Kurraketta

	Kurraketta
Classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia (Animals) Phylum: Chordata (Chordates) Class: Mammalia (Mammals) Order: Ungulata (Ungulates) Suborder: Perrisodactyla (Odd-toed ungulates) Family: Ramfoxenodae (Kurraketta's) Genus: Ramfoxenos Species: Ramfoxenos apopisis

  GENERAL

The kurraketta is an extremely aggressive, carnivorous, extra-terrestrial odd-toed ungulate. It's scientific name translates to 'beaked foreigner of Apophis'. The animals are stocky, with a sloping back and long front legs. The head and neck are hairless, while the rest of the body is covered in fur. They have a beak-like mouth with small, but sharp teeth, the eyes are large and black and they have three toes with long, hook-like hoofs on them. The tail is bushy and stiff. The buck (male) is about 86-90cm at the withers, and he has a red-brown colored back, long horns, a white mane around his neck, two smaller 'nose-horns' and longer neck-antennae or 'feelers' The doe (female) is around 78-82cm at the withers, and she has a sand colored back, shorter horns, a bushier tail and longer dorsal spines. The doe lacks the nose-horns and she has a smaller mane and shorter feelers. The kids have sand colored pelts with black spots, and they have fur on their head and neck.

Despite having such big eyes, kurraketta's actually don't see well. They have a well developed hearing and sense of smell, which they use during hunts. The animal is surprisingly fast, agile and intelligent.

  BEHAVIOR

The kurraketta is territorial and it's territory is about the size of two football fields. In rare cases, territories of two different packs may slightly overlap. A pack consists of one buck and up to 5-8, ore more collected does, as well as a number of kids he sired. The buck and the very first doe he met are the pack-leaders. The buck defends his does and kids fiercely against potential younger intruders. 

The animal communicates by making various sounds, like roaring, growling, screeching and a kind of barking. The buck makes a cackling noise, which sounds similar to the noise tin foil makes when you touch it. This sound s made during mating season, probably to lure in does or to scare away other bucks.

They hunt in groups, and they don't seem to be a picky eater, as all known animals (humans included!) are hunted and eaten.

  REPRODUCTION

Mating happens during fall and peak months are October-November. The doe gives birth to one or two (sometimes three or four) fully developed kids, which are able to follow their mother a few hours after their birth. Kids are sandy-colored and they have spots all over their bodies which helps them being camouflaged while hiding from predators or kurraketta's from other packs, when the mother is hunting. Kids drink milk from their mother for about four months, before being fully weened. Kurraketta's leave their birth-pack when they become sexually mature; a buck leaves his birth-pack at age 2, while a doe leaves at age 3-4. During their longer stay in their birth-pack, young does help their mother raising their new siblings, and they often stay behind to babysit the small kids while the others are away on hunts. A kurraketta might live up to 20 years in the wild.

  HABITAT AND STATUS

Kurraketta's are spread worldwide since the year 2029, and they are listed as Least Concern.

  LIST OF SPECIES

R. apopisis is the only known species on Earth. There might be other species or sub-species present on their planet of origin, though.