat)! I started searching for a real-life slug to give them just by looking up their rhinophore shape...and was met immediately and coincidentally with annulate-topped nudibranchs that fit them more perfectly than I could've imagined: Flabellina and surrounding clades, I think Paraflabellina ischitana works very nicely. The orange was completely unplanned, but there wasn’t a place for light pink among the other slugcats’ palettes, and importantly it likens them to both Hunter and Seven Red Suns a little more.

Saint: I am very much a non-furred slugcat enjoyer, with respect to those who aren’t, so figuring out the only visibly furred slugcat was an interesting challenge. I’ve decided that they likely have other, milder adaptations for help in the cold, mainly just more efficient fat storage, and what looks vaguely like fur is instead a bunch of tubercles (called caryophillia, for the second reminder out of three). Their inspiration doesn’t have these, however, Miamira sinuata’s numerous yellow and blue spots (not to mention...whatever’s going on with that shape) and general effect of being the only really green nudibranch I could find were probably perfect for a strange green echo. Not pictured, but their beak-teeth are tiny and flat to make a surface for grinding soft food against with the lack of a functioning radula, which is tipped with a specialized spiny “grapple-hook” for better traction/grip (not to mention the numerous little teeth running down the whole thing).

(Best part of hiding this under a readmore means edits will be seen by all reblogs, I'm mostly sure, because I completely forgot to mention! The spots on their forehead are simple eyes. Their camera eyes appear closed in-game, I like to believe their complex eyesight is rather poor anyways or otherwise reason that they aren't seeing out of those, and while this was far from her REASON for attunement with the world, it does help compensate for mainly viewing it through a canvas of simple light and dark. This, and the fact that their swapped-out "fur" is not only to commit to a lack of hairs but contributes to sensory input!)

Nightcat/Enot: I guess you could say I found the “these two are technically the same person” compelling. (E.g. similar colors, both very strange and enigmatic, and Enot/Inv/Sofanthiel’s remark during the dating sim about getting removed from Arena Mode.) I doubt they’re the only two slugcats in their body, considering humans with DID tend to have more than a few (and I find it very funny that a slugcat bearing resemblance to Nightcat appears in Gourmand’s ending. They’re allowed in the colony and Enot isn’t </3), and I have to credit @faelingdraws ’s art for being what convinced me on it! Their design inspirations come down to trying to balance a few different ideas: making the patterns and palettes of both look oddly similar (special mention to the stars, since those are fun to draw), basing them off of Felimare sechurana and juliae respectively, using blocks of color with the same placement as in Enot’s official art, and specifically making Enot look...biologically reasonable and imperfect, whilst also clearly trying to imitate human displays of emotion (what with...the eyes and blush on that one piece of official art).

Lastly, here’s just a lineup with notes on body shape and size. Most of the nicknames (existing to give a little more space, that’s all) are obvious, and while I can’t remember why I shortened Nightcat to Nox, it is in honor of my friend by the same nickname :]

[feather-bone]

[ID: an illustration of a green lizard with an orange dewlap and orange and purple spotted “wings” behind its arms. It faces to the left on a dappled orange background with spiky pink flowers. End.]

Thai flying dragon, a member of the Draco genus of lizards. Their wings are modified ribs with membranes which allow it to glide from tree to tree!!

[bichambered-reservoir]

Happy v,ore day!!

The anatomically inaccurate sequel to last year's overly anatomically accurate 8/8! Featuring a color palette that isn't blue and orange for once, and Comet actually spreading out her dewlap. Happy 1 year to my suspicious squares!

Hoo Boy that fictional anatomy. That bichambered reservoir is basically just a unichambered reservoir, and that thing is just SHOVING ASIDE the complex, vital-to-lore digestive system supposed to be there. Not even mentioning how small Comet is here! It's okay for me to nitpick about biology when i made up the biology lol. Besides, this one wasn't supposed to be an anatomical diagram, that was last year's job - this was based off of the Memória Armorial, which, click/tap on there on your own discretion, because artistic nudity be abound

3 posts across this and my main. maybe there'll be more. we live we love we lock in for the joyous multianniversary that is 8/8

[beansprean]

NEW IZZYGUANA STICKER/PRINTS UP ON REDBUBBLE!

version with and without text available!

(ID in alt and under cut)

ID: 1. A circular drawing featuring a large male green iguana with orange feet, dewlap, spines, and cheek scales laying on its stomach along a circular curved branch. Its legs are dangling on either side of the branch, and its tongue is bleping out, and its eyes are closed, asleep. Its tail curves up along the path of the branch to form the top of the circle. Behind the iguana's head, the branch forks off into further tree branches dripping with shiny green moss to make up the background. The sky beyond is made of bright blues, pinks, oranges, and purples, a yellow sun preparing to set. Large orange bubble text in the empty space reads 'It's Izzy!'.

2. Same image, this time without the text. /end ID

[ntls-24722]

THE 5 IMMOBILE SUBSPECIES!!!!

87 million years is a long time, and while their planet is smaller after the extinction event, the low gravity leads to some CRAZY topology and land barriers and they have evolved into a bunch of seperate subspecies.

The main Sexy Accent colors are yellow-orange-red but the arid subspecies actually uses their blue blood, close to the surface of their outer sheen to create those markings, not just to be ~hot~ but also to cool themselves down. Their dewlaps have similar blue streaks when the skin is thinner for the exact same reason

The polar and aquatic immobiles have those spiky scales for their necks because they're meant to reduce drag in the water much like sharks' placoid scales. The polar ones are also semi-aquatic and are terrifying because they're evolved to eat their equivalent of whales which are fuckin water kaijus

[evolutionsvoid]

Yes, yes we all know what this species does! Its method of warding off predators is quite infamous, but there is more to this creature than that! The whole entry can't be about it, so lets try to keep it together!

The Bonnacon is a species of bovine that inhabits plains, grasslands and some savannas. They are about the same size as your domesticated cow, though a few physical features cause them to stand out (and I am not talking about that one). First off is their reddish brown fur, which is made even more striking with the fiery coloration of their skin and dewlap. These bright oranges are hard to miss, as this is not a species that cares about blending in! Another feature is the mane of brown hair that runs down their neck, almost similar to that of a horse's. And while we are looking at its head, the next thing to note is their horns. Compared to other bovines, these horns can seem a bit small. On top of that, they are curled so that no sharp points are exposed, and are positioned upon the head in such a way that they wouldn't do much when it comes to charging and ramming. Even if they were larger, the materials that makes up these horns is noticeably weaker than other bovine horns, making these horns bend under pressure. In truth, if a Bonnacon charged you, the real pain would be coming from this massive ungulate ramming into you, and not so much the pitiful horns. Yes, there are worse things they can do to you, but we aren't on that subject yet! 

Bonnacon travel in small herds, and spend a large portion of their days grazing. They feed upon a wide variety of vegetation, with very few plants exempt from their menu. One of the major notes of their diet is that they graze upon plants that are typically poisonous to most other herbivores. Other plant eaters avoid these particular shrubs or growths like the plague, while the Bonnacon munches upon them without a care in the world. From what we understand, their digestive system is capable of handling a variety of toxins, and uses particular chemicals found in nasty plants as fuel for something else (no, we aren't talking about that part yet). This gives this bovine a wider selection of plants to choose from when feeding, and it also means a food source free from competition. For the ecosystem, they play an important part in keeping these poisonous and noxious plants in check, preventing them from growing out of control due to zero grazing.

When mating season kicks in, the male Bonnacon's look to round up as many females as possible, though the competition between them is not as violent as other bovines. While you may expect them battering each other with their horns and resorting to violence, such fights rarely break out. I will remind you that their horns are pretty poor for battle, though they do have a purpose here. Apparently, these horns are good indicators of health and virility, so simply showing them off is enough to woo the ladies. When it comes to keeping away competing males, they raise their tails and show off the colorful markings on their rumps (Just the rumps! Nothing else yet). These too are representative of their health and strength, and other males can easily gauge if this is a fight they can win. Most of the time, these displays are enough to defuse the situation, with the lesser Bonnacon accepting that they could never win this battle. If it comes to fighting, it is done through awkward body battering and tail whips, more akin to a drunken shoving match than any legitimate brawl. This species isn't exactly known for the most dignified ways of warding off foes. 

And now that I have gone over the Bonnacon facts that everyone will skip over, it is time for the part all the readers came for. Lets all ask the question that will get us there: "Hey Chlora, how do Bonnacon ward off predators?" Good question, children! Well, the Bonnacon has a super secret weapon up its sleeve whenever a big mean carnivore comes to eat it! When the big bad wolf comes creeping up, the poor little Bonnacon lifts its tail up and fires off a wet blast of caustic fecal matter that will douse the land and predator in a brown burning shower of shit that would make any public outhouse blowout after a dinner of bad fish tacos look like a lazy day of beach reading! THERE! WE'RE AT THE POOP PART! ARE YOU HAPPY!? Now we get to talk about how the Bonnacon fights its battles with fiery turd farts! YIPPEE!

Now that I got that out of my system, indeed the Bonnacon weaponizes its own fecal matter. It seems that there is a combination of chemicals brought in from its diet mixed in with its own special intestinal secretions that create this effect. All this is infused into its waste, and it appears that the act of ejecting it from its bowels starts the reaction. When the feces is sprayed from its body, a reaction within kicks off which creates the rise in temperature and creation of caustic fluids. While this waste does not actually catch on fire, the high heat of it combined with its acidic coating certainly gives the feeling of being set aflame while it burns through your skin. Their "ejection" system is specially designed to release this waste with long distance and wide range. It is meant to either catch the predator within the burning cone of filth, or create a hazard so foul that any meat eater would think twice before pursuing. Typically this butt blast is fired off just before the Bonnacon flees, which some humorous folk have interpreted into this species launching itself to safety by the propulsion of its own fiery flatulence. Oh what a lark.

Obviously, ammunition for this kind of firepower is limited, and thus the Bonnacon must use it sparingly between meals. This is why they bear the bright orange and dark markings upon their rump, as they serve as a warning sign to potential predators. When threatened, they will raise their tails to fully show off these colors, as a "last chance" for their foe before they open fire. You may also notice that these behinds lack hair, and that is because they don't want their own feces getting caught in their fur. Would be quite the mess to get out! 

Outside of the endless crude jokes and comments one can mine from the Bonnacon's existence, they do actually have a place in the local culture. Due to their diet of nasty plants, they can be used to clear land that has been overgrown by noxious and dangerous weeds. Their hide has been found to make resilient leather, the kind that is resistant to caustic agents and damaging fluids. Their meat....well, most people avoid it. Due to their diet, it can contain some nasty stuff unless it is thoroughly cooked to a crisp. Even then, you won't find a lot of folk willing to have a taste once they learn what beast it comes from. I, for one, gave it a try when I found a reputable chef that was known for preparing it. It was...fine. Nothing to write home about, but it certainly didn't have the flavors most people would expect when coming from a Bonnacon. And of course, we can't ignore their feces, as that even has a use! It turns out, Bonnacon waste is actually a really good fertilizer, once you let it cool down and its fluids grow inert. But sometimes, that burning pile of poo has its uses! If you want to prepare a field or flower bed, and know it is loaded with wild seeds of weeds you don't want, then lay down a layer of fresh Bonnacon poop. The heat and acidity of it will bake out all the seeds and roots that are waiting down below, and then add nutrients once it has burned itself out. In fact, some species of plant have designed their seeds to only be spread and germinated by Bonnacon waste! So we've taken a note from these plants and use it to clear out our flower beds! Now your garden is ready for planting! It is a pretty clever way to do it, but just be ready to get a lot of complaints from your neighbors.        

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

-------------------------------------------------

"Bonnacon"

Ah the infamous Bonnacon! The ol' mammalian bombardier beetle! Had to show up sooner or later.

[hyenaswine]

can any lizard people identify these BLACK anoles spotted in san pedro, belize? i wasn't able to get a photo of their dewlaps but they were yellow-orange like those of the brown anole, which i know is common here. do brown anoles get this dark? i've compared to photos of brown anoles but i just don't see any quite this black.

idk who does lizard IDs. @herpsandbirds maybe. @markscherz perhaps.

[columbidaecontest]

[ID: two pictures, the first of a blue t-check rock pigeon walking over stone or pavement of some kind. the second is a turkestan hill pigeon standing on a rocky slope. the pigeon and background are overall both a sort of dusty brown/tan colour]

hello and welcome to the first poll in the contest!! descriptions of the contestants will be under the cut, I got a little carried away, they are kind of long.

we have two very strong contenders already, starting with the Classic, the Glittering, the Unforgettable, Rock Dove

Rock Dove, what is there not to say about man's best friend and unfortunately commonly maligned next door neighbours in cities and beyond? domesticated over 5,000 years ago, this beautiful bird has since spread across the entire world. this is the pigeon you are most likely to be familiar with. it is beautiful, and astonishingly diverse, with over 1,000 different breeds, and coming in many different colours, from blue with dark bars on it's wings to pale ash-red to all white, and much more. the one picture I had to limit myself to for this cannot, ever do it justice. I encourage you to seek out more pictures of this little guy. try googling fancy pigeon. this truly is, The Pigeon. it's got nearly everything one could want in a pigeon. they have saved lives in wars, they have inspired major scientific discoveries, they have proved to be good friends to people all over the world, they are the birds you see in cities whenever you go outside. known to many as sky rats or as symbols of peace and holiness, they are the birds that made me fall in love with pigeons in the first place.

coming in to challenge it for it's well-earned crown, is the Beautiful, adorable and social Hill Pigeon

Hill Pigeon, another member of columba, it would be easy to mistake it for just another Rock dove, but look closely and you will see the beautiful band on it's tail, mostly only visible when it is flying. there are two subspecies recognized, the blue hill pigeon and the Turkestan hill pigeon. it is found mainly in China, The Himalayas, and Central Asia, and it is classed as least concern. they live on open, rocky environments and they travel in flocks, sometimes flocking with rock doves as well. they are often found near humans, in some places nesting in houses, both abandoned and occupied. they mainly eat grain, just like the rock dove, but they also will eat things like leaves and snails. however, when it gets hard to find food, these little guys are survivors (making them perfectly equipped for the coming battles) and they will scavenge for food in various places, such as human left-overs.

it is now time to cast your votes, and only one of these two pigeons can advance to the next round. will it be your favourite one? May the best pigeon win!

[ID: two pictures, the first of a white dewlap pigeon with a brown neck. it has a bright orange band on it's leg and is standing in front of a blue background. the second is of a hill pigeon in flight, displaying it's white and black band on it's tail. the background is of large brown rocks.]

[zoomar]

Sad-Eyed Big John $5.88

Big John the Bloodhound steals little girls' hearts away. Toyland's most lovable character is almost life-size and just begs to be petted. Body and ears of super soft acrylic with polyurethane foam filling. Bright orange with white chest. Wrinkled brow, drooping dewlaps, soulful eyes.

[disclosed-spire]

"I spent quite a while writing this, so if you'd want to see more of other characters, be sure to let me know!"

I have been gathering up the courage to send this ask, so I am just gonna guess you want the asks to be sent here.

Can you please tell us about your Gourmand headcanons?

Yeah Ofc! I love Gourmand as they're just absolutely great, especially since my pal gourmy is the first campaign of downpour when it was released. I enjoyed their campaign a lot, and had a blast towards the end of their campaign. Seriously, I wish I could get a hug from them because I KNOW they give amazing hugs!

Time for everyone's favorite family oriented orange slugcat! And as everyone knows, this is my own hcs about them and, and definitely some Gourmand spoilers. Please don't be offended at any of this, as these are my own personal beliefs!

If anybody wants to see more of my opinions on the characters, be sure to ask me! I'm welcome to answering questions about my thoughts and HC's, as well as discussing and hearing others POV's!

ANYWAYS! GOURMAND SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!

Design Choices

My design for Gourmand isn't very flashy or anything, but to be honest, I feel it suits them and their personality! It's very close to the original, but has my own little flair and sparkle to it to make our pal Gourmand stand out a bit!

I decided to give them just oranges for a pallet, with their nose being the darkest, which is a dark orange. I usually shift blacks and such for cannon designs to another color of the design but a lot darker to keep the colors overall the same, but just a little easier to look at (in most cases).

I made the tips of Gourmand's limbs, including their tail, dewlap, and ears, a darker orange as I took a bit of inspiration from cat breeds in real life, with my own cat being the main inspiration. This makes Gourmand stand out a bit more, and makes it easier for me to make art of them, as their limbs mark where my own wacky anatomy should be.

Personality

My version of Gourmand has a tough exterior as they need to keep a strong stance towards the hardships of the world around them. Despite this, Gourmand also shows a lot of love, compassion, and sympathy for the world around them at the right moments of course! Gourmand doesn't view the world as only black and white, instead, more of everything being in a morally grey area. Gourmand believes there's a reason for everything, and if possible, they try to go to the more pacifist side of things to keep peace.

Speaking of this, the reason Gourmand is like this is because they believe this deep in their heart, but also because they want to provide their colony with a good example. Gourmand wants to show their colony that while the world is extremely dangerous and that they need to take caution, but also that they can also show compassion even in the scariest of situations.

Other than setting an example, Gourmand loves telling tales of adventures, history, and places they've been, as it always makes others happy, and especially gets the slugpups super excited. Sometimes these stories are made up, but Gormand always lets the listeners know beforehand to clear any misconceptions.

Gourmand is a great parent to all, and generally kind to everyone unless their friends, family, slugpup, or colony is in trouble. While Gourmand is kind, they are a force not to be reckoned with, as they are strong both in personality, and physical strength, and those they care about fuel their determination to continue on.

Powers

Gourmand's powers are a bit of a weird one to me! Being able to create something from your stomach isn't something I've seen before, nor do I have a naturally logical way to explain how this would work (Enot was different as they didn't need to have logic applied to them bc cryptid slugcat), but I'll try my best to explain how this works in a rain world logic sense (hopefully). It's a bit complicated, but here's my best shot!

The best way I could possibly explain slugcat powers is that their body developed some kind of mutation, something with radiation (highly unlikely), or something with being a descendant of a purposed organism/modified slugcat. This is where I believe slugcats get their powers from, as this is the best explanation I have for such unnatural abilities. In Gourmand's case, this happened with their stomach!

My best logic to how Gourmand's stomach creation works is that Gourmand needed to have swallowed the created item in their life at any moment for them to make it in their stomach again. Since Gourmand takes a food pip when they create an item in their stomach, this makes me believe that their body harvests the nutrients to make it, using the information of the dna/material/whatever made the item to re-create it in Gourmand's stomach to pull it out. This explains the randomized effect of what's pulled out of Gourmand's stomach.

As for the crafting mechanic, I wouldn't say that's a power. Gourmand could use their power to help combine items, but for the most part, I feel that it comes from a chemistry standpoint. It's still very useful and important! To me though, I don't think it's a power, even from a rain world logic POV.

Headcannons and Slugcat Colonies

This category is a bit different from the Enot post, and that's because I have my own thoughts about the cannon slugcats!

I personally like to think there's a big distance between Gourmand and Survivor/Monk's timeline placement as this makes the most sense in my head for what I'm gonna say, and it gives Gourmand the "Old and cool legendary ancestor" vibes!

Gourmand in my HC was the one that found the slugcat tree, and started a home there for the whole colony! If it weren't for Gourmand, then Monk and Survivor's campaigns wouldn't have happened. I want to give Gourmand that bc it makes them just the more special in my eyes!

The reason I believe this is because it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for Gourmand to already be there and then start searching for food, and then to get up and leave once food is found. If there's more food in an area, animals tend to stick around, and the slugcats aren't an exception from this. I believe that Gourmand searching was making sure that the area has plenty food, as the colony recently moved and was looking for another temporary home. Another thing to support this is the wall drawings, as I feel the colony would talk about Gourmand through generations.

Another one of my HC's is that Gourmand is the leader of the specific slugcat colony. A lot of people probably think this already, but I'd at least like to give my own take with my own spin on how a Slugcat colony works.

Gourmand is a leader in my eyes because of how useful they are to the colony, and how strong they are. Animals usually prove dominance in size and strength, which Gourmand definitely has (My Gourmand is a big lovable fella)! But since this is also fiction, I added more to this. Slugcats usually choose their leaders based on a few qualities, which are:

Size: Gourmand is big yes, which gives them the upper hand at intimidating possible threats! Slugcats view Gourmand as very important due to this factor, as any predators that would try to harm a slugpup would have to face the intimidation of an angry Gourmand. This is why Gourmand fits here!

Strength: Gourmand DEFINITELY has some big strength to them, bro does 3 damage when not tired! This is viable to a slugcat colony as this shows that they can rely on their leader in even the most difficult of situations. That, and also they are capable of defending the young! Slugcats view this as one of the most important features in a leader, so this is why Gourmand is super important in this category.

Intelligence and Powers: Gourmand definitely checks out here! Their powers and their intelligence combine together, making them VERY useful to the colony. Gourmand can use their powers to help get their colony out of a tight bind, to entertain, and to direct. Slugcats can always count on Gourmand if stuck, which is why Gourmand fits!

Compassion: My Gourmand DEFINITELY fits here! Gourmand is super caring and great with kids, kind to everyone that they can be, uses their powers to help others, uses their intelligence to lead, and does everything in their ability to make sure their colony is safe. Why Gourmand left to look for food is because they wanted to make sure their colony would live and thrive. They'd do anything for their colony, and care for them dearly! This is probably the most important rule of a leader to them, as slugcats are usually social creatures, and rely on companionship to thrive.

If a slugcat leader doesn't fit most of these, and/or possibly abuses their leadership, the colony will choose another leader, and in VERY extreme cases, the leader will be thrown out of the colony (Totally doesn't have something like this with another character).

Relationships

Iterators

Gourmand is overall friendly towards all of the iterators, as Gourmand gets the feeling that the world has been unkind to them, given their situation. Gourmand knows that being stuck inside a box isn't the best, especially if they cannot leave, and can only view the world from small holograms. Gourmand feels bad about their situation, so they come to visit the iterators to help keep them company, and to tell the iterators stories they'd be interested in.

Gourmand does have a lot of respect for them, as they know that the iterators have a lot of power, but have to be careful with their given situation. Gourmand views the iterators as fairly important, and that alone makes one of the reasons Gourmand respect them.

Slugcat Family + Monk and Survivor

Gourmand is their ancestor, so Gourmand is related to them. Despite this, Gourmand has a HUGE amount of respect for the slugcat family. This is because even though they had two kids they lost, they decided to stay strong, and to dive in after their family, which Gourmand finds to be very admirable. Gourmand would do anything to make sure they're safe.

For Monk and Survivor, Gourmand has a huge amount of respect for them both! Gourmand finds it admirable that they stayed strong in a world so dangerous, able to take caution, and able to use the tricks they've passed on through the colony. Despite this, Gourmand also feels sadness for them as they know it was an extremely rough situation on slugcats so young. They'd do anything to make sure that Monk and Survivor don't get separated from their family again.

Nightcat and Inv/Enot

Gourmand is friendly towards them both! Although Gourmand tends to dislike Enot's flirting, they still think of them both as friends. Gourmand does find them a bit mysterious as they both seemed to appear out of nowhere, and with the strangest first interactions as well. As far as Gourmand knows, Enot and Nightcat don't know their parents, and don't have any family nearby. Regardless of this, Gourmand took them both into their colony, and loves talking to them.

Hunter and Artificer

Gourmand is best friends with Artificer and Hunter, and values hunting with them! The three are nearly inseparable, and value each other's company, as well as talking about the colony. Slowly overtime though, Gourmand began to have a crush on the two, and seeing the two in a relationship was nice, but they wanted to confess their feelings to both of them. Eventually Gourmand does, and the three end up in a poly relationship! They're quite happy together :D

Regardless of this, Gourmand has respect for Hunter as they went to save Moon despite them being sickly. Gourmand has since then been finding ways to help Hunter, and with Sig's help, they're lessening the effects that the rot had on Hunters body. Through all this, Gourmand sees Hunter as a fearless and stoic warrior, and loves how kind they can be despite this.

Artificer is a bit of a different story, as Arti had some bad experiences with the colony, and Gourmand doesn't agree with Artificers genocidal ways. Gourmand was a bit on edge of first meeting them, but it grew to fondness as Gourmand realized that Arti is trying to correct their wrongs, and make up for what they've done in the past, with one of those being to apologize to their colony. Upon finding out about Arti's situation, they've grown closer to Artificer, and letting Arti interact with the colony as a way to help heal from the past. Gourmand is a firm believer that Artificer can heal, and they choose to stick by Arti every step of the way.

Spearmaster, Rivulet, and Saint

Gourmand isn't super close to Spearmaster, Rivulet, or Saint, but enjoys their company! Gourmand knows they mean no harm intentionally, but also respects Rivulet and Spearmaster quite a bit for helping the iterators. Saint is a bit more distant, and from what Gourmand knows, Saint has a bit of a complicated past. Gourmand isn't going to push it, but they'll always be there if Saint needs someone to talk to. Gourmand is always welcome to them joining their colony, and is on quite good terms with the three.

[pleistocene-pride]

Boselaphus tragocamelus bette known as the nilgai, blue bull, or white-footed antelope, is a species of antelope endemic to the grasslands, scrublands, dry forests, and agricultural lands of India, Pakistan, and Nepal. Additionally they were introduced to the US state of Texas by big game hunters in the 1930s and have since become a feral and invasive species throughout Texas, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi and the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. They are diurnal and moderately social animals typically living in groups of less than 10 individuals, tho congregations of up to 70 are not unheard of, particularly during the breeding season. Three distinct types of herds are formed: females with young calves, adult and juvenile females, and all males. Nilgai are mixed feeders, eating a variety of grasses, shrubs, leaves, seeds, flowers, fruit, herbs, vines, and woody plants. Nilgai don’t often drink water getting the majority of there moisture from there diet. Nilagai are preyed upon by wolves, striped hyenas, leopards, dholes, coyotes, mountain lions, Asiatic lions, alligators, crocodiles, and tigers. Reaching 3.3 to 5ft (1 to 1.5m) tall at the shoulder, 5.7 to 7ft (1.7 to 2.1m) in length, and 220 to 640lbs (100 to 290kgs) in weight, Nilgai are the largest antelope in asia. They are characterized by there sturdy bodies, thin-legs, sloping back, a deep neck with a white patch on the throat, a short crest of hair along the neck terminating in a tuft, a dewlap, and white facial spots. Sexual dimorphism is prominent with males being considerably larger than females, and while females and juveniles are orange to tawny, adult males have a bluish-grey coat. Additionally only males have horns. Mating may occur throughout the year, but peaks during the breeding season which is October to February in there native range and December to March in the USA and Mexico. During such time male and female herds join up with one another and males become aggressive and fight among themselves for dominance. After an 8 to 9 month pregnancy a mother nilgai will give birth to 1 to 3 calves. They young remain with there mothers before setting off to join a different herd at around 10 months, under ideal conditions a nilgai may live up to 21 years.

[mobileleprechaun]

Welcome Home Watership Down AU character concept schitt below

Dramatis Personae

Wally: Adorable, tiny dwarf lop, very sweet, horrible social skills. Not high in the social hierarchy, but adored by all and appreciated for his insights into “Home” and its inner workings.

Barberry (Barnaby): Big, goofy bunny, somehow has a dewlap even though he's a buck. Silly, sly and full of mischief, yet terrifying in his strength and fearsome demeanor when situations grow dire.

Fern (Frank): The only truly wild bunny, a European rabbit with a boring gray coat. Comes across as grumpy, but only because he has such keen instincts! 😛 Excels at abstract reasoning (a struggle for most rabbits) and is very enchanted by plant life and "thousand-legged beasts" (bugs – rabbits in Watership Down cannot count past four and see quantities of five or more as one in the same as an uncountable thousand). Sometimes grows suspicious of the nature of the warren, but is quickly placated by how nice it all is. One of the highest-ranking bucks due to his instincts and stubborn nature. Kind of the protagonist, oopsie daisy.

Jewelweed (Julie): The highest ranking doe (and therefore the top dog, or "rah" of the warren) due to her bold personality and freakish strength. Very close to Fern, loves to play with him and listen to him prattle on about plants and bugs. Silly and sweet, but lowkey very fearsome.

Hollyhock (Howdy): One of the higher-ranking bucks, a long and lanky bunny with an extra (nonfunctional) back leg due to a congenital abnormality. Genial and sociable, with a quick wit and a fondness for conversation. His tall stature allows him to reach a curious little lever that dispenses tasty treats, which no other rabbit is capable of reaching. Uses this as social leverage, but will generously grant a treat in exchange for little favors (usually jokes or good conversation).

"Eddie" Eidelweiss: A stocky, orange rabbit, the lowest-ranking male in the warren despite his size, strength and speed. His easy-going demeanor leaves him easily bossed around by others, yet he’s never treated with malicious intent. Hopelessly kind and accident prone, very easy to startle (much to Barberry’s delight). Fancies Fern and his beautiful mind, but isn’t fully aware of this or sure what (if anything) to do about it.

Salvia "Sally" Star-Sedge: A tiny rabbit with fancy, bright-colored fur who swears up and down she's a wild bunny like Fern and may actually believe it herself. A self-proclaimed bard, knowing many of the stories and poems about El-Ahrairah (the mythical Prince With a Thousand Enemies), as well as an outspoken devotee of the sun god, Frith. What she lacks in size, she makes up for in raw tenacity. Bossy, but about in the middle of the warren's social ranks.

Poppy: A big, beautiful angora rabbit with long wool and a fragile heart (in both senses of the word), seldom seen outside her burrow unless she’s eating or drinking. Timid, but very sweet, always glad to share her luxuriant shed wool with the other rabbits as nesting material. The lowest-ranking doe, but still beloved by all. Self-conscious about her stature. Is very taken by how small and kitten-like Wally is, often finding herself doting on him as though he were her own.

[taoistyuri]

bunny

the color of the rabbits fur is named different things. blue=blueberry, orange=orange, pink=strawberry, white=vanilla,purple=grape

seiran- average height, blueberry flavor. regular ears

ringo- average height (taller than seiran), orange flavor. dewlap, short thin lop ears

tewi- short, strawberry flavor, with white actually being the secondary color. long, fluffy lop ears. fluffy dewlap and fluffy big tail

reisen- tall, grape flavor. dewlap, long crooked ears

[rjalker]

oh this one came out really nice...

Look at this little baby :)

[ID: A photograph of a brush pile with sunlight shining through the brown dead leaves, turning them orange in color. In the very center of the photo, draped across some branches, is a young green anole, currently with its scales brown to blend in with its surroundings. End Id.]

This photo is public domain btw because I hate capitalism. go wild.

actually you can have the other ones of this baby and its neighbors too. Including the one that's completely out of focus, lol...

[ID: Seven photos. The first two show the same young green anole as above, with the first showing it tilting its head to the side, and the second a closer photo with it lying flat again.

The next two photos show another green anole, also currently brown, climbing on other fallen tree branches.

The last three photos show an adult green anole perched on the top of a chainlink fence, first still with traces of green, then dark brown. It has the short crest on the back of its neck raised, and its dewlap partially extended in the second photo. The last photo of it has the anole completely out of focus and blurry, the camera instead focusing on a tree behind it.

End ID.]

[ivyfox-illustration]

PLOTT HOUND gaiting movement well bred wall art akc breeds Canvas print Your favourite breed art print - head or body conformation - groomer gift - Other Breeds Available - dog breeder gift - regional specialty or national specialty prize gift idea Artwork by Ivy Fox Illustration Follow Ivy Fox Illustration on social media https://m.facebook.com/IvyFox.illustration/ https://www.instagram.com/ivyfox.illustration/ Find your dog breed: Personalized Pet Portraits: https://ivyfoxillustrates.etsy.com/ My website: https://ivyfoxillustration.com/ Art Prints Merch Original PaintingsUpgrade any room with art printed on top-quality canvas gallery wraps. Each wrap is made with finely textured, artist-grade cotton substrate which consistently reproduces your image in outstanding clarity and detail. Available in multiple sizes, these closed back canvases are built with a patented, solid support face and are excellent for indoor use. .: 100% cotton fabric .: Closed cardboard backing .: Built with a patented solid support face .: High image quality and detail .: NB! For indoor use only A drawing of a PLOTT HOUND! This makes Great gift for dog lovers, Plott Hound and other hound fanciers, and all alike. This drawing is a movement illustration of a Plott Hound. It is imperative to me that the breed’s correct gait be represented completely, and that the dog is drawn to match its breed standard. Don’t see your breed yet? Keep an eye out for the future additions to my AKC All-Breed Series! About the Breed The Plott, a hound with a curious name and a unique history, is a rugged, relentless hunting dog who is a mellow gentleman at home but fearless, implacable, and bold at work. This eye-catching scenthound is North Carolina's state dog. The hound with the curious name (we'll get to that) and unique history (we'll get to that, too) is a streamlined, long-tailed, light-footed hunter standing as high as 25 inches at the shoulder. The flashy coat comes in an array of brindle-stripe patterns, from black flecked with gold to flaming orange and russet, in addition to some solid colors. The medium-length ears hang gracefully, and the leather of the nose, lips, and eye rims are black, setting off an inquisitive and confident expression. Official Standard of the Plott The Plott may have an identification mark on the rump used to identify the dog when out hunting. Such a mark is not to be penalized when evaluating the dog. General Appearance: A hunting hound of striking color that traditionally brings big game to bay or tree, the Plott is intelligent, alert and confident. Noted for stamina, endurance, agility, determination and aggressiveness when hunting, the powerful, well muscled, yet streamlined Plott combines courage with athletic ability. Size, Proportion, Substance: Size – Height - Males 20 to 25 inches at the withers. Females 20 to 23 inches at the withers. Proportion - General conformation and height in proportion. Faults: Extremely leggy or close to the ground. Weight-(in hunting condition) Males 50 to 60 pounds. Females 40 to 55 pounds. Substance - Moderately boned. Strong, yet quick and agile. Faults - Overdone. Carrying too much weight and or too much bone to display speed and dexterity. Head: Head - Carried well up with skin fitting moderately tight. Faults - Folds, dewlap, skin stretched too tightly. Expression - Confident, inquisitive, determined. Fault - Sad expression. Eyes - Brown or hazel, prominent rather than deeply set. Faults - Drooping eyelids, red haw. Ears - Medium length, soft textured, fairly broad, set moderately high to high. Hanging gracefully with the inside part rolling forward toward the muzzle. Ear spread in males - 18 to 20 inches. Ear spread in females - 17 to 19 inches. When attentive or inquisitive, some Plotts display a semi-erectile power in their ears and lift them enough so a noticeable crease occurs on line with the crown. Disqualification - Length of ear extending beyond the tip of the nose or hanging bloodhound-like, in long, pendulous fashion. Skull - Moderately flat. Rounded at the crown with sufficient width between and above the eyes. Faults: Narrow-headed, square, oval or excessively domed. Muzzle - Moderate length, flews give it a squarish appearance. Faults - Bluntly squared. Pointed. Pigmentation - Eye rims, lips and nose are black. Flews - Black. Fault - Pendulous flews. Bite – Teeth - Scissors. Fault - Overshot or undershot. Neck, Topline and Body: Neck - Medium length and muscular. Clean and free of ponderous dewlap. Fault: Loose, wrinkled or folded skin. Topline - Gently sloping, slightly higher at the withers than at the hips. Fault: Roached. Body – Chest - Deep. Ribs - Deep, moderately wide, well sprung. Back - Well muscled, strong, level. Loin - Slightly arched. Tail - Root is slightly below level of topline. Rather long, carried free, well up, saber-like. Moderately heavy in appearance and strongly tapered. Sometimes typified by a slight brush. Forequarters: Shoulders - Clean, muscular and sloping, indicating speed and strength. Elbow - Squarely set. Forelegs - Straight, smooth, well muscled. Pasterns - Strong and erect. Feet - Firm, tight, well-padded and knuckled, with strong toes. Set directly under the leg. Disqualification - Splayed feet. Nails - Usually black, although shades of reddish brown matching the brindle body color are permissible and buckskin colored dogs have light red nails. May be white when portions of the feet are white. Hindquarters: Angulation - Well bent at stifles and at the hocks. Hips - Smooth, round, and proportionally wide, indicating efficient propulsion. Legs - Long and muscular from hip to hock. From hock to pad short, strong and at right angles to the ground. Upper and second thigh - Powerful and well-muscled. Feet - Set back from under the body. Firm and tight. Toes - Strong. Coat: Smooth, fine, glossy, but thick enough to provide protection from wind and water. Rare specimens are double coated, with a short, soft, thick inner coat concealed by a longer, smoother and stiffer outer coat. Color: Any shade of brindle (a streaked or striped pattern of dark hair imposed on a lighter background) is preferred. This includes the following brindle factors: yellow, buckskin, tan, brown, chocolate, liver, orange, red, light or dark gray, blue or Maltese, dilute black, and black. Other acceptable Plott colors are solid black, any shade of brindle, with black saddle, and black with brindle trim. A rare buckskin, devoid of any brindle, sometimes appears among litters; ranging from red fawn, sandy red, light cream, and yellow ochre, to dark fawn and golden tan. Some white on chest and feet is permissible as is a graying effect around the jaws and muzzle. Gait: Dexterous and graceful, rhythmic footfall. With ample reach in front and drive behind, the Plott easily traverses various terrains with agility and speed. Legs converge to single track at speed. Temperament: Eager to please, loyal, intelligent, alert. Aggressive, bold, and fearless hunter. Disposition generally even, but varies among strains, with a distinction sometimes appearing between those bred for big game and those bred as coonhounds. Disqualifications: Length of ear extending beyond the tip of the nose or hanging bloodhound- like, in long, pendulous fashion. Splayed feet.Contact Email: IvyFoxIllustration@ gmail(dot)com ———— Tags and other miscellaneous info: ———— Ivy Fox Illustration Ivy Fox dog art Museum of the Dog American Kennel Club Showsight - Where Champions Are Celebrated American Dog Fancier InfoDog Best In Show The Canine Chronicle AKC Gazette best pet portrait artist watercolor fine art unique art Akc meet the breeds Westminster kennel club dog show national dog show crufts grooming intergroom superzoo petquest groom expo dog sports well bred dogs purebred preservation breeders ethical breeders breeder of merit akc grand champion Ch – Champion of Record – earned by gaining 15 points in conformation wins. Points awarded is determined by the number of other entries the winning dog defeats. A dog must win at least two majors (by winning at two different shows under two different judges where there are enough entries defeated to equal 3-5 points by the AKC point system. OTCh – Obedience Trial Champion To earn an obedience title, the dog must have a passing score of 50% of possible points or better, and an overall passing score at three different competitions under three different judges. CD – Companion Dog (First Level Obedience Competition, basic obedience exercises) CDX – Companion Dog Excellent (Intermediate Level Obedience Competition, more advanced obedience work) UD – Utility Dog (Advanced Level Obedience Competition, difficult obedience work, including hand signals) UDX – The highest obedience degree AKC presently awards TRACKING TD – Tracking Dog TDX – Tracking Dog Excellent VST – Variable Surface Tracking HERDING HIC – Herding Instinct Certificate HT – Herding Tested PT – PreTrial Tested HS – Herding Started HI – Herding Intermediate HX – Herding Excellent HCh – Herding Champion AGILITY NA – Novice Agility OA – Open Agility AX – Agility Excellent MX – Master Agility Excellent NAJ – Novice Agility Jumper OAJ – Open Agility Jumper EAJ – Excellent Agility Jumper AKC Unofficial Titles CGC – Canine Good Citizen ROM – Register of Merit – A dog or bitch must earn a number of points specified by the DPCA rules, and also meet the numbers of champion and major pointed progeny required by DPCA. The requirements for bitches are less than the requirements for the dogs because males have the opportunity to produce a far larger number of offspring. ROMC – Canadian ROM ROM/C – designates that the dog has earned an American and a Canadian ROM. TT – Temperament Tested TC – Temperament Certified AOE – Award of Excellence-A dog must meet qualifications in conformation, obedience, and also be OFA´d to earn this award. New competitions are being added and rules for competitions change, for the most up to date rules and regulations, check with the AKC and the DPCA. Miscellaneous American titles often seen on pedigrees and in advertising. BIS – Best in Show at an All-Breed Show in conformation. BISS – Best in Show Specialty (where only dogs of the same breed are competing in conformation) BOB – Best of Breed BOS – Best Opposite Sex BOW – Best of Winners (best between Winners Dog and Winners Bitch in breed conformation class competition) WD – Winners Dog – the winning dog overall of the regular classes of his sex. WB – Winners Bitch – the winning bitch overall of the regular classes of her sex. RWD/RWB – Runner up to the winners dog and bitch, if the winner becomes ineligible for the award then the runner up will receive the points awarded from that show. Special – A dog that is already a Champion that is competing for Best of Breed only. A Champion cannot compete in the classes where points are earned (because a Champion has already earned them!) RTD – Registered Therapy Dog TD I- Dog has passed Therapy Dog International´s testing HEALTH CERTIFICATIONS OVC – Ontario Veterinary College OVC Hip Certification – A dog may be preliminary screened at a younger age, but will not receive a certification unless the dog is at least 18 months old. It was told to me by a tech in the radiology department of OVC that they consider hips to either be bad, in which case they are rated on a scale from 0 – 4, with 4 being the worse, or they are “good” in which case the animal will receive a certification number (if 18 months or older. Therefore they do not follow the U.S. rating system which includes “FAIR”, Good, Excellent”. Their exact words were “the hips are either GOOD or they are NOT. OFA – Orthopedic Foundation for Animals OFA Hip Certifications – dogs within a specified range of normal hip x-rays are certified OFA-Excellent, Good, or Fair OFA – Elbow Certification – Certified by OFA for normal elbows on x-ray, only one grade recognized as normal. Check with OFA for proper procedures and positioning for hip and elbow x-rays. A dog may be preliminary screened at a younger age, but will not receive a certification unless the dog is at least 24 months old. OFA is also now doing certifications for other canine health concerns such as normal thyroid levels, check with OFA for accurate data and rules concerning these. CERF – Canine Eye Registry Foundation-dog is certified to have normal eyes. Re-certification must be done annually. vWD – Von Willebrands Disease free-meaning the dog has been tested and found free of vWD, a bleeding disorder, vWD free ratings also are often given with a percentage listed. For the best information on Von Willebrand´s Disease, contact Dr Jean Dodds, who is the leading research specialist in blood disorders. Dog show prize idea