Male griffs have large colorful sacs and fans that frill out from the neck. They can manipulate these growths and use them to create dazzling mating displays for the females. Females are smaller in build and drabber in color. They do exhibit unique striations along their backsides. Every two years a new stripe appears which allows for easy determination of their age.
The Griff is a large herbivorous creature that inhabits the steppes of Cadmus. The steppes are largely arid with dispersed lakes that provide the water source for the griffs. They range through areas that are sparsely populated with vegetation and remain largely dispersed as a population.
Griffs consume vegetation that grows sparsely among the steppes of Cadmus. They use their highly flexible mouths to manipulate vegetation. Flattened tooth-like structures enable the griff to chew down the toughest of vegetations. Because the griff’s diet is limited in a relatively arid region, they supplement their diet by using their mouth plates to scrape salt and mineral formations at the edges of lakes.
During the mating season, males and females congregate in an elaborate mating ritual called a lek. The males put on elaborate shows of agility and color in an attempt to attract a female. However, females are hard to impress and the males compete with each other to do so. If a male is successful, the female will become receptive to mating. After the mating event, the males and females disperse again. Females typically give birth to one offspring. Baby griffs are born walking and will follow their mothers around until 5 months of age at which time they are ready to breed.
Both the males and females are able to accurately navigate to their original breeding grounds for the annual mating ritual based solely on environmental cues.