Griffins

The most common portrayal of a griffin is it's most common sub-breed, that of a cross seemingly between an eagle and a lion.  Griffins, however, can have the appearance of most any bird breed or big cat breed blended together, though there has never been any proof that they bear relations to the other creatures. Most often, they are catlike in appearance, with the upper half of their body being a bird, complete with wings and a beak. They have ears, both of which are long and feathered, and often compared to that of a horse's. They are known for their cunning, and quick thinking, as well as their affinity to collect things. These items could be anything from an interesting rock to a diamond, but either way, a griffin's nest is often littered with various things. Being loners, most griffins live alone, in the small case of when they take a mate. Griffins mate for life, and often times, if their mate dies, they themselves will die of absolute sorrow of the occurrence. According to legend, a hippogriff if the offspring of one rare case where a male griffin found his true mate in a mare. When griffins reproduce, they care of the egg until it hatches, at which point the hatchling will stay with the mother and father for a period of four months until they are left in the wilderness to survive on their own. It's a high belief among the species that the weak do not deserve to survive. Those that live past the ordeal of being abandoned as a hatchling are the strongest, and therefore the rightful ones to continue the bloodlines. This, also, is sadly the reason griffins are not a common sight to see.