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Pikachu (SciiFii)

A pikachu (Electricamus pokevus) is a species of large rabbit-sized mouse that originally didn't exist, but has since been created by SciiFii due to a demand for real life versions of Pokémon as pets. However, some pet owners have released pikachus into the countrysides, thus allowing pikachus to become feral and have breeding wild populations throughout Eurasia (even Japan), Africa, and the Americas. It is an omnivore that feeds primarily on grasses, seeds, fruits, roots, tubers, carrion, insects, spiders, and scorpions. An adult pikachu can grow to be about 40 centimetres (16 in) in length, and weigh 1,200–2,000 grams (2.6–4.4 lb). The baby pikachu is called a pichu, and resembles a much smaller version of adults with a coloration similar to a fictional Pichu from the Pokémon franchise. Pikachus lives in warrens that contain 2-10 other individuals living in smaller groups to ensure greater breeding success. Territoriality and aggression contribute greatly to the pikachus' maturation process, and help ensure survival of the population. Females tend to be more territorial than males, although the areas most frequented by females are not defended. When agitated, they will use their red cheek pouches to create small electric shocks to scare off predators. The pikachus can dig burrows that can be more than 9 meters long to ensure that no large predators, including bears, could reach the pikachus in their burrows. The pikachu rarely strays far from its burrow: when feeding on cultivated fields, it typically only moves 25 metres away from its burrow, and rarely 50 metres. It may however move as far as 500 metres after an abrupt change in environment, such as a harvest. This behaviour may be an anti-predator adaptation, as pikachus in areas where predators are under rigorous control may move three times further from their burrows than those in areas without predator management. The pikachu can breed throughout the year if conditions are suitable, with a female producing up to five litters a year. The gestation period is only 21 days, and litters can number up to 19, although twelve is common. They reach sexual maturity in about five weeks. Under ideal conditions (for the pikachu), this means that the population of females could increase by a factor of three and a half (half a litter of 12) in 8 weeks (5 weeks for sexual maturity and 3 weeks of gestation), corresponding to a population growing by a factor of 10 in just 15 weeks. As a result, the population can grow from 2 to 16,000 in a year. The conservation status of the pikachu is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the pikachus' wide range.

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