Exodites, like all humans, need companionship and pets. The curious creature known as the weaver has filled this niche for the Commonwealth. Small, sociable, and providing a useful service to humanity. Weavers had no difficulty crawling into exodite humanity’s laps and making a home. Weavers are small creatures the size of a house cat. They are quadrupeds, but have three extra limbs. Two of these are a pair of wings attached to their back, while the third is an additional wing-tail. Their wings have the structure of arms, with hand and finger bones stretching through the wing membrane. The tail-wing is used to stabilize and direct their flight. The wings along their back are attached to a large mass of muscle that runs from their neck to their tail, giving them a slight hump. Weavers have a pronounced snout, and their eyes are side mounted within their skull for better fields of view. Their legs end in paws with grasping claws they use for climbing the many trees of the garden worlds. Weavers are omnivorous and will eat most things they find. They hunt by flying above their prey and dropping to either snatch it from the air, or to land on it with their claws. A weaver will eat small animals, fish, bugs, and a wide variety of plants. This wide diet first brought them to the attention of the Exodites, who domesticated them for pest control in their colonies. The species takes its name from its characteristic weaving behaviour. Adult weavers gather grasses and weave them into shelters for their families. These shelters provide protection from the elements. They also act as camouflage from larger predators that prey on weavers. Weavers give birth to live young. An infant weaver is called a novice. Weaver litters include two to three novices. Novices reach adolescence within a year, and adulthood a year later. Weavers are social and live in groups consisting of parents and novices, and often, these groups will congregate together. A striking characteristic of the weavers is their symbiotic relationship with the creatures known as ribbons. Ribbons are a species of flatworms. Ribbons live within pouches along a weaver’s torso. They keep their weaver’s skin clean and healthy by consuming detritus and parasites. Ribbons also clean their weaver’s teeth and gums between feedings. Weavers without ribbons are prone to skin and mouth diseases. Ribbons without weavers cannot travel far and are exposed to predators. Weavers are even known to use their ribbons for reaching areas they normally cannot. Weavers and their ribbons were the first species that Exodites domesticated on the garden worlds. They have proven loyal companions over the millennia. Though first domesticated for pest control, they are now commonly kept as companions. Weavers live with Exodite families. And even take part in daily grooming rituals, such as by braiding an Exodite’s hair.
Author: woerm