Western Nine Tails

Western nine tails are a species that evolved from kitsunes taken from their environment in Japan to be studied in the United States, more specifically desert-like environments. When kitsunes escaped they managed to evolve into their own separate species.Traits: western nine tails have similar traits to kitsunes that being the nine tails and foxlike looks. They can five forms that they can change between as they like. An anthro two-legged animal form, a large feral four-legged form and a smaller four-legged form, and a humanoid form that normally keeps their slit eye shape. They have large ears with tufts of fur on the ends used to help cool off in the hot desert and better hear the prey that they hunt. Their nine tails do not all appear at birth but instead start from one tail and grow to nine with age. They hold pride in their tails with better tails meaning better looking to the species. Their fur pattern stays to a solid main body color and a secondary tail tip and inner ear fur color. Some members of the species will end up with slightly different fur patterns including the addition of a secondary color on their lower limbs and ear tips, a secondary color covering their stomach, and/or a secondary color covering their muzzle. In rare cases, a third coat color may show up in those patterns. Fur colors tend to stick to more natural browns and sandy colors in the wild but due to genetic modification of the starters of this species, any coat color is possible for them to have on rare occasions of a mutation. On top of this, Coat patterning can sprout up as a mutation as well. Their coat type is a double coat that is shorter than a kitsune's coat type due to the warmer weather. Their tails and neck fur remain long coated despite the warm environment as a show of display, a better kept and fluffier tail and neck coat meaning a healthier individual with the logic that they have the energy and time to maintain their coat due to skilled hunting and lack of illness or injury. Western nine tails have catlike eyes and pupils to help them hunt in both daylight and nighttime. Their eyes normally stay as slits but can expand into circles when needed. Western nine-tail claws are constantly out to help chase down prey in loose desert soil and sand. Their paw pads are tough and able to handle high heat without damage or pain. Western nine tails have a walk style when on four legs similar to cats where their back paw is placed where the front paw just was to reduce noise when walking and have fewer tracks following them. In anthro form, they walk as if humans.Abilities: western nine tails are fast hunters able to sprint after prey for long distances to outrun them or tire them out. They have sharp teeth and a strong Vite able to break open bones on a meal and rip out the flesh with ease. Western nine tails can also possess powers similar to kitsunes, those powers being fire, lightning, or dream control. A single member can only have one power or none at all.Social aspects: western nine tails live in packs of related members starting from a mother and father with their kits. Western nine tails mate for life and once a male member of a pack is mature they can choose to leave the pack to find a mate or stay in the family pack with no mate. A female member of a pack can also leave if they wants but are allowed to stay in their pack even after finding a mate tho most don't. In a pack the oldest members are the ones in charge but mothers with kits get first picks of meals then it goes by age. Packs will have their own territory but if a member of their pack leaves and makes their own pack the two packs will sometimes share territory and be peaceful with one another. Packs that have no living relatives connecting the pack that still recognize the other pack leader as a family will be hostile to one another. The oldest members of a pack will pass down knowledge and ways to solve problems that they learned as they lived so that younger pack members can continue to teach their kids and younger pack members. This leads to a variety of hunting styles being used by the species like with orcas.Relationship with humans: in their normal habitat there aren’t many humans to interact with but the instincts from where they came from still remain. This species is smart enough to choose to spare a kind human if they want but still have a strong urge to hunt humans specifically. This urge becomes harder to ignore with the smell or taste of human blood. This species has its ways of knowing a person's true intentions so do not approach with Ill intent at heart. Although weary of humans some members of this species choose to live with humans and may even form a pair with them.