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Description
For some, this entry may seem a little odd. All my other writings focus on the beasts and creatures of the wilds, species that roam the jungles, mountains and fields. Each entry a daring tale of majestic fauna and daunting adventures! Stories of bizarre encounters and incredible observations! Then all of a sudden I am here talking about simple livestock, how mundane! I would, however, ask that you stay with me and read on! For even the simplest of creatures and dullest of species can be a source of wonder and fascination! Yes, even mere livestock can lead to wonderful tales and moving messages! At least I think so. I am not really sure. What was I going on about again? Ah, right! Nectar Cows!

Nectar Cows are large insects that share ties to the tiny, pesky aphids. It is honestly hard to believe at times that these creatures are even related! To think that something that is about the size of a cow can be so close to those little terrors! Oof, it is already making my bark itch thinking about them! Regardless, Nectar Cows belong to the same family, but have obviously gained some unique traits. As stated before, they have grown to massive sizes, rivaling that of an ox or bull! Despite this mass of theirs, they are herbivorous creatures who prefer grass, leaves and shoots. This leads to the next key difference, which is the fact that they have developed chewing mandibles. Other aphids have sucking mouthparts which are perfect for piercing the dermis of a plant and feeding on its juices (and perfect for being an absolute pest! I swear I could bathe in vinegar and still not be free of them!). Due to their large size, this type of feeding is a bit inefficient, so they go with the chewing route! With their mouths pointed downwards, Nectar Cows graze upon grass, brush and young plants, snipping them into bite sized pieces and pulverizing them in the back of their throats. They will also feed on vegetables and fruits that are on the ground, though they prefer ones that are more solid and crunchy. It seems that squishy, wet fruits are difficult for them to grab and chew without them falling back onto the ground. If you ever want to give a snack to a Nectar Cow, stick with things like apples, potatoes and carrots! They love those!

Since they are grazing herbivores, Nectar Cows take life rather slowly. Their pace can be sluggish at times, and they never really seem to be in a hurry. All that matters to them is that there is food below them, and if there isn't, then it is time to take a few steps to a fresher patch. With such a slow lifestyle, one can imagine that they would be targets for predators. This is true, but Nectar Cows are not defenseless! First is their thick exoskeleton, which shields them from the front and top. Tooth and claw will have a difficult time piercing this sturdy armor, but crafty attackers may choose to approach from the bottom, going after the exposed abdomen. To help prevent that from happening, the Nectar Cow possesses specialized hind legs. As you may notice, these insects possess large, hooked claws on their back feet, which they use as weapons. When a foe attacks from behind, the Nectar Cow will hunker down with its front two pairs of legs and then kick back with their hind ones. This kick will cause the hooked claws to move in a slashing motion, which can slice into foes or even impale them. Those foolish enough to bother an agitated Nectar Cow may stumble away with a nasty gash, if they are lucky. Unfortunately, this defense only works for their rears and nowhere else. Fortunately, though, they have another tool at their disposal!

Due to their herbivorous ways, Nectar Cows encounter a lot of plants that do not wish to be eaten. There are plenty of species out there that contain bitter flavors, toxic sap and poisonous chemicals. This is meant to deter herbivores, but the Nectar Cow is not easily put off. They are capable of munching through these defenses without pause, taking these noxious juices and storing them in special sacs. These sacs are located all over their body, positioned right below their numerous siphuncule. These hard tubes can be found on their backs and all over their face plates, as they are positioned for defense! When a predator or unwelcome guest comes stalking close, the Nectar Cow will tighten its body and spray a misty cocktail of nasty fluids! Often this discharge is sharply bitter in smell and extremely nasty in taste. I once got hosed in the face with this mist of theirs and I can confirm it is quite disgusting! The taste is like if you took a copper piece, dipped it in a light acid and then stuck it in your mouth. Burning, sharp and somewhat metallic. I definitely would not recommend trying it! Often this spray is more than enough to scare away enemies, and it can even ward off the farmers who raise them! Thankfully, this spray is reliant on the food they eat, so wise farmers will feed them plants and vegetation that do not contain these foul fluids. The other thing to keep in mind is that this spray is not endless. They must eat to replenish their stocks, so if you bait them into discharging all their mist, then they cannot do again until they eat enough food.

As you can probably tell from the name and the way I have talked about them, Nectar Cows are a domesticated species. So much so, that they pretty much came into existence through selective breeding and domestication. That's probably why they achieved such a large size! This large mass of theirs is perfect for their role as livestock, and they provide many products for those who raise them. The most obvious resource they create is their "nectar" or "honeydew," which is secreted from their abdomens (For clarification, "honeydew" is used by ants, while dryads prefer the term "nectar"). This yellowish fluid is sweet in flavor and is collected to be used as drink, cooking ingredient or sapling food. Think of it like the milk that comes from a mammalian cow, except that it is not totally repulsively fatty and horrendously curd- bluuugh, I can't even say it! Just the thought makes me want to hurl! How can people drink that stuff raw?! Anyways, this secreted nectar of theirs has made them popular with dryads and giant ants. In fact, it is believed that the giant ants were the first to begin the breeding of these insects, as their honeydew provided an efficient food source for them! Nectar Cows that are kept by giant ant colonies tend to be free-range, though they stay close to tunnel entrances. That way soldiers and workers can keep an eye on them and tear apart any predators that try to prey on their herd. While the ants allow their herds to graze on wild plants, they will supplement their diet with fungi that is grown in their underground farms. Any fungus that is not edible for the ants will be removed and given to the Nectar Cows so that no resources are wasted! How efficient! For dryads, Nectar Cows are often kept in pens at night and let out during the day to graze. During daylight hours is when they will collect the nectar, pouring it into buckets that are then bottled up and taken to market. This will be sold under the name "cow nectar" in order to differentiate between this fluid and the stuff that comes from plants. Due to its sugary content, the cow nectar is often used for baking desserts or sweetening up a dish. For dryad settlements that live in areas where Nectar Pod plants cannot properly grow, they will instead use cow nectar to feed seedlings and saplings. It is an important source of nutrition for them at early stages, as they have not fully developed their stomachs. Cow nectar and other types of nectar are easy to digest and give them the fuel needed to grow! Good luck weaning them off it, though! That stage is a rough one to deal with!

Besides nectar (or honeydew), these insects also provide food through their meat and eggs. The meat of a Nectar cow is quite juicy and has a hint of sweetness to it. It is often cut from their legs, thorax and abdomen, but careful butchery is needed! For meat that is carved from their abdomen, one needs to be sure to extract the sacs that contain their mist juices without puncturing them. One wrong move and your meat is now infused with a horrid bitterness and sharp metallic taste. That is why no one ever takes meat from their heads, as there are too many sacs to remove for it to be worth it. Due to its juiciness and texture, Nectar Cow meat is best shredded and added into a dish or soup. For dryads, it is a meat that works well on its own, but other species need extra seasonings and flavors to help tone down the sweetness. In non-dryad butcher shops, the flesh of a Nectar Cow is sold under the label "honey beef." Their eggs are also collected and sold as food, as Nectar Cows lay quite a lot of them! To insure survival, these insects can lay over a dozen of them at a time, which is a little much for one farmer to handle! To keep populations in check, the farmer will cull these eggs and sell a majority of them at market. These eggs are wonderful boiled whole or cracked open and baked! Some people swear that you can crack a raw one open and chug its contents, but I am a bit wary of that. They say it is a great pick me up and a quick source of nutrition, but that sounds way too much like a Floral Dryad thing for me to trust it. I have definitely heard that some of those crazy gals apply coats of that nasty mist fluid to their petals before bed, as it is supposed to create a healthy sheen. Pretty sure that is a load of garbage, because if that was true, Nectar Cow farmers would blind the entire town each time the sun came out.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

-----------------------------------------

The Nectar Cow is one of the latest victims to the massive backlog. It is one of those wonderful moments where you draw something up, are happy with it, than have it get stuck waiting for months on end for posting, then at last its day comes and you realize that you hate it. Well wouldn't you know, the Nectar Cow came up for posting and I realized I didn't like its look anymore. This called for an emergency redraw, which I am happy with, but it makes me wonder what piece will be the next victim (too late, I already know!).

Description
For some, this entry may seem a little odd. All my other writings focus on the beasts and creatures of the wilds, species that roam the jungles, mountains and fields. Each entry a daring tale of majestic fauna and daunting adventures! Stories of bizarre encounters and incredible observations! Then all of a sudden I am here talking about simple livestock, how mundane! I would, however, ask that you stay with me and read on! For even the simplest of creatures and dullest of species can be a source of wonder and fascination! Yes, even mere livestock can lead to wonderful tales and moving messages! At least I think so. I am not really sure. What was I going on about again? Ah, right! Nectar Cows!

Nectar Cows are large insects that share ties to the tiny, pesky aphids. It is honestly hard to believe at times that these creatures are even related! To think that something that is about the size of a cow can be so close to those little terrors! Oof, it is already making my bark itch thinking about them! Regardless, Nectar Cows belong to the same family, but have obviously gained some unique traits. As stated before, they have grown to massive sizes, rivaling that of an ox or bull! Despite this mass of theirs, they are herbivorous creatures who prefer grass, leaves and shoots. This leads to the next key difference, which is the fact that they have developed chewing mandibles. Other aphids have sucking mouthparts which are perfect for piercing the dermis of a plant and feeding on its juices (and perfect for being an absolute pest! I swear I could bathe in vinegar and still not be free of them!). Due to their large size, this type of feeding is a bit inefficient, so they go with the chewing route! With their mouths pointed downwards, Nectar Cows graze upon grass, brush and young plants, snipping them into bite sized pieces and pulverizing them in the back of their throats. They will also feed on vegetables and fruits that are on the ground, though they prefer ones that are more solid and crunchy. It seems that squishy, wet fruits are difficult for them to grab and chew without them falling back onto the ground. If you ever want to give a snack to a Nectar Cow, stick with things like apples, potatoes and carrots! They love those!

Since they are grazing herbivores, Nectar Cows take life rather slowly. Their pace can be sluggish at times, and they never really seem to be in a hurry. All that matters to them is that there is food below them, and if there isn't, then it is time to take a few steps to a fresher patch. With such a slow lifestyle, one can imagine that they would be targets for predators. This is true, but Nectar Cows are not defenseless! First is their thick exoskeleton, which shields them from the front and top. Tooth and claw will have a difficult time piercing this sturdy armor, but crafty attackers may choose to approach from the bottom, going after the exposed abdomen. To help prevent that from happening, the Nectar Cow possesses specialized hind legs. As you may notice, these insects possess large, hooked claws on their back feet, which they use as weapons. When a foe attacks from behind, the Nectar Cow will hunker down with its front two pairs of legs and then kick back with their hind ones. This kick will cause the hooked claws to move in a slashing motion, which can slice into foes or even impale them. Those foolish enough to bother an agitated Nectar Cow may stumble away with a nasty gash, if they are lucky. Unfortunately, this defense only works for their rears and nowhere else. Fortunately, though, they have another tool at their disposal!

Due to their herbivorous ways, Nectar Cows encounter a lot of plants that do not wish to be eaten. There are plenty of species out there that contain bitter flavors, toxic sap and poisonous chemicals. This is meant to deter herbivores, but the Nectar Cow is not easily put off. They are capable of munching through these defenses without pause, taking these noxious juices and storing them in special sacs. These sacs are located all over their body, positioned right below their numerous siphuncule. These hard tubes can be found on their backs and all over their face plates, as they are positioned for defense! When a predator or unwelcome guest comes stalking close, the Nectar Cow will tighten its body and spray a misty cocktail of nasty fluids! Often this discharge is sharply bitter in smell and extremely nasty in taste. I once got hosed in the face with this mist of theirs and I can confirm it is quite disgusting! The taste is like if you took a copper piece, dipped it in a light acid and then stuck it in your mouth. Burning, sharp and somewhat metallic. I definitely would not recommend trying it! Often this spray is more than enough to scare away enemies, and it can even ward off the farmers who raise them! Thankfully, this spray is reliant on the food they eat, so wise farmers will feed them plants and vegetation that do not contain these foul fluids. The other thing to keep in mind is that this spray is not endless. They must eat to replenish their stocks, so if you bait them into discharging all their mist, then they cannot do again until they eat enough food.

As you can probably tell from the name and the way I have talked about them, Nectar Cows are a domesticated species. So much so, that they pretty much came into existence through selective breeding and domestication. That's probably why they achieved such a large size! This large mass of theirs is perfect for their role as livestock, and they provide many products for those who raise them. The most obvious resource they create is their "nectar" or "honeydew," which is secreted from their abdomens (For clarification, "honeydew" is used by ants, while dryads prefer the term "nectar"). This yellowish fluid is sweet in flavor and is collected to be used as drink, cooking ingredient or sapling food. Think of it like the milk that comes from a mammalian cow, except that it is not totally repulsively fatty and horrendously curd- bluuugh, I can't even say it! Just the thought makes me want to hurl! How can people drink that stuff raw?! Anyways, this secreted nectar of theirs has made them popular with dryads and giant ants. In fact, it is believed that the giant ants were the first to begin the breeding of these insects, as their honeydew provided an efficient food source for them! Nectar Cows that are kept by giant ant colonies tend to be free-range, though they stay close to tunnel entrances. That way soldiers and workers can keep an eye on them and tear apart any predators that try to prey on their herd. While the ants allow their herds to graze on wild plants, they will supplement their diet with fungi that is grown in their underground farms. Any fungus that is not edible for the ants will be removed and given to the Nectar Cows so that no resources are wasted! How efficient! For dryads, Nectar Cows are often kept in pens at night and let out during the day to graze. During daylight hours is when they will collect the nectar, pouring it into buckets that are then bottled up and taken to market. This will be sold under the name "cow nectar" in order to differentiate between this fluid and the stuff that comes from plants. Due to its sugary content, the cow nectar is often used for baking desserts or sweetening up a dish. For dryad settlements that live in areas where Nectar Pod plants cannot properly grow, they will instead use cow nectar to feed seedlings and saplings. It is an important source of nutrition for them at early stages, as they have not fully developed their stomachs. Cow nectar and other types of nectar are easy to digest and give them the fuel needed to grow! Good luck weaning them off it, though! That stage is a rough one to deal with!

Besides nectar (or honeydew), these insects also provide food through their meat and eggs. The meat of a Nectar cow is quite juicy and has a hint of sweetness to it. It is often cut from their legs, thorax and abdomen, but careful butchery is needed! For meat that is carved from their abdomen, one needs to be sure to extract the sacs that contain their mist juices without puncturing them. One wrong move and your meat is now infused with a horrid bitterness and sharp metallic taste. That is why no one ever takes meat from their heads, as there are too many sacs to remove for it to be worth it. Due to its juiciness and texture, Nectar Cow meat is best shredded and added into a dish or soup. For dryads, it is a meat that works well on its own, but other species need extra seasonings and flavors to help tone down the sweetness. In non-dryad butcher shops, the flesh of a Nectar Cow is sold under the label "honey beef." Their eggs are also collected and sold as food, as Nectar Cows lay quite a lot of them! To insure survival, these insects can lay over a dozen of them at a time, which is a little much for one farmer to handle! To keep populations in check, the farmer will cull these eggs and sell a majority of them at market. These eggs are wonderful boiled whole or cracked open and baked! Some people swear that you can crack a raw one open and chug its contents, but I am a bit wary of that. They say it is a great pick me up and a quick source of nutrition, but that sounds way too much like a Floral Dryad thing for me to trust it. I have definitely heard that some of those crazy gals apply coats of that nasty mist fluid to their petals before bed, as it is supposed to create a healthy sheen. Pretty sure that is a load of garbage, because if that was true, Nectar Cow farmers would blind the entire town each time the sun came out.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

-----------------------------------------

The Nectar Cow is one of the latest victims to the massive backlog. It is one of those wonderful moments where you draw something up, are happy with it, than have it get stuck waiting for months on end for posting, then at last its day comes and you realize that you hate it. Well wouldn't you know, the Nectar Cow came up for posting and I realized I didn't like its look anymore. This called for an emergency redraw, which I am happy with, but it makes me wonder what piece will be the next victim (too late, I already know!).