06-05-2018, 07:41 PM
Oops! Not the "˜Water Deer', unless you really want it: This far south, by my previous notes, that ecological niche would be filled by the "˜Water Hare' (a distant relative of rabbits & hares, found only in the IDU) instead. In the valley along your eastern border, however, you probably have the larger "˜Marsh Deer' "” a close relative of the RL Pí¨re David's Deer, and [again] endemic to the IDU "” as well.
Three more species of cats that might be present: Iduvian Wildcat (closely related to the RL Wildcats of Eurasia & Africa, and to the domestic cat) in the north/west; Spotted Cat (another IDU-endemic relative of the Puma, comparable in size & ecological role to the RL Ocelot; anywhere that its range overlaps that of the Tiger, it prefers to spend much of the time up in the trees above the latter's reach...) in the south/east; and River Cat (a close relative, & ecological counterpart, of the RL Jaguarundi) also in the south/east.
Marine Mammals
All of the dolphins and whales to be found in the region's waters are from species that also exist on RL Earth, apart from one species of "˜River Dolphin' that wouldn't be present in your nation, unless you really want an endemic species to be present. There is one endemic species of Porpoise, however: This has a range centred on the Iapetus Sea, and so could plausibly occur off of your coasts.
There's an endemic species also centred on the Iapetus Sea that could also appear in your coastal waters "” at least in the south "” although if you want it to breed there then we'll need to add some rocky islets a little way offshore. One of the region's earlier members described three species of Sea-Lion for the region, but their data seems to have been lost when the original NSwiki went under...
The waters off of your nation are almost certainly too warm for the sort of extensive kelp "forests" in which sea otters forage, but some of your "˜river' otters probably enter [inshore] coastal waters occasionally.
Fish
If those marine mammals have spread westwards into your waters "” and maybe even if they haven't "” then the local species "˜Bull Shark' might also have done so (at least as far as the south-east) . Although its RL relative isn't as notorious as the Great White, there have been documented attacks by it on humans, and it's been known to swim quite a way up rivers...
I plan on having the more "primitive" groups of "˜Bony-finned Fish' survive here to a greater extent than they've managed in RL. So, in your nation, I would suggest:
"˜Dwarf Sturgeon'/"˜Grubbers'/"˜Mudfish': very similar to Sturgeon, but maximum length c. 2 feet; purely freshwater, feed on invertebrates on or close to the beds of rivers & ponds especially where there's not enough room for "true" Sturgeon. (They do not produce a reasonable "˜caviar', and their flesh is generally considered too "muddy" in flavour to be favoured as food by people...).
"˜Bony Sturgeon': several species that have bonier skeletons & more scales than do the "true" Sturgeons, varying from c. 1 foot to c.6 feet in length, feeding habits basically similar to Sturgeon & "˜Dwarf Sturgeon' except that these live only in the sea and feed near the sea-bed a little way below the "˜low tide' line.
"˜Whalefish': The largest members of this overall group, up to 24 feet (or even 30 feet?) in length, unarmoured; purely maritime, evolved to filter-feed on plankton and thus filling a similar ecological role to the RL "˜Basking Shark' & "˜Whale Shark' (which are absent from our waters).
Your inland waters probably have Gar where more northerly nations would have Pike, and these are also found down into coastal waters: The sea further out might also have marine relatives of the Gar, filling a role as fast predators, too. Close relatives of the RL (North American) Bowfin occur in suitable freshwater habitats across the region.
Three more species of cats that might be present: Iduvian Wildcat (closely related to the RL Wildcats of Eurasia & Africa, and to the domestic cat) in the north/west; Spotted Cat (another IDU-endemic relative of the Puma, comparable in size & ecological role to the RL Ocelot; anywhere that its range overlaps that of the Tiger, it prefers to spend much of the time up in the trees above the latter's reach...) in the south/east; and River Cat (a close relative, & ecological counterpart, of the RL Jaguarundi) also in the south/east.
Marine Mammals
All of the dolphins and whales to be found in the region's waters are from species that also exist on RL Earth, apart from one species of "˜River Dolphin' that wouldn't be present in your nation, unless you really want an endemic species to be present. There is one endemic species of Porpoise, however: This has a range centred on the Iapetus Sea, and so could plausibly occur off of your coasts.
There's an endemic species also centred on the Iapetus Sea that could also appear in your coastal waters "” at least in the south "” although if you want it to breed there then we'll need to add some rocky islets a little way offshore. One of the region's earlier members described three species of Sea-Lion for the region, but their data seems to have been lost when the original NSwiki went under...
The waters off of your nation are almost certainly too warm for the sort of extensive kelp "forests" in which sea otters forage, but some of your "˜river' otters probably enter [inshore] coastal waters occasionally.
Fish
If those marine mammals have spread westwards into your waters "” and maybe even if they haven't "” then the local species "˜Bull Shark' might also have done so (at least as far as the south-east) . Although its RL relative isn't as notorious as the Great White, there have been documented attacks by it on humans, and it's been known to swim quite a way up rivers...
I plan on having the more "primitive" groups of "˜Bony-finned Fish' survive here to a greater extent than they've managed in RL. So, in your nation, I would suggest:
"˜Dwarf Sturgeon'/"˜Grubbers'/"˜Mudfish': very similar to Sturgeon, but maximum length c. 2 feet; purely freshwater, feed on invertebrates on or close to the beds of rivers & ponds especially where there's not enough room for "true" Sturgeon. (They do not produce a reasonable "˜caviar', and their flesh is generally considered too "muddy" in flavour to be favoured as food by people...).
"˜Bony Sturgeon': several species that have bonier skeletons & more scales than do the "true" Sturgeons, varying from c. 1 foot to c.6 feet in length, feeding habits basically similar to Sturgeon & "˜Dwarf Sturgeon' except that these live only in the sea and feed near the sea-bed a little way below the "˜low tide' line.
"˜Whalefish': The largest members of this overall group, up to 24 feet (or even 30 feet?) in length, unarmoured; purely maritime, evolved to filter-feed on plankton and thus filling a similar ecological role to the RL "˜Basking Shark' & "˜Whale Shark' (which are absent from our waters).
Your inland waters probably have Gar where more northerly nations would have Pike, and these are also found down into coastal waters: The sea further out might also have marine relatives of the Gar, filling a role as fast predators, too. Close relatives of the RL (North American) Bowfin occur in suitable freshwater habitats across the region.