So I say a shadowcat on the average is the size of a large european lynx, and can be the size of a small leopard.
> This sounds interesting -- sadly, I have very little information up in
> my neck of the woods on any particular variations on Shadowcats or
> Yinkini or the like. The perils of living in the Great White North...
> Could you tell me more?
>
> > << Also the shadow cat's are very magical, and have a royally amazing
> > dexterity. >>
> >
> > Well, nobody said they *were* lynxes.
>
> Ah, good. That's the rub, innit? Problem with the name alynx is that
> one thinks 'ah, a lynx...'
Indeed. Something I refuse to use in my games. Even here in Finland it sound's like a rather lame joke, and the players would really get tired of hearing it very soon ("Why not just call it a lynx then...")
> > This to me doesn't sound much like a bobcat, or even it's larger
> > cousin the
> > European lynx (biggest of the lynxes), since the poor lynx cats have lost
> > their tails,>>
> >
> > Bobcat tails aren't so short, though.
They are short. And the lynx/bobcats proportions are not meant for agility, but pouncing. All the lynx species are basically the same, just scaled up or down. (There's an interesting looking desert variety though)
> Comparaively speaking. Bobcats and Lynxes have fairly short tails (they
> are still better off than, say, a manx cat) and move with more
> deliberation than, say, a cougar. I have observed both in the wilds
> (isolation DOES have its benefits)
>
> > << and their long hind legs don't exactly give them good balance.>>
> >
> > Depends on your environment, I believe. Bobcats are pretty agile in rocky
> > hill terrain (American lynxes less so, on account of the shape of their
> > paws), which seems appropriate to Sartar, IMO.
>
> Bobcats are more agile in bad terrain -- snowy areas and lower-hills.
> Cougars tend to stay to the upper hills adn more rugged terrain (where
> there is more exposed rock, I suppose) but come down from the heights
> following the deer, elk and sheep.
Indeed. I think the shadow cat is somewhat like the lynx in being a "big small cat". Small (sylvestris) cat's being the ones with slit pupils and being able to purr, and unable to roar. (generally speaking, that is, let's not go to taxonomy here)
> Bobcats are more pouncers than chasers, in the same way foxes have
> evolved into being a 'catlike canine' Most of the other cats which are
> more heavily built are designed for pounce and bite spine on prey
> similar or larger to themselves in size. The Bobcat is more of mouser
> - -- rabbits, hare, partridge (*everything* eats Partrige -- sort of an
> avian plankton, I think!)
And like everything they eat the small (microtus) voles whenever they become abundant (in Europe at least). In Canada apparently everything eats the local hare.
> They do compete with the wolves in the lowlands but I've come across
> dead wolves (torn appart) and NO idea what killed them -- probably
> cougar.
>
> I would like to know what sort of hunting rourtines alynx's use -- the
> silver deer has been mentioned (but never caught till Odayla helped
> out). I think Yinkin's eyes are bigger than his stomach and most
> alynxes are probably too small to deal with sheep or larger prey...
Hmm... our local lynx specialises in a kind of deer, much bigger than itself. One can tell this by the fact that a lynxes canines fit between the neck vertebra of that spesific deer, making the killing bite fast and effiscient. They do take down other prey too of course, up to reindeer size.
> - -..which puts them back at being a Lynx - analogue rather than something
> more dire.
>
> > << At least in my mind the imagery in the RQ-2 description invokes something
> > rather much like a huge European shorthair "felis sylvestris", or perhaps a
> > sleek burman.>>
> >
> > Yes, I'd agree that that's true. I can safely say that that's no longer
> > the official view, but its a perfectly good 'IMG' one.
Too bad. I like lynxes, but a shadow cat is supposed to be something much more magical and mysterious. And they aren't supposed to be bred for interesting fur color and an obidient nature!
> Probably. But they do differer from the RL lynx considerably --
> certainly in dexterity. What about that cat they are finding on the
> moors in Scotland recently? If nothing else, they ARE hard to find...
>
> Jeff
-Adept
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