Zavies

Zavies are a fictional family of small herbivorous mammals used in speculative biology and science fiction. They were introduced in late 20th-century world-building materials to explore convergent evolution in temperate highland ecosystems.

In most portrayals, zavies are about 30 to 45 centimeters long, weigh 2 to 6 kilograms, and have compact bodies with short, sturdy limbs. They possess dense, russet or gray fur with seasonal color variation for camouflage; distinctive features include large, rounded ears and a pair of keratinous, branched hornlets that serve for defense and social display rather than grazing. They communicate with a range of vocalizations and scent marks, and may emit a soft whistling call when alarmed.

Zavies inhabit temperate forests and alpine meadows, often in small family groups or solitary to avoid competition with larger herbivores. Their diet consists mainly of grasses, sedges, forbs, and lichens, supplemented by bark in winter. They are selective feeders, using their flexible lips and incisors to strip vegetation and to peel bark from small branches.

Reproduction is typically seasonal, with one or two offspring per year. Young are altricial and remain with the mother for several months. In fictional settings, zavies are sometimes portrayed as gentle, curious animals that exhibit notable resilience to habitat disturbance.

Zavies have appeared in speculative zoology discussions and in various media as an example of niche partitioning and mammalian analogs to deer-like ungulates. See also speculative evolution, fictional fauna.