Everything you want to know about...
Cheekers!
General Information:
Pronunciation: Chee-kerr
Plural: Cheekers
Baby: Pup
Group: A Michief
General Information:
Cheekers are cheeky little creatures that love to steal! They'll pick-pocket anything from traveling wyngrew-- food, coins, or just anything that catches their eye. They love to hoard their treasures and show them off to their neighbors. They use their hook-like tails to fish for any kind of food or shiny items they want to steal!
Most wyngrew have a deep-seeded hatred for cheekers, and so they are often banned from trade markets and bringing one into towns. They are adaptable to most environments and have thrived in many places they probably shouldn't be.
Sexual Dimorphism:
Males are notable for their long back antennae they use to attract mates, while females only have small nubs in that area. The nubs will actually become teets for their young after they give birth, allowing the pups to cling to the mother's back and suckle at the same time.
The male antennae can come in a wide range of bright, flashy colors. These colors are genetic, and reflect the family of the individual cheeker. You'll see cheekers with different colored antennae depending on where you are in the world!
Below is a small sample of generally what kind of colors you'll see in the Antova region (although different colors are seen in different areas every so often, due to importing, breeding and migration).
How can I make my own cheeker?
Although cheekers do not typically vary that much in color or features, they do have a wide range of tummy patterns, pelt variations, and so on. Check below to see what colors are available for cheekers if you'd like to customize your own!
Once I make my own cheeker, what can I do with it?
Drawing your own animal character with the colors featured above allows you to use it any way you'd like within the group! Upload it to our DeviantArt Gallery, earn wyns, requirements and develop your creature any way you'd like! Want to know more about custom created animals? Click here!
Charm & Charisma = Good beggars
Cheekers are known to be some of the craftiest thieves around. They don't just walk up and pick-pocket-- they're come up with elaborate schemes in order to distract you from getting swindled.
Hoards of cheekers living near busy cities are some of the best at scheming, due to their exposure to wyngrew (this goes double for touristy towns). A cheeker mother will even go so far as to use her cute pups to endear a sucker enough so that she can go in and pick-pocket. Keep your accessories attached firmly!
In some cities, cheekers do more begging than stealing, if the local wyngrew are kind enough to keep providing scrapes. Be warned though, if a cheekers wants something it sees, it doesn't matter how much of a bond you've formed-- that little scamp will rob you of it the moment you turn your back! Because of this, cheekers do not make very good domestic pets. Although it has been known for some wyngrew to train a cheeker to steal for themselves.
Noises and Communication:
Cheekers are known by their chittering squeaky calls throughout the treetops of forests and cliffs. They love to climb, so you will most likely always hear them singing from above. They have a wide-range of vocalizations, especially throughout the region. It's a very common ambience to hear them where the trees are dense.
Life Cycle & Diet:
Cheekers generally live 9-14 years in the wild, with some living as long as 20 in captivity.
As far as diet goes, a cheeker generally lives off fruit and small bugs for protein. Some of them will even be seen grabbing plunkins if they forage far enough, although cheekers mainly stick to forested areas. Sometimes, an overpopulation will push a mischief of cheekers outside of their normal territory and begin raiding the nearest town. This is why its important for most towns to hunt cheekers getting too close to settlements, mostly by setting traps. Sadly, a mischief will become wise to the same trap after multiple uses, so wyngrew need to be extremely crafty in order to catch one. The best measure of eliminating unwanted cheekers is by setting magic traps. They have no sense of magic, and are very easy to temp with a fun, shiny object.
Cheekers also have a weakness for salted nuts, so giving a cheeker some will intrigue it to follow you for a long time.
Mother cheekers will typically raise their young alone for the first few weeks until the pups get big enough to climb by themselves. Cheekers are extremely social creatures, but can be bullies to younger pups, which is why they are kept separate at first.
As far as leaders, cheekers have been seen being led by both male and females, usually whichever cheekers is more resourceful and brings in the most food and treasures. Cheekers tend to just follow whoever will yield the most goodies.