Citizens Of Antiford The Pook (pronounced like ‘book’) is a relatively small, carnivorous, rodent-like marsupial, native to the milder regions of Titania. They are light brown in color with a coat of sharp spines that defend them from predators. The quills are not poisonous; however they are difficult to remove if they’ve pierced an attackers’ skin.
Stature
Pook are 30-90 cm in length. Their weight ranges from 2 to 8 pounds. Their natural lifespans are approximately 3.5 years; the larger species tend to live longer than the smaller.
While they are typically ground dwelling creatures, pook have also developed some arboreal characteristics which allow them to climb short distances if necessary.
Diet
Pook eat small mammals such as smaller species of rabbits, small birds, lizards, and rodents. In suburban areas, they are known as pests because they get into meat stores or kill small livestock such as chickens.
Society
Pook are solitary creatures. They are primarily nocturnal, sleeping in hollowed-out logs or underground dens and emerging to hunt during the night. The young will stay with the mother up to a year before wandering off on it’s own.
Procreation
Mating occurs during the dodar months. Once pregnant, the folds on a female pook’s abdomen become a pouch that opens at the back. The gestation period is around 25 days. Up to 13 pook are born in each litter, but typically only half will survive the first fortnight. The surviving offspring stay in their mother's pouch for eight weeks.