tLoE XXI: Blogacus Animalia.

Greetings everyone, and welcome to the Land of Equestria, back for more interesting facts of our favorite fantasy world! In this week's edition, we'll be exploring the fascinating wildlife of Equestria, which to the layman may seem a little tame, but considering the native fauna includes Hydras, Manticores, and a score of other widely feared creatures, it's quite a bit more intriguing that it sounds!

Let's not be too hasty though, we'll start with the creatures with which we are already familiar: the common Earth creatures (such as Bears, rabbits, standard birds, etc. ). These seem to be somewhat more intelligent versions of the animals we find on Earth, and each and every one exhibits some degree of sapience, even the spiders seem sapient, something not found on Earth. Physiologically however, they seem identical, which is actually somewhat surprising, given how the Equestrians treat them... You see, dear readers, the Equestrians have quite a habit of controlling nature, from the rotation of their planet, to the weather patterns of the land, it's all controlled, and the animals are no exception. Fluttershy's Job in Ponyville is to take care of the fauna, not as a veterinarian for pets, but literally caring for the "wild" animals of the region, a job which seems perfectly normal to these ponies. They even are directly involved in the Hibernation process, as seen in "Winter Wrap Up", indicating that every natural aspect of these animal's lives can be manipulated. But...what of some of the creatures left unchecked? Well, those are typically reserved for our next two categories.

Next up, we're looking at Mythical creatures: the stuff of legends that exist in Earth tales alone, but are more than real in Equestria. The Manticore, the Hydra, the Pheonix, the dragons (these are sentient however, and would better be listed under the Non-pony Races of Equestria ), etc. . These creatures roam free and wild in Equestria's untamed regions, evidently feeding off of the local fauna and having a wild and violent temperament, clearly uncontrolled (with the one exception being the Pheonix, which wcidently is capable of being tamed ). The Equestrians either brushed these creatures off or else considered them far too dangerous to attempt control. They have been shown to have been outsmarted, or even tamed though (in the case of the Manticore), but direct contact is ill-advised.

Our final category in Equestrian Beasts, wild creatures indigenous to Equestria that are by all accounts unnatural. The Timberwolves, the Rockadile, and the Ursa Majors (and subsequent Ursa Minors) are all entities that, by normal animal standards, should not exist, and could only live in Equestria. These beasts are made of non-animal materials, at least externally (although the Timberwolves have been seen to be blasted apart and re-formed under their own power ). They all have been shown to be inherently violent, the one possible exception being the Ursas by circumstance (being abruptly awoken ). For this reason, and their evident lack of any major weaknesses, they are to be left alone and highly isolated if possible, and remain untamed by all counts.

Thus we have our three categories:
The Common, the Mythical, and the Equestrian Beast, each one boasting unique status and treatment, and each one contributing in their own way, to the uniqueness of Equestria. After all, what would Fallout be without Deathclaws and Radroaches, or what would Narnia be without Centaurs and Fauns? It all contributes, and we wouldn't want it any other way!

TL? DR? TSIFY! (This Section Is For You! ).

-The Equestrians have a strange hold on nature, with near complete control over all aspects

-The common animals (the ones we have) each appear remarkably more intelligent, but also quite defendant on Ponies.

-The Mythical creatures may be legend on Earth, but are very real in Equestria and can be dangerous, and are usually left alone.

-The Equestrian Beasts are made of Non-Animal material (Timberwolves, Rockadiles, Ursas) and are extremely dangerous. Exercise extreme caution and avoid contact if possible.

-the Animals are all very important to Equestrian Lore, and really help show the grandness of the Land of Equestria!

Well folks, that's all I've got this time, be sure to read the latest chapter of "Marked" if you have the time! so until I return, keep on doing what you do best!

I'm Ironsmith, Invent on!