One pony noticed that the horrific myths surrounding the wildlife of Everfree Forest aren’t completely unbased, but the danger is oftentimes avoidable. She compiled her field notes in hopes of showing Equestria the true nature of the Everfree in its complex beauty of a well-working ecosystem.
Have you ever thought what’s the cause of the stench coming from the mouth of a hungry timberwolf? Why do parasprites reproduce in such a strange manner? How come that poison joke poisoning is really rare despite the blue flower blooming everywhere in the Everfree? This thin book may hold the answers that you seek. Let me present you Natura Semper Liberi, The Guide to the Nature of Everfree.
This old story went through a well-deserved revision in October 2020. The guide remains mostly the same, it was just adjusted for better wording, flow, and clarity. In other words, it's even better than it was before!
One little detail that is annoying is the size of the ranges. Otherwise the writing is good.
7412633 Thank you for your honest words.
Hm, I think I see what you mean... You meant it like you don't know how big these are compared to the Forest in overall, right?
This will be interesting.
7414995 I hope you'll enjoy the rest.
Typo in the first paragraph: Exatc
I like your portrayal of the timberwolves here, most people (including myself) like the theory of them being some kind of possesed dead wood scraps and that the bad breath comes from rotting meat in their non-functional wooden bellies, but your efforts at rationalizing them as an actual living animal is a breath of fresh air.
7617648 Fixed! Thank you!
Well, I was tired of them being just the monsters that everybody uses as a plot device whenever their characters stumbles into Everfree...
Also, interesting theory you have there. I've never heard of that one before.
7667212 I take it like you were satisfied with my take on Timberwolves. Thanks!
And yeah, that's true. Maybe it's because we don't have tied hands by many laws as Hasbro and we can inspire each other...
This was realy intresting.
I realy like most of your ideas. Especially the Timberwolf one.
Althrough in my headcanon they have a way more closer bond whit Zap Apple trees.
7667281 Thank you
Also, stronger bond with Zap Apples? I'm curious to hear that theory of yours!
What does Natura Semper Liberi mean in English?
7668796 Nature of Everfree, it's from latin Natura-Nature, Semper-Ever, Liberi-Free. It's based on real biological books being named (or completely written) in latin.
7667330
Well in my theory:
The reason why Timberwolfs feels the Zap Aplle tree blooming is because they need the magic of the Zap Apple tree to creat new Timberwolfs. They have a symbiotic relationship whit each other.
This can be a reason why ther is so many Timberwolfs is close to the edge of the Everfree forest. They want to go to the Sweet Apple Acres Zap Apple Orchad to protect it.
7669433 Ooh, interesting and good reasons too! I'm always glad to see someone thinking about what they saw (not just) in the show
Thanks for adding your story to the W!
I'll read it posthaste!
7709785 You're welcome.
7710471
7710471
Philosophy hmm?
7766945 I consider it a philosophy about wildlife, completed with science.
7617703
I like to think that the wolves are left over from a time when ancient magicks were in full force where they were created as guardians and once their masters died due to some yet unknown cause they had to learn to be animals.
The zap apples were created by these druid-like beings to sustain their guard dogs by infusing a large amount of gaian magic into them which gives them such a particular taste and growing period.
Some interesting examinations of these various creatures. The phoenix mating ritual I found particularly clever.
7899663 Thank you. Clever birds deserve clever rituals... However, you can find something similar even in real nature - see green palolo worms
7900068 Huh.
Learn something new every day.
Fascinating bit of trivia: Not all species of chameleons can change color and, of those that do, all use colour for communication, but not all of them use it for camouflage. Some also use it for thermoregulation. (ie. Changing how well their skin reflects or absorbs the sun's rays)
7929016 As you said. The process of changing color isn't present within all chameleon species and it's described fully just in few species, most notably the veiled chameleon (Chameleo calyptratus).
Color of young chameleons is dependent mostly on humidity and tempreture, adults go mostly dark when they are cold or hungry from my own experience. All those changes range mostly from green to brown. Orange or yellow hues are used in mating or scaring off unwanted guests, often combined with flattening of chest. Those colors are caused by a mix of physical and biochemical factors - tiny prism crystals in scales and pigments.
The point of all this; chameleon can't change color to exactly match its mood ("red angry chameleon") or its colorful surroundings like movies often tell us. On the other hand, cephalopods are very skilled in that.
7929862
Don't get me started on cephalopods and their camouflage skills. Indonesian mimic octopus and its relatives with less audacious camouflage strategies. End of story.
7929907 Sorry if I'm misreading... but did I upset you somehow? If so, I apologize.
7929937
No, I meant it more as a tongue-in-cheek "Those guys are so good at camouflage that it's not even fair."
...it is different to be on the other side of the "Did I upset you?" for once though. Normally, I'm the clueless one.
7929954 Ah, I see.
Glad I could let you experience the 'difference' if it was pleasant for you.
7929978
Novel, amusing in hindsight... I'm not sure I'd call it full-on pleasant though. A miscommunication is a miscommunication.
Really cool story
Would be nice to have more stories exploring equestria's biology like this
7995355 Thank you
I was already thinking about a sequel, but unlike with those creatures, beasts such as Cipatctli, Tatzlwurm, Slingtails, Bugbear or Fruit bats got next to none screen time and/or their behaviour in the show was too straight to give me anything to start any bigger theories.
Truth is, I can't really help myself in not implementing biologist characters and my other story - The Forest Pony - isn't an exception. However, there are mostly things from this story and then some remarks about existing creatures.
I am so glad that you joined On Known Creatures.
8112469 You're welcome. I'm glad there is a group focusing on such interesting, yet widely ignored topic
Wow this observation you made is pretty creative, I really hope that they are true canonically!
8272365
Thank you! Some of them are for sure based on reality, but I really can't count on the show writers when it comes to accuracy...
8272688
True :(
Would be interesting if Timberwolves actually had clans where the wolves selected a particular type of wood for the properties of that wood. Lighter weight pine for flexibility and speed? Sturdy oak for brute strength?
Also cool story idea based on their reproduction: Say some enterprising ponies hit upon and idea to harvest wood (doing some lumbering) from the edge of the Everfree. Nopony has a problem with it until they come close to a Timberwolf Glen (or whatever name you choose for a center for one pack). Then, due to the trees having been cut and extra limbs having been left around, there is an explosion in the Timberwolf population due to all of the extra tree scraps where the wood cutters were working, and some problems arise with that, as well as misinformed ponies in what to do about it, until a biologist shows up... And go from there.
Hm. Any theories on how Fluttershy was able to overcome the petrification ability when looking bare-eyed at a cockatrice making an attempt on her?
(0:06 to 0:12, since I on not digitally savvy enough to cut that down)
8442609
I believe different forms of wood and material (leaves, bark, needles etc.) account for different functions in the body, just like we have lots of different tissues.
As for the reproduction... I'm not so sure it would work like that. Sure, there would be more potential building material, but still the same amount of the Timberwolf pairs. There is a limited amount of pups they can have per one season, with the building material being their least concern. After all, the right parts are lying all around even in lumberjack-untouched forest. On the other hand, the potential parents would be stressed by the ponies' presence and the Zapple trees might be affected by the changes of the deforestation as well. In the end, I believe the Timberwolf population would stagger. Maybe only the already existing young Timberwolves would be able to grow faster by equiping themselves with the falled wood.
8442644
Oh my, what have I created?! 
Indeed
Ouch, that last phrase! As a musician, I am offended!
just kidding
?
"Hey, Maurice? What do we do with this pile of yard debris and branches? Y'all got a wood chipper?"
"Nah, but I got this Cragadile here! He'll make quick work of it!"
8443213
Ever heard of Morse code?
8443364
Well... I've heard of Morse Code. lulz... that was just a face-hoof moment.
Carry on...
Wait, if each head has a separate digestive system, and thus can gen nutrition/energy derived for the whole body, why would it be starving while the goat head is happily grazing, causing the tiger head to commit goat-icide? Besides... a little more difficult to starve a goat.
...sentient?
Gah! No wonder they are always in such bad mood!
Also... how do you chew a cragadile, even a young one? I would think that would require dragon teeth!
8443758
Well, the thing is, the food herbivores eat is generally not all that nutrition-rich. Thus, if there will be only a few patches of grass left for the goat, it won't be enough to power up the whole body.
Sentient, indeed. Thank you for catching it.
Well, they are hard mostly on the outside, so it's just about having enough force to get through their thick scales and kind of squeezing them out
"But Westly, what about the ROUS's?"
"Rodents of unusual size? I don't think they exist."
Oh wait, that was the Fire Swamp, not the Flame Geyser Swamp!
You know, I feel similarly about history. And I'm constantly trying to teach people important facts that they don't particularly care about.
Fun Fact: the trees use these little fungi to send each other chemical signals and warnings if, say, a tree is being attacked by parasties.