Traits

By default, Xeros have small, rounded claws. Their claws are shiny and just slightly translucent. They cannot have no claws, or claws of a different shape or size than this without a special mutation.

By default, Xeros have long kangaroo or otter-like tails that are thick at the base and taper to a soft point at the end.

By default, all Xeros have ears that are located on the sides of their heads, roughly in line with their eyes. These ears can vary a bit in shape or size, but are always folded in and tapered at the base. 

Desert Xeros are the smallest of the Xero subspecies, averaging only 3 feet tall (90 cm).

This trait is exclusive to the Desert subspecies and cannot be added to a Xero with an item. All Desert Xeros have this trait.

Tundra Xeros are the largest of the Xero subspecies, averaging about 5 feet tall (152 cm). 

This trait is exclusive to the Tundra subspecies and cannot be added to a Xero with an item. All Tundra Xeros have this trait.

All Marine Xeros have webs between their fingers and toes to help propel them through the water.

This trait is exclusive to the Marine subspecies and cannot be added to a Xero with an item. All Marine Xeros have this trait.

All Hollow Xeros have much larger claws on their paws to enable efficient burrowing.

This trait is exclusive to the Hollow subspecies and cannot be added to a Xero with an item. All Hollow Xeros have this trait.

Jungle Xeros have extra-long sticky tongues, perfect for lapping up their favorite treat: fresh flower nectar!

This trait is exclusive to the Jungle subspecies and cannot be added to a Xero with an item. All Jungle Xeros have this trait.

Generally, a Xero's flesh is all the same color, so visible areas like the inside of their ears, tongue, nostrils, and paw pads must all be the same, but this special trait allows their skin to be different colors! It's not just limited to two colors either, each ear, paw pad, etc. could all be different colors! Each differently colored body part may only be one solid color, with the exception of any part that crosses the sagittal plane (midline) of the body, which may be split in half and half colors (tongue, pouch, or overall body skin if hairless trait is used). This trait also allows heterochromia; two different colored eyes!

This trait allows Xeros to have markings on their skin! This can include markings of any shape on their ears, paw pads, tongue, or hairless sections if combined with that trait. These markings can only be darker or lighter than their normal skin color, unless combined with the Split trait. If combined with Split, the markings can be other colors.

Albino Xeros lack pigment in their fur, and thus have a pure-white or off-white coat with no countershading. Any markings they have in their fur will be very pale, and the same color as their flesh (orange in this example). Flesh, eyes, and markings must all be the same hue, but can be varying shades. Their flesh can still be any color, it is not limited to shades of pink or red like an Earth animal.

Leucistic Xeros are similar to albino ones, but have only a partial loss of pigment, giving them a "washed out" appearance. They have a pure-white or off-white coat with no countershading, but can have dark-colored markings and markings of any color, not just ones that match their flesh hue.

Piebald Xeros have splotches of fur lacking pigment. These patterns of fur are white, off-white, or pale in color, and are completely random and irregular. These patches can cover a lot of the Xero, or very little. Piebald Xeros may also have heterochromia without the use of other items.

Melanistic Xeros have an overubundance of pigment in their skin and fur, resulting in darker fur colors, flesh colors, and can even have reverse countershading; these are the only Xeros found to have darker colored bellies. Only melanistic Xeros can have sceleras (eye whites) darker than the iris! Their fur, flesh, and eyes can still be any color, but must be on the darker side. Melanistic Xeros can also be a solid dark color, with no countershading.

Hairless Xeros are very rare. Their fur is very useful for regulating their temperature and protecting them from their environment, so its not common at all to see them with fur missing. The hairless trait can manifest in different ways; from just a hairless tail or belly, to only hair on the top of the head, to even completely bald! The color of skin where their fur is missing must be the same as the other visible flesh on their ears, tongue, and paw pads, but it can vary in different shades.

The fur pads trait gives a Xero extra fluffy feet that covers their paw pads, like a rabbit or fennec fox! This adaptation can help protect their paws against extremely hot or cold conditions.

Tundra Xeros can have extra fluffy fur, called Tundra Fur. Often shown as a super fluffy neck and chest area like a mane, but can also be extra fluffy on the undersides of the limbs, the tail, sides of the face, etc.

Some Xeros may have thin, slit pupils instead of the standard round or oval ones. This is an uncommon adaptation, but the Xeros that have this style of eye tend to have even stronger night vision. 

Life in a world of little-to-no light can present several obstacles, arguably the most important being how to sense the enviroment. Hollow Xeros have developed eyes that feature significantly larger pupils and a highly efficient tapetum. These features enable them to operate effectively in the darkest of conditions and give their eyes a soft, reflective sheen.

Though it's very rare, some Xeros may have horizontal pupils instead of the standard round or oval ones. This strange adaptation gives the Xero a wider field of view, making them very hard to sneak up on.