Gruut
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Gruut: The Imperial name for a small (20 kg),
herbivorous marsupial reptile, found on the Aslan-inhabited
worlds of Oihoiei (0230 Reavers' Deep), Khyaleiftaoaoher (0332 Reavers'
Deep), Hrike (0530 Reavers' Deep), and Hrealeiwea' (0531 Reavers' Deep).
The female gruut lays up to eight eggs per season - but subsequently eats
one or more eggs herself (an unusual instinct-driven reaction, apparently
to keep the gruut population from exceeding the local area's ability to
support it). The mother places the undevoured eggs in two large hippouches
where they remain until they hatch.
Once they hatch, the mother cares for the offspring until
they are old enough to fend for themselves (about 60 standard days). Nocturnal
by nature, gruuts (or kehe'ea, as the Aslan call them) mostly eat watergrasses
and some small fruits. To-date, efforts to make pets of them have been
unsuccessful. -rd TD 16