Creature:Taumalk

Taumalks are solitary avian creatures, omnivorous in nature, they spend most of the time in burrows dug with their wide beaks, only coming out during mating season or to feed. Being omnivorous, they have no particular taste; they will eat whatever they find, from roots and leaves to decomposing creature carcasses. Living mostly in solitude, these creatures are extremely territorial and will thoroughly defend their burrows and the surrounding land.

These creatures have a large cover of feathers on their backs, while their underbellies are protected from the cold snow by a thick, flexible set of armor plates. The "whiskers" on their beaks have sensitive cells, which will inform the creature of the temperature and state of anything they come in contact with. They also feature a set of wide feet in order to walk through the snow.

Prior to mating season, the males will start shedding out some of their feathers, in order to regrow new ones with a new variety of colors (these being blue and green, in some rare cases red, purple and many others.) and will usually eat them to re-gain the lost keratin used in the production of their new patterns. Once the mating season stars, Taumalks will start wandering around and start finding each other, creating groups that start merging, and the males will start shaking their feathered backs in order to show their patterns. The males with the most complex pattern and the most effort put into the demonstration will be a target of reproduction.

Shortly after, the group disbands and all Taumalks return to their territories. The female must take care of the chicks herself, laying only two eggs (only one usually survives). The chicks will abandon their mother after 8 - 9 weeks, and will wander around eating anything they find until they grow big enough to dig their own burrows.