Okay, so...
Jun. 11th, 2019 12:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asphaltcowgrrlI think I've figured it out. Sorta.
Sharpiesgal insists Zayne is an armadillo. Let's see what the research suggests.
(OH MY GOD THERE IS A SCREAMING HAIRY ARMADILLO AND I CANNOT.)
Armadillos use their sense of smell to determine the identity and sexual condition of other armadillos. <-- this is killing me. I swear to god.
The male's penis is one of the longest among mammals, extending two-thirds of the body length in some species. <-- holy crap on a cracker, it's a good damn thing I'm alone right now because I just screamed.
(Specific to the La Plata three-banded armadillo) They do not dig burrows like most armadillos, but use the abandoned burrows of anteaters when they can get them. <-- sounds like how Zayne split his time between Andrej's and Hilary's.
I'm leaning towards a red panda for James. And the more I read, the more I'm beginning to think I'm right.
Red pandas are generally quiet, but subtle vocalizations—such as squeals, twitters and huff-quacks—can be heard at close proximity. They may also hiss or grunt, and young cubs use a whistle, or high-pitched bleat, to signal distress.
Red pandas are solitary except during the breeding season. <--LMAO
In human care, red pandas can be active at any time of day but are primarily crepuscular, or most active at dawn and dusk. On average, they spend about 45 percent of the day awake and tend to be more active in cooler weather, especially during the winter mating season.
Although, that last bit could apply to Zayne as well. Hahaha.
(All above information courtesy of Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.)
Andrej was the difficult one for me because he's such a moody, emotional person, I wasn't sure what kind of animal he could be. When shanachie_quill suggested he be something distinctly Romanian, I did some research and found some pretty interesting (to me) things.
1. There are a lot of lizards native to the area.
2. There are three distinct types of WILD HAMSTERS in Romania.
3. There are something like 6000 brown bears in Romania, the largest in all of Europe (if I'm remembering correctly).
4. Romania is home to over 60 species of bats. I'm guessing this is why Dracula turned into one? Hahaha. (It's a joke... that's folklore 101.)
But this is the one that stuck with me: the largest herd of wild/feral horses in Europe is in Romania. They're called the Danube Delta horse and honestly, after reading the Wiki article on them, I think it fits Andrej perfectly. Wild, free, endangered. And considering how many times people have suggested just killing the animals, it really resonated with Andrej's Romani heritage.
Side note: I did discover that a US-based rescue organization has developed a birth control program to keep the mares from breeding and increasing the population (keeping them from being slaughtered in the process). They're also active in Romania with the Romani, teaching them proper horse care so that the animals they rely on so heavily for their livelihoods can live longer, happier lives. This is especially important because the Roma are some of the least educated and poorest groups in the country. But then, Romania also has one of the the largest population of Romani in Europe so...
Anyway, now that I've bored you, I'll go.
Sharpiesgal insists Zayne is an armadillo. Let's see what the research suggests.
(OH MY GOD THERE IS A SCREAMING HAIRY ARMADILLO AND I CANNOT.)
Armadillos use their sense of smell to determine the identity and sexual condition of other armadillos. <-- this is killing me. I swear to god.
The male's penis is one of the longest among mammals, extending two-thirds of the body length in some species. <-- holy crap on a cracker, it's a good damn thing I'm alone right now because I just screamed.
(Specific to the La Plata three-banded armadillo) They do not dig burrows like most armadillos, but use the abandoned burrows of anteaters when they can get them. <-- sounds like how Zayne split his time between Andrej's and Hilary's.
I'm leaning towards a red panda for James. And the more I read, the more I'm beginning to think I'm right.
Red pandas are generally quiet, but subtle vocalizations—such as squeals, twitters and huff-quacks—can be heard at close proximity. They may also hiss or grunt, and young cubs use a whistle, or high-pitched bleat, to signal distress.
Red pandas are solitary except during the breeding season. <--LMAO
In human care, red pandas can be active at any time of day but are primarily crepuscular, or most active at dawn and dusk. On average, they spend about 45 percent of the day awake and tend to be more active in cooler weather, especially during the winter mating season.
Although, that last bit could apply to Zayne as well. Hahaha.
(All above information courtesy of Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.)
Andrej was the difficult one for me because he's such a moody, emotional person, I wasn't sure what kind of animal he could be. When shanachie_quill suggested he be something distinctly Romanian, I did some research and found some pretty interesting (to me) things.
1. There are a lot of lizards native to the area.
2. There are three distinct types of WILD HAMSTERS in Romania.
3. There are something like 6000 brown bears in Romania, the largest in all of Europe (if I'm remembering correctly).
4. Romania is home to over 60 species of bats. I'm guessing this is why Dracula turned into one? Hahaha. (It's a joke... that's folklore 101.)
But this is the one that stuck with me: the largest herd of wild/feral horses in Europe is in Romania. They're called the Danube Delta horse and honestly, after reading the Wiki article on them, I think it fits Andrej perfectly. Wild, free, endangered. And considering how many times people have suggested just killing the animals, it really resonated with Andrej's Romani heritage.
Side note: I did discover that a US-based rescue organization has developed a birth control program to keep the mares from breeding and increasing the population (keeping them from being slaughtered in the process). They're also active in Romania with the Romani, teaching them proper horse care so that the animals they rely on so heavily for their livelihoods can live longer, happier lives. This is especially important because the Roma are some of the least educated and poorest groups in the country. But then, Romania also has one of the the largest population of Romani in Europe so...
Anyway, now that I've bored you, I'll go.
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no subject
Date: 2019-06-11 11:27 pm (UTC)I can see Jay as a red panda and Andy as a wild horse.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-12 12:16 am (UTC)My husband's rather like a red panda, so I thought it'd be fitting for James. Andrej, on the other hand, has the urge to bolt so often that why not a wild horse? LOL
no subject
Date: 2019-06-12 03:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-06-12 03:23 am (UTC)The fic is here if you're bored at work.
I know, right? I'm still stymied over the idea of hamsters in the wild. I mean, they're rodents, so it makes sense and yet... one of the hams I had was native to Siberia. SIBERIA! And she was teeny!
no subject
Date: 2019-06-12 09:49 pm (UTC)