Illustrated Mediterranean DLC

[Cynogale bennettii II]

I have been spending some time coming up with an idea for a future DLC, and quickly settled on the idea of one based on the Mediterranean Basin. I chose this partly because it encompasses parts of three continents (Europe, Africa and Asia), partly because of its importance as a biodiversity hotspot (around 60% of the plants and 1/3 of the native animals occur nowhere else) and also because it is a region whose wildlife receives comparatively little attention.

The first (and main) DLC pack for this region contains four habitat animals, fifteen new plants, a building set and a new career mode scenario. A second pack would contain eight exhibit animals and another eight plants.

Of the four habitat animals, I made sure to select one animal each from Africa, Asia and Europe to ensure all the continents were represented. The fourth occurs on two continents. I also chose one species that would be very easy to make (being little more than a reskin of a current species), another is similar to an existing species but would need new animations and the other two are completely novel models.

 

[Cynogale bennettii II]

Species	Arabian oryx
IUCN status	Vulnerable
General information	Continent – Asia Countries – Israel, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates Size – 153-235cm head and body length, 140cm (max) shoulder height Weight – 100-210kg Diet – Herbivore
Habitat information	Biomes – Desert Fence grade – 2 >4.125ft Land area – 400.0m2 Water area – 0.0m2 Climbing area – 0.0m2 Temperature – 10-45oC
Social information	Group size – 5-30 Male bachelor group – 1-2 Female bachelor group – 3-30 Compatible species – None Walkabout species – No
Reproduction information	Difficulty – Very Easy Sexual maturity – 2 years Sexual sterility – Death Number of offspring – 1 Gestation period – 8 months Interbirth period – 9 months Lifespan – 20 years
Zoopedia description	General Population in the wild – 850 The Arabian oryx (or Oryx leucoryx) is a large antelope native to the Middle East, where they mainly inhabit sandy deserts and gravel plains. Their bodies are mostly white in colouration, with black legs and patches of black on the face. The calves are a sandy brown colour with white facial markings at birth and fade into their adult colours as they age. Both sexes also have long slightly backswept horns that they use to fight for resources and defend against predators. They stand at around 4.5ft at the shoulder. Arabian oryx were especially valued as trophies, with huge numbers killed for their horns and hides. The last known wild Arabian oryx were killed in 1972 but fortunately animals had been bred in captivity since the 1950s. The disappearance of the wild oryx resulted in the creation of one of the first organised captive-breeding programmes, with animals from private herds in the Middle East sent to Phoenix Zoo, where 225 calves were born by 2002. Since then, Arabian oryx have been successfully reintroduced to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Social Arabian oryx normally live in small herds with no more than 10 individuals but sometimes multiple herds will join up until they form groups of up to 100 animals. In the wild, the species does not form bachelor herds and instead males and females live together year-round; if an animal ends up separated from the group they will find water and wait there until the herd comes to it. Reproduction Female Arabian oryx become sexually mature when they are between 2 and 4 years old. Male oryx may establish territories when water and grazing conditions permit it, which allows them to mate with females from many different herds. Most of the time however the males wander with the females and mate within the herd. The gestation period of an Arabian oryx lasts nearly 8 months, with the calf born in solitude away from the main herd. The mother and her calf later rejoin the herd. The calf is weaned at the age of 4.5 months. If the calf is female, she remains in the herd with her mother for the rest of her life, while male calves may join different herds on reaching sexual maturity.
Zoopedia fun facts	When not feeding or travelling, Arabian oryx rest in depressions they dig out under shade. The white coat reflects sunlight but has no glare, which can act as a form of camouflage. The Arabian oryx is the only one of the four living oryx species whose range naturally lies outside of Africa. When standing water is unavailable, Arabian oryx get moisture by digging for bulbs. The Arabian wolf is the only surviving natural predator of the Arabian oryx.

 

[Cynogale bennettii II]

Species	Corsican hare
IUCN status	Vulnerable
General information	Continent – Europe Countries – Italy Size – 55-61cm head and body length Weight – 3.8kg Diet – Herbivore
Habitat information	Biomes – Temperate, Grassland Fence grade – 1 Land area – 300m2 Water area – 0.0m2 Climbing area – 0.0m2 Temperature – 1-28oC
Social information	Group size – 1-4 Male bachelor group – 1-2 Female bachelor group – 1-4 Compatible species – None Walkabout species – Yes
Reproduction information	Difficulty – Average Sexual maturity – 7 months Sexual sterility – Death Number of offspring – 1-5 Gestation period – 1.3 months Interbirth period – 4 months Lifespan – 7 years
Zoopedia description	General Population in the wild – >10,000 individuals (estimated) The Corsican hare (or Lepus corsicanus) is endemic to the southern half of Italy, including the island of Sicily. It was originally thought to be the same species as the brown hare that occupies the rest of the European continent but they are slightly smaller, being only around 60cm long, and have more orange-coloured fur on their flanks. They do not seem to hybridise with European hares where their ranges meet and genetic evidence suggests the Corsican and brown hares split into two species when Ice Age glaciers isolated the two populations from each other. Because of their similarity to brown hares, the Corsican hare is often accidentally killed by hunters even though it is a protected species. They are also threatened by the loss of their maquis, grassland and dune habitats and both competition and diseases coming from introduced European rabbits. The IUCN has recommended an increased captive breeding programme – already two national parks, a private estate and one Italian zoo keep and breed this species for reintroduction. Social While Corsican hares are not territorial, they are solitary and only meet with others of their kind when mating, when a female is caring for her young or if there is a particularly plentiful food source. Reproduction Corsican hares can conceive throughout the year except for a 3-month period between October and December. During courtship a receptive female can be chased by half a dozen males, who box with each other to determine their rank. The female boxes with them in turn to determine which male is fittest and so the best to father her offspring. During her month-long pregnancy, the female hare digs a shallow nest in the ground called a haven and delivers her young there. The young, called leverets, are born fully-furred and with their eyes and ears open. The mother leaves the young in the haven and only returns to suckle them once a day, after dusk has fallen. This method is used to stop predators easily finding the leverets. The leverets remain in the haven until they are fully weaned at three weeks old and quickly become independent of their mother. The female hare can immediately conceive after giving birth and is ready to give birth by the time the previous litter has left.
Zoopedia fun facts	Despite its common name, this hare was actually introduced to Corsica in the 16th century. During the breeding season, both male and female hares will box to test their strength. Female hares give birth to well-developed young called leverets in specially-dug pit nests called havens. In the mid-20th century, the Corsican hare was thought to be extinct but was later rediscovered. Hares can run at over 50km/h over long distances and manage shorter sprints of 80km/h.

 

[Cynogale bennettii II]

Species	Egyptian goose
IUCN status	Least Concern
General information	Continent – Africa Countries – Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe Size – 63-73cm long Weight – 1.5-2.3kg Diet – Herbivore
Habitat information	Biomes – Aquatic, Temperate, Grassland, Desert Fence grade – 1 (>1.00m) Land area – 240m2 Water area – 60m2 Climbing area – 0.0m2 Temperature – 0-40oC
Social information	Group size – 2-6 Male bachelor group – 1-2 Female bachelor group – 1-2 Compatible species – Greater flamingo, hippopotamus Walkabout species – Yes
Reproduction information	Difficulty – Very Easy Sexual maturity – 2 years Sexual sterility – Death Number of offspring – 5-12 Incubation period – 1 month Interbirth period – 12 months Lifespan – 14 years
Zoopedia description	General Population in the wild – 1,000,000 (estimated) The Egyptian goose (or Alopochen aegyptiacus) is a widespread and common African goose. They favour open habitats where their main diet of grass grows in abundance. Their mainly terrestrial feeding behaviour has resulted in the evolution of long legs, which are pink in colouration. They can be told from other geese by the brown patches around each eye as well as the green and white patches on the wings. They have a fairly large wingspan that averages around 38cm. Egyptian geese are currently listed as Least Concern; however they are considered to be in decline. This is mostly due to shooting and poisoning as agricultural pests, as the conversion of wild land into pasture and crops may actually benefit them. While Egyptian geese are declining in their native range, a breeding introduced population has established very successfully in Western Europe. Social Egyptian geese are strictly monogamous during the breeding season and only associate closely with their mate. Outside the breeding season these birds may form small flocks but these flocks are not harmonious and there is regular, noisy conflict with other individuals. Reproduction Egyptian geese are monogamous and once they choose a partner they mate for life. In the breeding season, the male guards his mate particularly jealously while she finds a nest site. The nest is often a simply-made cup of vegetation and down feathers on the riverbank but Egyptian geese may nest in old burrows, tree holes and may even push formidable birds of prey such as African crowned eagles out of their nests to use. The eggs hatch after a month and the black-and-white goslings follow their mother down to the water. There are often heavy losses of goslings to predators despite aggressive defence by both parents. The young gain their ability to fly and become independent at around 70 days old.
Zoopedia fun facts	Despite the name, the Egyptian goose is actually a large species of duck rather than a goose. This species can nest on the ground, in tree holes and even steal the nests of birds of prey. When fighting rivals or predators, the Egyptian goose flashes two large white patches on its wings. The Egyptian goose was sacred to the ancient Egyptians and is depicted in many of their artworks. Until the 18th century, the Egyptian goose was native to the Middle East and was also native to Southeast Europe until the 16th century.

 

[Cynogale bennettii II]

Species	Striped hyena
IUCN status	Near Threatened
General information	Continent – Africa, Asia Countries – Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Western Sahara, Yemen Size – 1,000cm total length, 65-80cm tall Weight – 25-45kg Diet – Omnivore
Habitat information	Biomes – Desert, Grassland, Temperate Fence grade – 2 Land area – 900m2 Water area – 0.0m2 Climbing area – 0.0m2 Temperature – 1-46oC
Social information	Group size – 1-3 Male bachelor group – 1-2 Female bachelor group – 1-3 Compatible species – None Walkabout species – No
Reproduction information	Difficulty – Average Sexual maturity – 2 years Sexual sterility – 20 years Number of offspring – 1-6 Gestation period – 3 months Interbirth period – 14 months Lifespan – 24 years
Zoopedia description	General Population in the wild – 5,000-9,999 The striped hyena (or Hyaena hyaena) is one of the smaller hyena species and the only one that naturally occurs outside of Africa, ranging as far east as Nepal and into the Caucasus Mountains. These animals are mostly scavengers that feed on carrion left by other large predators such as lions, tigers, cheetahs and wolves and they can drive smaller predators off their kills. When intimidating competitors or rivals, a striped hyena will raise the mane of long hair on the back of its neck to make it appear bigger. Striped hyenas may be the most widespread hyena but they are also among the most threatened. They are directly hunted because they threaten livestock, can exhume recently-buried bodies and for their body parts to be used in traditional witchcraft. They are also declining due to the loss of other large carnivores which provide their main source of food. Social Striped hyenas often live alone or in pairs, wandering vast tracts of desert in search of small sources of food. They are not territorial and so will sometimes congregate at large carcasses and will also socialise with members of their family unit at a communal den site. Because they are not as social as spotted hyenas, striped hyenas lack the complex vocal repertoire of their larger cousins. Reproduction Striped hyenas are monogamous, with a pair mating for life. The male helps raise the cubs by bringing food back to the den. The cubs are born after a gestation period of 3 months. While spotted hyenas are born with dark fur and able to see and hear striped hyena cubs are born blind and deaf but already possessing the striped coats of the adult. The cubs open their eyes at around a week old and leave the den after about a month. They are weaned at the age of two months. Subadult striped hyenas may remain around the family den and help their parents to raise the next litter of offspring.
Zoopedia fun facts	Striped hyenas have an erectable mane that makes them appear nearly 40% bigger than normal. While they forage alone, striped hyenas may socialise at communal family denning sites. Unlike the spotted hyena, striped hyenas are mainly scavengers that rely on carrion left by other predators. Striped hyenas mark their territories with scented oil that comes from a gland under their tail. In Israel, striped hyenas have been observed to move and forage with packs of wolves.

 

[Cynogale bennettii II]

Foliage
Algerian oak Quercus canariensis: Africa, Europe - Temperate
Carob tree Ceratonia siliqua: Asia, Europe - Desert, Temperate
Cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani: Asia - Desert, Temperate
Common gorse Ulex europaeus: Europe - Grassland, Temperate
Dwarf fan palm Chamaerops humilis: Africa, Europe - Desert, Temperate
European olive Olea europaea: Africa, Asia, Europe - Desert, Grassland, Temperate
Firethorn Pyracantha coccinea: Asia, Europe - Temperate
Juniper Juniperus communis: Africa, Asia, Europe - Taiga, Temperate
Mediterranean spurge Euphorbia characias: Asia, Europe - Grassland, Temperate
Oriental plane tree Platanus orientalis: Asia, Europe - Temperate
Poppy anemone Anemone coronaria: Africa, Asia, Europe - Grassland, Temperate
Saltcedar Tamarix aphylla: Africa, Asia - Desert, Temperate
Sicilian fir Abies nebrodensis: Europe - Temperate
Strawberry tree Arbutus unedo: Africa, Europe - Temperate
Sycamore fig Ficus sycomorus: Africa, Asia - Grassland, Tropical

Building set
The building set contains 250 objects of an Ancient Egyptian theme. This includes not only bricks, walls and arches, but all the letters in the hieroglyphic alphabet, statues of some of the Ancient Egyptian deities, artefacts such as sarcophagi and also images of all the animals that both appear in the game and in real Ancient Egyptian art (which includes species such as crocodiles, hippopotamuses, lions, cheetahs and Egyptian geese).

Career mode scenario
This scenario involves improving a zoo that has been built within a listed ancient ruined fort - none of the existing structure can be deleted or built upon, as it is considered a historical monument. The aim is both to improve the exhibits for the existing species in the zoo (West African lion, striped hyena, common ostrich, Nile monitor, timber wolf and hippopotamus all live in the zoo at the beginning of the scenario) while also adding new animals to increase visitation. The main part of the scenario is to breed and release eight Arabian oryx into the wild. As an added challenge, only species that currently or historically occurred in the Mediterranean Basin ecoregion are available for inclusion (as well as the six starting species and the Arabian oryx, this list comprises the African and Indian elephants, greater flamingo, Egyptian goose, Siberian tiger, cheetah, African wild dog, Corsican hare and puff adder).

 

[Urufu1997]

I would absolutely love every one of these Species in the Game. Especially the Corsican Hare and the Egyptian Goose