Swampie

(swamp-EE)

There is a popular saying amongst the fisherfolk of Subeta's lakes -- "The only thing worse than a storm at night is a swampie during the day!" Indeed, swampies have been following and harassing Subeta's fishers for as long as anyone can remember - though they are hardly malicious in their curiosity. These freshwater creatures simply have one goal: to play! Swampies are among Subeta's most playful species. They have been observed to have many games similar to a human's, including forms of tag and hide-and-seek, and they just see a boat as another swampie to join in the fun.

Swampies live in large groups commonly known as annoyances - so named by the very same fishermen that coined the infamous saying. Once they've found something of interest, they are likely to follow it around for hours, if not days. Unfortunately, this can include the fish, and therefore the livelihood, of many of Riverside's residence. Swampies give birth to live young, generally only one pup at a time - though twins are not unheard of. They are born fully ready to live a life on their own but tend to stick with their annoyance for months, sometimes years, as they already have a built-in family of playmates. They are omnivores and although most swampies generally enjoy a vegetarian diet, they will not say no to regular meals of fish, frogs, and invertebrates such as crabs. Swampies lack sharp teeth and they are known to swallow some harder crustaceans whole rather than trying to break them apart!

The spines along their back are made out of keratin, though they are not fully hardened and have a limited range of flexibility and motion. Often a good observer can tell a swampie's mood simply by the position of their head spines. Further down the backbone the spines get far harder, and they can actually supply the swampie with a natural form of defense -- if they ever need it. Swampies have next to no natural predators and they do not entirely understand the concept of being chased for any reason other than fun! Swampies are quite large and can be up to 15 feet (5m) from head to tail base, with their tails a further 13-15 feet (4-5m) on top of that! They weigh around 1300 lbs (590 kg). This size helps them stay quite buoyant even in rough waters.

Domesticated swampies have been bred to be far smaller than their wild counterparts so they can be kept in outdoor pools and ponds. They are wonderfully affectionate pets, and can spend a limited amount of time out of water for a good, long cuddle. They do require regular contact with their owner or they can start to become depressed from loneliness. People without the time to dedicate a few hours a day to their swampie should consider getting two, so they can keep each other company. A few adventurous breeders are working towards the goal of larger, domesticated swampies that can even be ridden out in open water. It is a bit hard, however, to keep such a silly creature still long enough to train in this manner!