Disclaimer: What? Pokemon belongs to Nintendo? Oh darn.
Common Name: Purugly, Bunyatto
Scientific Name: Tigrifelis robustus
Description: Purugly are midsized feline pokemon. They are extremely squat and stocky, with legs much shorter than would be expected for their size. Purugly measure just over three feet long from nose to sacrum, but the tail adds an additional four feet. They stand only 18 inches at the shoulder.
Purugly are slate gray in color, with white markings on the forelegs, white paws, a white face, a white chest and upper back, and a white tuft on the end of the forked tail. The tufted tips of their large ears are purple, as are their eyelids. Purugly's eyes are yellow.
Purugly have long whiskers and broad, barrel chests. The tail is prehensile, and usually held twisted and coiled over the back. When it is not used to hold something, the forked tuft of fur on the end of the tail drapes limply over the Purugly's sides.
Range: Purugly are native to eastern Sinnoh and the Northeastern Island, where a small, remnant population survives.
Habitat: Purugly live in lowland, coastal forests and scrubland.
Call: Purugly's call is a loud, mmmrrrrrrr-AAOW, which it gives when aggravated.
Diet: Purugly are carnivores, hunting small pokemon such as Mime Jr and nesting Wingull. They will also fish for Remoraid, not minding the water. Purugly generally hunt at dawn and dusk, and often carry their kills back to their dens with their prehensile tails before eating them.
Life Cycle: Purugly are by nature solitary, and males and females interact very little, even during the mating season. Female Purugly lay clutches of 3-5 eggs in an underground den, which shortly hatch into helpless kittens. They leave the den after seven weeks, and are soon expulsed from their mother's territory.
Purugly may live 17 years.
Relationship With Humans: Purugly are rarely expressly targeted by trainers, as they tend to be stubborn and disobedient. But, perhaps surprisingly, there is a booming pet trade for this species. This may be because captive Purugly can be quite docile when they receive a steady supply of food. Purugly fanciers often note how they become almost 'pillow-like,' often lying in one spot for hours and ignoring most stimuli.
Habitat destruction is a concern for this pokemon, since its lowland habitats are under great development pressure. They are not currently considered threatened, but their small range means they should be watched carefully.
Naturalist's Notes: Purugly den on the ground, often taking den sites from Floatzel, whether they have already been vacated or not! Their audacity sometimes seems to know no bounds, and inexperienced Purugly have even been observed trying to steal a den from a pride of Luxray! Understandably, the Purugly come off for the worse in such encounters.