The firefox is a small species of canine, rarely sighted and highly endangered. Their brightly-marked fur is completely flame-retardant, as is their surprisingly thick skin. However, their dark fur exudes an oil that is flammable, leaving them with their signature burning tail and eartips. It does not hurt them in the least, and is in fact their only defense mechanism.
Since the oil is continuously produced, once lit, their fire will never go out until their death. They can live without it, but with great difficulty, as it is how they hunt and protect themselves.
They can not control their fire, they simply carry it. They will wave their flexible tail to ward off predators, and use it to singe the spines off of cacti, their meal of choice. They also dine on insects that are lured to their fire, and small rodents.
Threats:
There are few natural predators that will approach despite their fire, but certain felines and birds of prey have been known to carry off a firefox. However, their main threat comes from those who seek their attractive and useful fur.
The oil-soaked tails are highly sought-after for lanterns and heating lamps, and the flame-retardant fur can be used for gloves or other traveler's gear. They have since been hunted almost to extinction, and since they have such small litters, the species is currently very threatened.
Reproduction:
Firefoxes generally live in mating pairs, and only come into heat once a year. Their gestation period, much like their cousin the fennec fox, is about fifty days. They have small litters, always less than four kits. The kits will not have the oil glands necessary for fire until they reach sexual maturity, which takes between six to eleven months. The mother thus knows when to kick her young out, when her tail fire ignites theirs for the first and only time. Their striped patterns are always subtly different for each individual.
This is my first entry for the Elements contest, obviously under the 'fire' subcategory. Fire makes me think of desert, so I went with a desert fox theme and invented their stats as I worked on the image. I hope she represents her element well!
I used exactly 25 different coloured pencils to create this image, as well as Micron pens for the ink. I meant to scan the lineart, but I forgot to... :/ She took me all day to finish. Enjoy! I haven't designed an elemental critter since I worked on MagePaw (years ago...). I forgot how much I love this.
Tee hee, thanks! Yeah, I tried to think of every angle... I spose they could still set cacti on fire or something, but that might happen naturally anyway...
I'm glad you like it! ^_^ I did all the inking in class... :3
-- Commissions closed for the holidays. Merry Christmas! GS Avatar by ~mokomel / Montblanc Avatar by ~Marriland
When did it suddenly become cool to hate everything? It's a growing problem, especially in the entertainment world, and no one benefits from an increasingly hard to please, pessimistic audience.
A Special Collection of photographs i found this month that still haunts my mind. Show them some love There are always some i can`t include due to space, i try to make the features under 50 deviations to give them better exposure
Daily Literature Deviations is a group that is dedicated to bringing literature to the forefront of the deviantArt community. We attempt to accomplish this by daily featuring Literature artists from around the community that deserve the recognition, but are not getting it. Each day we will feature 5 deviations from the Literature categories in a News Article.
In order to support the artists that we feature, we ask that you the news article as well as check out the individual pieces. We understand that each day you may not be able to check out each and every one of the pieces, everyone has their own things going on. We just ask that you make an attempt to help support the growing Literature community.
^Ikue has been a devious member of our community for almost 7 years and in this time he has proven to be nothing short of dedicated and devoted. Whilst volunteering his time over the last 22 months as a Gallery Moderator within the Community Relations Team, Chris has brought the Vector gallery and many vector artists directly into the spotlight. ^Ikue's commitment to the community is evident in everything he touches and you can always find him reaching out to others with an encouraging word. Chris is a natural leader with a vibrant and empathic personality, and is a role model for deviants everywhere. It's ev... Read More
Comments
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Commissions closed for the holidays. Merry Christmas!
GS Avatar by ~mokomel / Montblanc Avatar by ~Marriland
This is super cute; I'm sure you'll do well in the contest.
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"I have heard this alternative of contrary impulses called madness; if it be so, we are all mad to a greater or lesser degree." - J.L. Borges
I'm glad you like it! ^_^ I did all the inking in class... :3
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Commissions closed for the holidays. Merry Christmas!
GS Avatar by ~mokomel / Montblanc Avatar by ~Marriland
<small>HAVE YOU READ THE SADNESS YET?</small>
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Eeh, thankies!
N-NO, cuz... Cuz if it's actually sad, I'll cry, and you'll laugh at me forever... T_____T
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Commissions closed for the holidays. Merry Christmas!
GS Avatar by ~mokomel / Montblanc Avatar by ~Marriland
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Commissions closed for the holidays. Merry Christmas!
GS Avatar by ~mokomel / Montblanc Avatar by ~Marriland
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Commissions closed for the holidays. Merry Christmas!
GS Avatar by ~mokomel / Montblanc Avatar by ~Marriland
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