Known Creature Details
MinKin
Pronunciation: Men-Ken
Male: Brunter | Female: Prinnie (Pren-ie)
Young: Pooku (Poo-koo)
Plural: MinKins
MinKins are small, shy, hidden, creatures that inhabit all of the island. They have big claws perfect for digging and climbing (though they rarely climb) and a hard protective shell that covers all their vital organs. Despite the lack of eyes, they are easily able to get around by slamming their tail on the ground, in a form of echolocation meaning that very little escapes their detection.
MinKins can be found most anywhere on the island if you know where to look. As such, there is a pretty wide variety which differ a lot from one another, and these differences in appearance make it easier to tell where that MinKin would prefer to live and dig.
Dirt: The Dirt variant is the most commonly seen one as they inhabit, well, the dirt. Or, more accurately, they build their homes under the dirt. These are the ones you will mostly see around the West Isle Village towards the heart of the forest. This variant tends to be the most shy and skittish if the four.
Desert: The Desert variant is the one you will find near the ocean, specificity the East Isle Village. They bury themselves deep underneath the sand, and prefer to live near the edge of the water so they have more control over the sand. This variant is the most friendly and open as it is usually always surrounded by the inhabitants of the island and is therefore more used to interactions.
Coal: The Coal variant are mostly located near the West Isle Village, nearer to the mountains. It builds it's home inside the mountains, either by making a home or by finding an abandoned cave. This variant is the most unfriendly as it is not used to interacting...so beware the claws!
Planted: The Planted variant is located deep within the forests on the island, they bury themselves in the bark of trees or stay in the treetops, living among the plant life, using their pattern to help blend in. This variant is the most calm and relaxed of the four.
Breeding
MinKins are monotreme, meaning they are mammals that lay eggs. Females tend to only lay around 2 to 3 eggs at a time, and take care of them in pairs (a male and female) until the babies are old enough to care for themselves.
The MinKins tends to look the same between each gender, aside from the genitals, the only real differences being that the males are bigger and have a small beard, while females are smaller and lack a beard.
The babies (called pookus) are hatched with a protective shell, but that shell is very soft and moldable at birth, which leaves them defenseless. They also only tend to have one claw instead of three, and their shell is much more round instead of the sharp edged the adults have.
Pookus are very mischievous and sneaky, they like to get into things and mess stuff up, and they have a tendency to claw, dig or climb on things...so if you choose a MinKin, be prepared to keep a constant eye on the Pookus!
Diet
MinKins are insectivores, meaning they dine near exclusively on insects and insects alone. With the help of their claws and great digging abilities, they are easily able to find and dine on the insects they want. They can break open thick bark on trees, lift or break rocks and pull up dirt to hunt for their delicious meals.
Bonding with a MinKin
Once bonded, a MinKin can be very useful in finding all types of fruits, vegetables, and herbs for medicine. With their superior tracking skills and great sense of smell, they are adept companions if you need to find a specific thing. Besides their amazing tracking abilities, they are also fantastic for agriculture, as their large claws can help dig holes and aerate land to prepare land for planting seeds.