Unusual Wildlife of Hoobah Boobah Land, Part II

The wiimpash is a mouse-like aquatic mammal that inhabits the underground streams and rivers of Hoobah Boobah land. Underground streams and rivers are much more common than those above ground, probably because so much of the plant life consists of grasses with complex, tough root systems that make it difficult for waterways to carve paths through the earth. The root systems of native Hoobah Boobah grasses make it so Hoobah Boobah Land has very little erosion -- it has probably the lowest rate of soil loss of any country on the planet. Then again, since most countries have not bothered to measure their soil loss, there is no true way of comparing H.B.L.'s erosion rate to that of any other country.

Erosion is usually measured in grams of soil eroded per hectare (to my American readers: the hectare is the unit of land area measurement in the metric system). Actually, I was doing some research, and it turns out only two countries aside from Hoobah Boobah Land have determined their Annual Soil Loss Quotient (usually referred to as A.S.L.Q.): Latvia and Nepal.

Perhaps I will discuss soil erosion on another occasion. For now, back to the wiimpash, the aquatic mouse.

The wiimpash feeds mainly on roots that grow out of the roofs of the underground streams it inhabits. It has webbed paws, as well as webbing where its limbs join to its body. It normally grows to about 20 centimeters in length. It has poor vision, but very acute hearing. It seldom bites, preferring to swim or scurry away at the first sign of danger.

Females give birth only once in their lifetimes, which makes the wiimpash quite different from ordinary mice in other countries, which breed abundantly and often.

Wiimpashes are unsatisfying pets, since they strongly prefer darkness. Also, it is almost impossible to recreate the wiimpash habitat in a terrarium. In another posting I will describe the kinds of pets Hoobah Boobahns prefer (obviously, not the wiimpash).