The Norik

The Norik is a spry creature that resides in more mountainous jungle habitats. A sure-footed species, their three front toes bear most of their body weight and are designed for clinging to slick or rocky surfaces. A durable pad covers each toe and allows it to easily grip harsh, slippery, or uneven terrains. Their back legs have slender cloven hooves that are designed to propel the creature through sharp turns. These hooves also serve as the animal's primary defense against predators. Compared to a modern earth creature, their size is more similar to that of a large goat. 

Noriks reside in small family herds typically consisting of five to ten members. They have short coats of either brown or gray variations, and may have patterns of either stripes or spots on their legs. Most individuals have a darker "ring" marking around their neck, but width and placement on the neck may vary. Their muzzles have long whiskers that help them find food sources on the ground- their wide range of vision adds a blind spot directly in front of them. Herbaceous by nature, their diet consists of a variety of plant life, which is chopped by front incisors and chewed against a hard top dental plate. 

Males are larger than females, though it may be difficult to differentiate the sex of younger individuals due to a lack of any sexual dimorphism within the species. The two pronounced hard plates at their brows may serve a social bonding purpose, for individuals have been observed rubbing foreheads (brow plates) amongst one another in what appears to be a greeting. It may also be a means of scent identification meant to preserve similar scents among the herd so that each family unit is distinguishable from the next by smell. More research is needed, however, to determine if this social interaction does indeed transfer individual's scents amongst the group as hypothesized or if it is purely a social behavior.