Mating, Breeding & Aging
Apr 14, 2017 18:34:54 GMT
Post by Akane on Apr 14, 2017 18:34:54 GMT
Seasons
1 year in real time constitutes 2 in-character years.Year 1
Winter: January 1st - February 15th
Spring: February 15th - March 31st
Summer: April 1st - May 15th
Fall: May 15th - June 30th
Year 2
Winter: July 1st - August 15th
Spring: August 15th - September 30th
Summer: October 1st - November 15th
Fall: November 15th - December 31st
Breeding Requirements
-Females must be 1 year or older in order to successfully carry a litter, though 18 months-2 years is more ideal.
-There must be at least 3 interactions between the intended couple before there is any mention of becoming mates, and an additional 5 further interactions before mention of pups. (Nourish your characters' relationships, get to know their partner before trying to get them to make babies!)
In the instance of a forced breeding; there must be at least 2 hostile interactions before a pairing, and 4 further interactions before mentioning pups.
-Females go into heat the season after their birth (say you have a character born in Spring, they will go into heat 1 year later in Summer).
-Males can only sire 2 litters per year. Females may only have a maximum of 3 litters throughout their entire lifespan, space them wisely to accommodate for new OCs later!
-Phenotypes will need to be taken into consideration when designing pups for the litter, if you are unsure of this; ask an Admin for help or request an artist to help you design the litter. Both players must put equal amount of effort into designing a litter with the final designs chosen amongst the parents' roleplayers.
Pups
The number of pups is determined by the female and their living conditions, the genders by the male. This is done via random roll either on the discord server, or via the Fate Button in the litter applications section.Lone Females
Females who do not belong to a pack may have up to 4 pups, but have a higher chance of miscarriage.
Pack Females
Females who are part of a pack may have up to 8 pups per litter, litters are almost always guaranteed.
Force Bred Females
Females who are forced to breed may have up to 2 pups. The chance of miscarriage is significantly greater if the sire leaves, is chased out, or killed.
Aging
Newborn: Newborns are particularly vulnerable having minimal sensory guidance. They are born both blind and deaf and have very limited scenting abilities. A vast majority of thriving newborns rely solely on touch and taste to navigate their nest and find their mother. With this in mind; pups are also highly susceptible to temperature change and illnesses (a cold pup has no bodily functions; i.e cannot digest food, make noise, or have the energy to move, a pup which is too warm will constantly cry and attempt to 'escape'). Whilst pregnant; the mother may ingest certain herbs to boost the pups' immunity to certain illnesses after birth, but nothing is 100% guaranteed, for the first four hours of nursing; the dam will produce a clear or off-white substance known as 'colostrum' which also boosts the pups' natural antibodies and thus making them far less likely to fall ill. In the first two weeks of life; the eyes will open, followed in the next few weeks by the ears. Their skeletal structures will also begin to stabilize, and they will be full walking (or 'waddling') by four weeks of age.
**Newborns do not have to be played out, the first 3 months can be skipped for convenience**
Three Months: At three months old, the pups tend to be fully weaned, or partially weaned onto meat, can recognize scents (and so tend to follow their mother around), and begin exploring the entrance of their den. It's during the time of following their mother that the pups will learn vital social skills and will be taught to submit to hierarchy and the upper ranks, refusal to submit on the pups' part often leads to rough treatment and can break the social structure of the pack if the mother or father opts to step in. The pups will learn how to hunt about this age, and can travel out of the den with the supervision of an adult for as far as the adult sees fit. The skills taught at this age are crucial to the pups survival later in life and how they will view the world around them. Habits picked up in this stage of life are likely to stick with them to adulthood.
Six Months: By the age of six months; pups learn to be more independent and explore different skills to test out which they have a talent for and which they personally prefer; hunting, fighting, or herbs being the top three skill-sets a pack looks for. Adult teeth start to cut through, and the individual pups are nearly indistinguishable from the pack's adults (the only exception being height as they are not quite yet fully grown). Pups can begin to survive on their own at this age, but have a substantially lower survival rate than if they were with a pack, their primary cause of death tending to be predators, poaching, starvation or illness.
Nine Months: At this age; pups will have reached their adult height and are done growing, they are no longer considered 'pups' per se, but young adults learning the ways of their birth pack in preparation to either join the ranks or disperse. They no longer need guardians to leave the den, but do enjoy indulging in the odd juvenile game now and again.
Yearling: At one year; the new adults no longer need parents or guardians to survive at all, they are considered sexually mature and are able to conceive and sire litters, but doing so at such a young age can have potentially disastrous consequences.
Two-Eight: These are the wolf's prime years. At two years old, a wolf is considered mature enough to become the 'Alpha' or leader of a pack. These are considered by researchers to be the healthiest years of a wolf's life; they are less susceptible to diseases, can successfully carry a litter to term and whelp (or 'give birth') with minimal complications, and are at the peak of their fitness. As they begin to age towards eight years, grey or silver hairs begin to come through, particularly around the pads and toes, and on their muzzles and eyebrows. Elderly wolves, much like pups, are now prone to disease and injury, as well as all the complications that come with aging such as arthritic joints and decreases senses (sometimes even leading them to where it all started; blind and deaf).
Twelve: Twelve years is an incredible feat for any wolf to reach, as few rarely make it to this grand old age. A time for rest; lots of naps and passing their wisdom to the youngsters of the pack while the adults cater to their every whim. That is until it comes time to join the grand wolf Lupus in her domain in the sky. Most wolves pass away peacefully in their sleep, some are not so lucky, dying due to catastrophic injuries as result of pack wars or power struggles (especially in the case of Alphas refusing to give up their command). At this age, they can no longer successfully breed, hunt or provide for themselves in any way, and, unfortunately for the mated pairs here; if the mate passed first, the other half will soon follow, guided back on instinct to the places their lovers died to be reunited one last time.