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Firebear — Description
Illustration/excerpt from my science fiction story Odyssey. [link] In it, the expedition's exobiologist describes a lifeform discovered on the planet Ilion.
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Taxa Notes – Firebear

Little is known about the firebears. Their nesting grounds are difficult and dangerous to reach, so all information on the guinea pig-sized animals comes from notes, sketches, and a single egg collected from the site. They belong to the order Vermovillosa, which places them among star walruses, bottlenecks, and hairy grubs. Firebears resemble six-legged, furred tardigrades, save for the luminescent stalk that protrudes from the head. A complex system of organs is visible through the thin skin around the neck; its purpose is not currently understood. For reasons unknown, the egg is marred with a ring of scar tissue. This may be a natural result of rapid growth similar to growth cracks on fruit, or it may have resulted from damage to the soft shell.
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For the real reason the egg is scarred, see [link]
More on their discovery [link]
More on Vermovillosa and other Ilian animal life [link]

Ball-point pen