Bushtail
The companion that that rattles your nerves.
Bushtails are clever, canine-like omnivores known for their uniquely adapted feet and expressive tails. Unlike typical canids, Bushtails possess semi-splayed, multi-toed feet with gripping pads, granting them excellent dexterity. Their back legs are especially powerful and hare-like, giving them sudden vertical spring.
Their signature feature, however, is the brushy tail from which their name is derived. Covered in stiff, segmented fur, the tail can produce a soft, dry rattle when agitated. These tail-rattles are a core part of Bushtail communication - used to coordinate movement, warn others of danger, or signal emotion without vocalizing. Packs are tight-knit and prefer subtlety over sound, often traveling in coordinated silence with only the whisper of tails brushing together.
Though elusive in the wild, their haunting cries (often mimicked by Shriekers) are heard through most forested regions. They are opportunistic foragers, feeding on small game, eggs, roots, and fruit.
Bushtails are not commonly kept companions, but bonds may commonly form with those living in forested isolation or in tightly wooded towns. Their quiet intelligence and aversion to loud environments make them poorly suited for crowded or chaotic communities (you know the one). When raised alongside Faunids from a young age, they will often treat their caretaker as a packmate and respond to subtle cues- sometimes even rattling their tail in return.
Though rarely affectionate in a traditional sense, Bushtails will display trust through proximity, grooming rituals, and sharing food. Their diet must remain varied, and they require space to climb and leap.