Sveltewolf

Sveltewolves Temporal range: Early Miocene – recent
Four examples from each genus of Haschidae, clockwise from upper left: etzavazi sveltewolf (Paraproteles obscurus), tree hyena (Nemohascha megapus), ashnan sveltewolf (Plesicyon gracilis), and hashka (Orthohascha garrula)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Superfamily:	Herpestoidea
Family:	Haschidae
Type genus
Plesicyon F.
Genera
Euhaschinae Nemohascha Orthohascha Parahaschinae Paraproteles Plesicyon

Sveltewolves (/ˈsvɛltwʊlvz/ SVELT-wolves, /-tə-/ SVEL-tə-wolves) are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Haschidae (/ˈhaskɪdi:/ Latin pronunciation: [as.ki.dɛ:]). It is a large and varied family of mostly crepuscular to nocturnal, small-animal predators distributed across Nkungu, Etzavaz and southern coastal Ashnan. Hashka are the only extant members in Anschuhe, even though they, too, are native to Ashnan, and were displaced out of the continent.

Phylogenetically, sveltewolves are herpestoideans most closely related to the hyenas of Nkungu and Etzavaz, of which the aardwolf is the closest. Behaviourally, however, sveltewolves are closer to small canid species such as foxes, with the major exception of the tree hyena, which behaves similar to the red panda, and hashka, which occupy a similar niche to humans and jötnar as a sapient species.

Phylogeny

Haschidae

Parahaschinae (Land-dwelling sveltewolves) Paraproteles obscurus (etzavazi sveltewolf) Paraproteles ovifuris (egg-stealing sveltewolf) Plesicyon gracilis (ashnan sveltewolf) Plesicyon rufus (red sveltewolf) Plesicyon crinatus (greater sveltewolf) Plesicyon glaucus (arctic sveltewolf) Euhaschinae (Tree-dwelling sveltewolves and hashka) Orthohascha garrula (hashka) Nemohascha megapus (large-footed tree hyena) Nemohascha latrans (barking tree hyena)

Characteristics

Appearance

Although sveltewolves are highly varied, some common physical characteristics can be appreciated. Firstly, most sveltewolves, with the exception of the red sveltewolf (Plesicyon rufus), tend to have muted, desaturated coat colours ranging in the greys, blacks, whites and browns. These coats tend to darken around the face and neck, limbs, and the ends of their tails. The lighter-coloured areas are usually covered in faint stripes. Sveltewolf ears tend to be big and round-tipped, and their noses tend to be somewhat flatter than those of canids. They are endowed with manes, which in some species extend around the entirety of the neck. This mane can be used in communication through piloerection. Sveltewolf tails are tendentially slim and tipped with a bristle-like fluff at the tip which may also piloerect as an emotional response.

Behaviour

wip gotta eat