| - H O U N D O O M I N F O R M A T I O N - - Name - Houndoom - Scientific name - Canis umbrae - Type - Dark - Pokedex number - #229 - Weight - 35kg - Height - 1.5m - Element - Dark/Fire - Appearance - A dark shade of grey to match the night Houndoom is well adapted to its nocturnal habits. It is a tall, graceful canine with long legs adjusted to sprinting at high speed for short distances. On its head it has two long silver horns, and upon the front of its chest a silver mark resembling a human skull. Across its back are silver 'ribs' and about its ankles what look like shackles. The tail is long and slim, tipped with an arrow-head shape. The muzzle and throat are a dark russet colour. The eyes are generally red though this can very between individuals. - Evolution - Evolves from Houndour to Houndoom at a certain age and experience. - Habitat - Prefers the dark shadows of forests though hunts on open land, much like its nemesis, Arcanine. - Food - Like Arcanine it will hunt larger prey in packs, such as Rapidash, Ponyta, Stantler, Tauros, and Miltank. A lone Houndoom will eat anything that it can catch and bring down alone, such as Nidoran, hares, rabbits and animals such as Ponyta, and smaller prey animals like Stantler. - Reproduction - Usually in a Houndoom pack only the alpha female and male are allowed to breed, though in some clans high ranking mates are allowed to also reproduce though this is uncommon. More commonly is that the other pack members will help 'baby-sit' the cubs of their alphas. It is common for non-breeding animals to take mates, and they will often mate though only when the female is not in heat, so as not to produce cubs. The mating season is between mid December and late April, though early March is the most common date. Houndoom have a gestation period of around seventy days, so the cubs are usually born around late Spring or early Summer. When born they are blind and covered in soft black fur. The Houndour head skull does not develop until several weeks later. The mother stays with the cubs for two weeks, suckling them and keeping them warm with her body. At this point they have no den and so the mother and pack must constantly be there to protect them from predators such as foxes, rats, birds of prey and other predator Pokemon. After two weeks the female will begin to hunt again, and the cubs which open their eyes around this period of time will be taken to a den situated usually under tree roots. Here they will usually be baby sat by another member of the clan -- usually a subordinate animal with little else to do. After three weeks they become boisterous and eager to explore and the first pale markings of their later silver head markings begin to show. At two months they are weaned. They are brought back semi-digested meat from the kills by their pack mates, which is regurgitated for them. Small dead and maimed animals are also given to them to help hone their hunting instincts. At three months they are already at their largest Houndour size and are taught to hunt by their mother alone. They usually evolve a year later. - Voice - Houndoom rarely make noise, but they possess a famously eerie howl which they use to communicate to their fellows. They also make a series of short rapid barks, usually during whilst chasing prey. - Senses - The Houndoom has fairly sharp eyes for a canine, and can see a series of shades though their eyesight is not nearly as developed as a human's. Taste is also unimportant. Touch, however, is, especially as the Houndoom is a nocturnal, social creature. They use touch to reassure one another and as a form of indicating affection to their mates. Hearing in the Houndoom is particularly strong, and important in the dark of the night. The horns are too brittle to be used in fights but instead are used as ears. Tiny narrow crevices run all around them, relaying the sound into the centre of the horn which then passes through the nervous system straight to the brain. Because of this the Houndoom has incredibly sensitive hearing, almost as powerful as a bat's. However, deafness is fairly common in older animals as their horns are often broken off in fights. - Habits - Unlike the diurnal Arcanine the Houndoom is nocturnal, which means that most of the time the two enemies can avoid one another when hunting. It is highly social with strong pack bonds and a blatant social system. They are highly agile and swift and when hunting they tear their victim to pieces rather than suffocate it like many other predators -- a much faster way. They live all over Europe and in some parts of Asia. They were briefly introduced to Australia but due to them attacking the rare wildlife found in Australia they were hunted down and killed off. They are excellent killers, and in a pack they have one of the highest success rates of any animal. - Predators and hunting - The natural enemies of the Houndoom are Arcanine, Charizard and other large Pokemon. However they are in more danger of man. One problem is illegal poaching of them, as the silver 'bones' on them are popular and worth ten times the amount of ivory. Superstition can also lead to their persecution as they are feared unlucky. Indeed, their demonish appearance and eerie howl could lead anyone to believe such. Though protected everywhere there are only two places where Houndoom are left completely alone, and they are some of the Hebridean islands off western and south-west Scotland, and a small colony of islands, each several miles apart off the south west off Greece, nicknamed the Black Islands for their high density of Houndoom and also the dark coloured rocks that surround their cliffs. The main enemy to Houndoom however is the destruction of their habitat. |
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