The Sheepsquatch is a quadruped creature with the legs of a man, the long, pointed face of a sheep, the horns of a goat, the teeth of a bear, the paws of a raccoon, and a body covered in white or dirty, brownish-yellow, wooly hair. As they grow to reach 7 - 8 ft tall, screech like a woman, and stand/walk on two legs, they are often misidentified as a bigfoot; unlike bigfeet, however, these animals dash on all fours. Giant, lumbering beasts, their sulfuric stench gives away their nearness before their bumbling strides, causing prey nearby to flee wildly if downwind.
Aggressive, territorial, and bear-like in nature, Sheepsquatches can be seen lumbering about forests, plains, and rural locations near domesticated livestock. With nimble hands and a clever mind, fences, and doors do not always keep these menaces at bay; they can manipulate objects and problem-solve when food is an incentive—similar to the antics of hungry bears and raccoons.
Hypothesized to be a surviving prehistoric or Ice Age mammal, the Sheepsquatch has a strange, though lengthy life dependent upon an initial state of dormancy and periodic hibernation, marked by only one successful reproductive cycle.
For the most part, Sheepsquatches lead solitary lives, much like many Ursoidea. They come together only for mating or to travel in groups with their own or others’ offspring. Within their territory, they hunt game of all sizes and consume a diverse diet of berries, roots, bark, herbs, fish, amphibians, and insects. Boundaries are established through scent and are fiercely defended, often leading to conflicts in the spring, right after hibernation. Females usually allow other females to cross their territory if they submit, a process that involves laying prostate with horns pointed downwards until the territory-owning female walks out of view, indicating her acceptance of the intrusion. Males may also submit to cross territory, but they are less likely to be granted access outside of the mating season. Males never allow other males to trespass, but they may permit a female safe passage during the summer. Individuals often attempt to cross boundaries when resources are scarce, they have been driven out of their territory, or when they are seeking to reproduce.
Mating typically occurs in the summer between young adults with short, thin, uncurled horns; as females and males only raise one brood, few older bears participate in mating rituals. In Sheepsquatch culture, females are the dominant sex and are physically larger. Apt males seek out female territory during the summer, looking to engage in a violent yet nonlethal battle; if the suitor puts up a good fight, the female will take the male as a mate. This male may be challenged by other opponents throughout the season, and victors find themselves in an altercation with the female, who then decides whether or not she will take on the new beast as a partner. Sheepsquatches stay paired for the mating season; however, if the female becomes pregnant, the two remain together longer.
When sharing territory, the couple takes turns hunting while the other sleeps, with little social interaction. Gestation for Sheepsquatches is quick, taking only three months between conception and birth. A few weeks before cubs are birthed, the animals find a safe, dark, and hidden place, digging a deep tunnel that opens to a spacious room. These dens are often found under cliff edges, near caves, or rock walls. Near their offspring's arrival, the male brings the game to his mate, some of which is stored away for later consumption. One to three cubs are produced, each encased in a layered, fleshy material; the first layers are quickly torn off and eaten by the creatures, allowing the youths to take their first breath of air. They are about the size of a domesticated cat, blind, and unable to move independently.
Offerings of food are continuously brought to the female for two weeks, slowly tapering off to none. Mothers nurse their cubs every two hours, quickly losing any extra body weight they own; once males have returned to their territory, females are in a state of near starvation. Offspring are left in the nest, or, if only one cub, is carried by its mother. The youths are encased in a strange, pink, hide-like sac that leaves only its head and hindquarters exposed. When prey is spotted while a cub is present, the Sheepsquatch leaves its offspring in a safe place. After eating a large meal, the mother returns to her cub and den, gone no longer than six hours; she leaves to hunt again in 2 - 4 days. Though other Sheepsquatches hibernate during the winter, mothers raising young survive predominantly on deer or other wild game, keeping a trim physique. Before the beginning of spring, cubs cease nursing and grow less active; their bodily processes and metabolisms slow, the strange casing on their body covering more of their form and darkening in color. Though they have developed in no other way, young Sheepsquatches are now double in size.
When the youths have been fully enveloped in the dark tissue, they are left alone for over eighty years in a state of dormancy. Offspring are periodically checked upon by both parents; the female's former mate is permitted to enter her territory at all times for this reason alone. Any member of the species that passes by one of these dens feels compelled to check in on the young, adding their own scent to the tunnel's entrance, clearing it of debris, and ensuring its safety; when danger is perceived to be near, Sheepsquatches may move the dormant beasts elsewhere into a new nest or former den. As dens are marked with each visit, they are easily discovered and maintained.
Their awakening is triggered by an unknown variable: young sheepsquatches' encasings gradually dry and crumble, and those within slowly return to an awakened state. The youths cry out, pulling themselves blindly around the room. After a few days, they can see and move around competently. A passing Sheepsquatch of either sex will take the cubs under their care, hearing their calls. As the beasts live anywhere from 90 to 120 years old, a biological parent may raise them. However, more often than not, they are adopted by others. Young Sheepsquatches follow their parental figure for 6 - 8 months, learning how to hunt, keep territory, hibernate, nest, and socialize; they then leave, seeking territory and mates.
Adolescents begin growing horns a year after their wakening; the bony growths elongate and thicken each year, slowly curling to resemble a goat's. Horns are used to defend or fight for territory, batter prey, and compete for mates. Each summer and autumn, they pack on additional weight to withstand hibernation (aside from pairs actively raising a brood before their wakening); their hair grows thicker and more fluffy, taking on a whiter color. The creatures exude a natural, sulfuric musk that causes the fur on their body to harden; the layer acts as a natural defense against attacks and is strongest during the cold season. During the spring, their hair is noticeably dirtier and yellower; their winter coats shed large clumps, preparing for the coming heat. Though their summer coat provides far less security, the large deposits of fat they develop protect their vital organs from harm, as do their thick, vast skeletal structures.
Sheepsquatches usually die of old age or illness. They are most active during the early morning or late evening hours, though they may hunt or travel during any part of the day. They do not build nests or homes for themselves, only their young, preferring to sleep in quiet clearings or under forest canopies.
