Lucklyt

Summary
The lucklyt is a rodent-species found in the eastern regions south of the Rift. The lucklyt was the most popular "wild" pet in the Cerulean empire until the Modern Age, when the capturing and forced domestication of lucklyts was outlawed all across Eraden. In the Modern Age, lucklyts are a protected species and one of the iconic animals of the Greater Auritas region. A group of lucklyts is called a charm.

Habitat
Lucklyts are endemic to the deserts of the Greater Auritas region. Deserts of this region are known for their hot and dry air, as well as other conditions that make survival difficult. Because of extreme temperatures that can be reached during the hottest part of the day, lucklyts are nocturnal. Lucklyts live in groups of up to 30 individuals and build deep and intricate tunnels up to the depth of 2m. Each tunnel complex consists of multiple chambers connected by tight corridors. Each chamber serves a different purpose, such as sleeping dens, whelping dens, food storage, ventilation chambers, "play areas", and so on. While the spatial organization and number of chambers each lucklyt group inhabits might vary, they all use the chambers in the same way.

Diet
Lucklyts are nocturnal hunters that specialize in hunting ants and similar underground-dwelling species. The lucklyt's trunk and extraordinarily long tongue allow it to reach deep into ant mounds to extract as many ants as possible in one scoop. The tongue has a dual purpose: besides bug-hunting, lucklyts also use it to pick berries from beneath bushes that are only thorny on the top. In rare occasions after heavy rainfall, lucklyts use their tongue to reach into the "lady of the night" flowers to get to the sweet sap.
Like their fellow desert dwellers, lucklyts can survive up to two months without water. In order to hydrate themselves without a stable water source, lucklyts can spend up to half of the night standing perfectly still and waiting for the dew to collect on their fur, which they then lick off. Tunnel complexes of lucklyts inhabiting especially arrid regions of the Auritas deserts have been found to special chambers for collecting water..

Anatomy

• Legs
  Lucklyts are easily identified by their long and thin high legs that allow them to safely jump across the hot sands without causing burns. Lucklyt can develop speeds up to 30km/h when running away from predators. The front legs are equipped with sturdy shovel-like claws that make the lucklyt a well versed digger.
• Trunk
  Lucklyt's short trunk has many olfactory sensors that give the species an incredibly refined sense of smell. While relatively short, the trunk is very flexible and prehensile. The tip of the trunk sports thickened "lip" skin that protects the sensitive tissues inside the trunk and serve as a defense against thorns of the lucklyt's favorite berry bushes.
• Tongue
  The lucklyt's tongue is as long as its body and is incredibly motile. The entire surface of the tongue is covered in microscopic spikes turned away from the tip of the tongue, giving it a rough texture. These spikes, when paired with lucklyt's thick saliva enable it to more easily capture and drag bugs out of their hiding places.
• Ears
  Large and flexible ears give the lucklyt very sensitive hearing. It's been measured that lucklyt's can detect insect movement up to 2 meters below the ground.
• Tail
  The tail is long and sturdy and provides appropriate balance during jumping. During playfighting, lucklyts tend to prop themselves up on their tails to gain the height advantage on their opponent.
• Eyes
  Lucklyt's eyes make up almost half of it's skull volume. In fact, they are so large that the lucklyt cannot move them, and instead has to move its head. The bulging eyes provide the lucklyt with 130 degrees of monocular vision and 65 degrees of binocular visions. Lucklyts have blind spots right in front of their trunka and right behind them.
• Fur
  The lucklyt's fur is coarse and long. While not the most luxurious hide in the animal kingdom, it is famed for it's heat regulating capabilities. Before they were considered endangered, the hides of "used up" lucklyts were used to handle hot objects.
  
  

"Bringer of fortune"
Because of their strange appearance and nocturnal nature, lucklyts have been given many magical attributes by ghalla inhabiting the same area. The most popular belief claims that lucklyts were out on Eraden by the Sun Serpent Belgrath in order to deter evil spirits and misfortune from Cerulean homes. Eventually the superstition was expanded to include that the lucklyt must be captured from the wild, because lucklyts bred in captivity possess much weaker powers and can even call attract evil forces. Lucklyts' anatomy is not well adapted to mostly tunnel-less and flat surfaces in Cerulean homes, which leads to various injuries. The most common injuries seen in "forcibly domesticated" lucklyts are leg and spine fractures. It is said that the number of injuries the lucklyt has survived, the more evil forces it has deterred. Another rumor states that whenever bad luck falls upon a household, the lucklyt absorbs it and the bad luck expresses itself in the form of various injuries brought upon the lucklyt.
Modern studies have shown that lucklyts have been driven almost into extinction multiple times and subsequently their capturing and captivity has been outlawed. Some more isolated areas in the Greater Auritas region still continue the age-old tradition. These areas have developed booming black markets that sell wild lucklys, lucklyt hides, lucklyt leg and tail charms among other things.