Squib comprehensive guide!
Contents
Overview
Canon and Origin
Variation
Behaviors
Domestic
Overview
Squibs are diverse species of aquatic mammals that exist in both marine and freshwater ecosystems. They are quadrupedal with each several suckers on the back of each leg,placed prominently on the foreleg. The muzzle of a squib is adorned with several proportionally small tentacles over their beak. All Squibs have white-spotting upon its paws, eyebrows, and stomach with rare exceptions. Usually a Squib’s eye color will match that of its suckers. Squibs mimic the environment around them. They do this with a unique ability, they take on the colouration and sometimes traits of an object they see close to the time they first open their eyes. Squibs will go to extreme lengths to mimic their environment, they can grow things like antlers and tails to be more similar to their imprinted object, they sometimes even grow functional wings. Squibs at birth lack a tail, but many Squibs chose items that they attach to their anterior.
Canon and OriginThere are two squib canons, the first being the current world we live in today. In this world Squibs were created when an organism, such as a beaver or otter, was exposed to radiation. The radiation caused the creatures resulting offspring to mutate and their decedents became Squibs, which spread from the original source of radiation around the world. Some also suspect that Squibs may have been caused by a scientific experiment that manipulated mammalian DNA and squid DNA, and the resulting organisms were somehow escaped into the wild.
The second canon is where squibs evolved like any other creature, the only twist being that in this world humans don't exist / haven't discoverer the land in which squibs live. In this canon squibs are fully sentient and have towns and jobs. This is the world in which areas on the squib official map (TBA) exist along with the NPCs in the group. Your squib exists within both canons at the same time. Giving you absolute freedom as to how you want to depict your squib. the entirety of this canon has yet to be fully explored so it remains an open universe, meaning your squib can interact with any other species! Should that species interact with humans? then they're in the first canon. Endless possibilities!
VariationSex: Squibs are a sexually dimorphic species, Male Squibs are larger than female Squibs with a bulkier build. They also possess longer facial tentacles than the female. Female Squibs are more petite than male squibs, and facial tentacles that are sometimes short enough to expose their beak. The two genders can easily be deferred by the large mane of fur that female Squibs sport around their neck.
Subspecies of Squib:
Unusual subspecies: Squibble, Kraken
Normal subspecies: Pixie, sue, sammy
Squibbels: the smallest of the unusual Squib subspecies
Squibbels are a very rare subspecies of Squib. Their adult height ranges from 7.2 centimeters(female) to 7.5 centimeters(male), around the diameter of a baseball. Their max size is smaller than the size of a hand, around the size of a winter white dwarf hamester. Squibbels are formed from a defect in squib reproduction when an egg has a defect or injury which causes the organism to break up. The broken up organism forms into several tiny organisms within the egg. Squibbels have one gender and theme. Because of their rarity and cause Squibbels do not congregate in any particular environment.
Pixie: the most common of the normal Squib subspecies
Pixie Squibs are the most common subspecies of Squib. Their adult height ranges from 15.2 centimeters(female) to 17 centimeters(male), around the size of a golden hamster or guinea pig. Their max size can go up to a small rabbit or bunny. Pixies are found in small and shallow bodies of water, such as tide-pools, streams, ponds, and other tributaries. They can also be found around shores and in the open ocean.
Sue: the second most common of the normal Squib subspecies
Sue Squibs are the second most common subspecies of Squib. Sues have an adult height of 19 centimeters(female) to 20.5 centimeters(male), around the size of a bigger rabbit or domestic cat. Their max size can go up to the size of a small dog. They are found out in the open ocean, lakes, rivers, and washed up along the shoreline.
Sammy: the largest of the normal squib subspecies.
Sammy Squibs are the largest of the normal subspecies of Squib. The adult height of a sammy ranges from 71.1 centimeters(female) to 75.2 centimeters(male), around the size of a bigger dog. Their max size can go up to the size of a great dane. They are found only in deep water such as large lakes, the deep ocean and underwater trenches, and are very rarely beached.
Kraken: The biggest of the unusual squib subspecies.
Kraken are the biggest of all squibs and part of the unusual subspecies of Squib. The adult height of a kraken ranges from 48 feet to 70 feet. Females and males don't have an average height and they can have the same height, although some are bigger than others it still isn't determined by gender. They often hide really well which makes them really rare to see, they are found anywhere though, from land to the deepest parts of the ocean, beware when finding one of this since they can be very territorial.
Habitat:
Squibs are exhibited in a large range of marine and freshwater environments leading to variation among squibs within the different environments.
Marine Squib: refers to the several kinds of squibs that exist in saltwater. They have thicker skin than their freshwater counterparts. Kinds of Squibs that are covered by the term Marine Squib are: Shore Squibs, Deep Ocean Squibs, Arctic Squibs, and Cave Squibs.
Shore Squibs: live near the shore in tide-pools and coves. They have light coloration and mimic shells, shallow water fish, and crabs; however, Shore Squibs sometimes imprint on human objects like surfboards and boats.
Deep Ocean: Squibs live out in the open ocean. They are mostly Sammy and Sue Squibs. Deep Squibs have dark color palettes similar to that of whales. Those that exist in the dark depths of the ocean may possess bio-luminescence.
Arctic Squibs: live bear the southern and northern poles and other cold snowy environments. Most of them are Pixies that can swim easily under the ice. Their white areas are larger than other squibs, if they are not completely white. These Squibs have developed ticker fur and blubber than other kinds of Squibs.
Cave Squibs: live in underwater caves and trenches. They are mostly pixies, but most Sammy Squibs are Cave Squibs. Unlike other squibs Cave Squibs are born black and brighten with age. Many Cave Squibs are blind.
Freshwater Squib: refers to the kinds of Squibs that exist in freshwater. Their color palettes are usually much more lively than those of their marine counterparts. Kinds of Squibs that are covered by the term Freshwater Squib are: River Squibs, Lake Squibs, Swamp Squibs, and Waterfall Squibs.
River Squibs live in flowing freshwater. They are mostly made of Pixie Squibs and their coats get brighter the clearer the water they live in is.
Lake Squibs live in bodies of freshwater. They are mostly Sue and Pixie Squibs, but larger bodies can hold Sammy Squibs. They are flatter than other kinds of Squibs and mimic mostly lake fish.
Swamp Squibs live in swampy and marshy areas. They are mostly Pixie Squibs though a surprising amount of Sammy Swamp Squibs exist. They are dark in coloration and their fir is long and matted, looking like swamp grass.
Waterfall Squibs live in the pools under waterfalls. They are very rare, but have brightest and most vibrant coloration of the natural Squibs. Some groups of them have even developed functional wings to be able to flee up to the top of their home waterfall encase of danger.
Domestic Squibs have very vibrant color palettes, many of them having unnatural coloration. Owners will often set particularly interesting or vibrant items for the Squib to imprint on.
Behaviors
Squib social behaviors vary among subspecies. Pixie Squibs are extremely social, preferring to live in squibs of ten or more. Without the companionship of any other Squibs Pixie Squibs become less active and stop eating. Sue Squibs prefer smaller groups than Pixie Squibs existing in squads of three or four. Sammy Squibs are antisocial, living alone. Sammy Squibs can be extremely hostile and difficult to handle; however, some Sammy Squibs will travel with a squad of Pixies or Sues acting as a protector. Squibs are usually prey animals to larger animals and to defend themselves Squibs can produce "ink" to blind the attacker.
Squibs are omnivores their diet consisting of crustaceans, fish, plant matter, and other animals they manage to catch. They use their suckers to attach to their prey and their beak to attack them, sometimes using their “ink” to blind their target. Pixie Squibs and Sue Squibs hunt in packs leading schools of fish into each other to eat. Squibs can often be found grazing on seaweed with one acting as a watch for predators.
Squibs look for a mate after reaching adulthood. Squibs have long courtship rituals that sometimes take weeks of time. Suitors leave trinkets and food for their prospective mate, males will keep others away from their wanted female while they are courting her, often males will get into fights over females. Females pick between males based off of their gifts and physical traits. After their courting the couple will mate for life.
After mating the female and male squib will create a nest for the female squib the lay a clutch of eggs in. Squibs have milky white eggs, the outer shell is semi-transparent. If both parents have to leave the eggs the female will bury the eggs under the sand. Often the parent’s squad will act as protectors and caregivers for all of the eggs and young of their group.
Once hatched the bubbies are milky white. When the bubbies turn two months old they open their eyes and imprint on an object and mimic its color, their fur slowly changing. If a baby Squib is blind it will stay milky white all of its life, or black if it is a Cave Squib. Squibs are born tailless and attach an object to themselves by the time they become an adult.
Domestic
Squibs make great pets and many across the world have taken to them. Pixie Squibs are the most common pet, with Sues close to follow. They are to be kept in tanks or other bodies of water and kept hydrated if outside of one.
Beware: A hungry Squib will eat the house cats!!!