(Artwork and description by player Regina Carey)
 

Chianta

Chianta are long, energetic, playful and curious creatures. They live in the forested areas of mountain regions. And make their homes in trees, abandoned burrows and any holes in the rocks large enough to
offer proper protection for them.

They have fine long, silky fur, which can be red, reddish brown, light brown, dark brown, golden brown,
a blond or gray. The Chianta's have white muzzles and chest fur and have black markings on under and above their eyes. And all Chianta have black markings on the sides of their coat, but no two Chiantas have the same side markings. Their tails are long and prehensile with rings of black running up it's length and a tuft of white fur at it's end.

In some very rare cases Chianta have solid black coats with the white markings on them but no markings
on the sides. Or solid white coats without any other markings even the facial ones found in the other
colors.

This omnivorous animal's forepaws are handlike and dextrous. And they have an incredibly good sense of
hearing and smell and are able to see in the dark. Incorrigible little thieves, they'll swipe any food in their reach. They like peanuts, sweets, fruit, bread, ants, berries, crawfish, mice and snakes and cooked meat. But they especially love grapes the most and will do nearly anything to get their hands on them. While wild animals, they are easily adaptable to civilization and some people enjoy keeping them as pets.

As a pet, they are extremely affectionate and loyal to their owner. And VERY protective of them, becoming as aggressive and threatening towards a threat as they would be over their pups. Anything seen as a threat risks a sharp bite, or deep scratch. While loyal to a good master, if a Chianta is badly treated by their owner, they can, and often do run off to the wilds.

The females are about 2' to 2'6" tall, and weigh 12 to 18 pounds and have a longer, fuller tail than the males. The males are 1'6" to 2' tall and weigh 10 to 15 pounds. These animals have a life expectancy of 12 years. It takes them 1 year to reach breeding age, and are fertile for 9 years.

Chiantas mate for life but if one mate dies before the other though, the surviving mate will choose a new
one after about a year has passed.

 In early Autumn, unattached males search for or borrow suitable dens, which they line with dried leaves, moss, feathers and their own fur. Then begin calling in short sharp whistles trying to attract the female. If a female finds both the male and den to her satisfaction, they mate in the last week of Autumn. A mated couple, will never deserts their den unless something damages it beyond repair. Any male whose den
isn't satisfactory abandons his den to find a better sight to try again the next mating season.

After a pregnancy of 64 days the female gives birth to 1 to 6 young in Ombra. The pups are 3-5 inches long without any fur. At their birth, they are blind and totally helpless.  Then in First Winter, 14 days after their birth, their eyes are open and their able to crawl about.

The mother stays with the cubs at all times, feeding and cleaning them, wrapping her tail around them to keep them warm, and protecting them from danger. The male remains at the den at night to protect the young while his mate sleeps, otherwise, he spends his days bringing food back to the mate and young.

If the mother should die during this time, the young will starve, as they are still dependent on her milk. If a male dies, their chances for survival are cut in half as the mother then has to leave them unprotected to the cold and predators as she takes over the hunting.

By the time the year enters Spring Thaw, the pups are partially weaned and ready to leave the den. Explorations never go further than ten feet from the den, with both parents near to protect their pups as
they learn survival skills through climbing and playing.

By the end of Spring Thaw the pups are fully weaned and allowed to explore further from the den as they learn to sharpen their hunting skills over the next 90 days. Then in the middle of Spring, while food is plentiful, the young now 2/3rds the size of an adult are forced from the den.

The adolescent Chiantas spend the next month and a half learning to survive on their own. And by the start of the next year's Autumn, the surviving Chiantas have reached their full growth and are ready to start their first mating season. By the time young Chiantas reach adulthood, the tuft of white fur on the end of their tails has grown in.