I was just playing around with what one might see at a Cardassian zoo, and thought you guys might get some enjoyment out of it. Some of these animals are mentioned in canon, but I mostly came up with the descriptions. I also came up with a term for an animal that is somewhere between mammal and reptile - tUrn’hU (warm scale), inspired by @feltelures and @tinsnip Kardasi, thought the concept itself is mine.
Vole (tUrn’hU) – small, six-legged creature with a scattering of hair and sharp teeth, poor eyesight, minor “spoon” on the head, spends most time underground or in other dark places, often considered a “pest,” common across most of Prime·Regnar (reptile) – small reptile, usually found in the desert and surrounding areas, blind, capable of blending into the environment, very fast, population unknown due to speed and “cloaking” ability·
Zabu (mammal) – large domesticated mammal, similar to a cow, used in agriculture for both its meat and its milk, which is especially prized for the thick, sweet cream that can be made from it, large hump around shoulders which stores reserves during times of draught and food scarcity, very sturdy animal, able to survive in most environments, variations found across Prime·
Măgath (reptile) – snakes, ranges in size, coloration, temperament, can be either venomous or non-venomous, various subspecies found in all regions of Prime.
Common Garden Kut Măgath – medium sized black snake often found in gardens, eats small rodents, lizards, and insects, non-venomous, fairly non-aggressive unless directly threatened.
Roklan – the largest species of snake native to Cardassia Prime, found only in the jungles of the Southern continent, non-venomous, but extremely rare due to habitat loss.
Cova - medium to large snake found in the lower mountainous regions and rocky outcroppings, coloration ranges from sandy to red to brown, often has bands or speckles to help it camouflage, very thick body, highly venomous, venom causes seizures and distress on the pulmonary system, a single bite can kill an adult Cardassian, the venom has been known to have been harvested by the Obsidian Order for use in toxic agents, vulnerable (pronounced sho-vah) ·
Taspar (bird) – small avian species found in less arid regions of Prime, colorful, known for its beautiful song, most common along the coastal regions, but has been known to colonize cities where water is plentiful·
Regova (bird) – avian species found primarily in the desert and surrounding areas, four legs and two large wings, powerful jaws and talons for attacking prey and defending their nests, females are particularly aggressive, especially when nesting or guarding recently hatched young, feathers are generally rust colored with a shiny black beak and large black eyes, vulnerable due to eggs being harvested for food·
Riding Hound (mammal) – canine like animal, approximately the size of a horse with a long snout and a tufted tail, large, tufted paws good for moving on desert sands and rocky areas, colors range from light gray to black, mostly domesticated, though can be willful, originally used for transportation, but now mostly kept for sport and enjoyment, common·
Dwarf Riding Hound (mammal) – a miniature version of a Riding Hound, approximately the size of a goat, domesticated and very docile, originally breed to pull carts and plows, now used for children’s riding and enjoyment, greater range of color and coat patterns than full size Riding Hounds, common·
Kovabug (insect) – a small, hard-shelled insect known for its beautiful coloration, the outer shell is a deep blue with hints of green in the sunlight, the shell splits to deploy the wings underneath, which make a pleasant humming sound as the insect flies, highly prized by Cardassian children, who often collect the colorful discarded shells when the insect molts, common in most regions with decent vegetation·
Urall (mammal) – a largish herbivore, prized for its hide, which is used to make high-end leather, extinct in the wild, but kept by a small handful of artisans who produce the leather for the Cardassian elite ·
Flayers (tUrn’hU) – extremely dangerous predatory animal, found in the desert, sand colored fur and scales with deep gray forehead “spoon,” large, piercing fangs, excellent eyesight and hearing, armored back and ridges along spine and around eyes, six legs, prey on everything from gettle to zabu, have been known to even attack and kill adult Cardassians, hunt in small packs of 5-10 members, but can be cannibalistic, vulnerable·
Gettle (mammal) – smaller pack animal, grazers that live off of the sturdy grasses that grow on the outskirts of Prime’s many deserts, reddish-brown colored fur with a white underbelly, all have spiraling black horns, though the males are larger than the females, have become extremely rare due to poaching·
Onyx Beetles (insect) – named for their color, commonly found in gardens, will often burrow underground and eat the roots of plants, common·
Sleg Corgan (reptile) – large reptile native to the lower regions of the Northern continent, carnivorous, but has also been known to scavenge on deceased prey, incredibly well adapted to food scarcity, it eats only twice a year, known for slow movement, except when hunting, and spends most of its time completely motionless, rare·
Utoxa (bird) – water fowl, found primarily along the coast near Lakarian City and Culat during the warm winters in that area, will migrate to the equatorial region during the cooler months, long turquoise feathers with dark blue underbellies and webbed feet, fish eaters, vulnerable·
Scottril (tUrn’hU) – related to the vole, six legs and a small forehead “spoon,” lives primarily in city sewers and other dark, damp areas, colors range from dark brown to black, limited eyesight, but extremely keen sense of smell, common ·
Toj’Lath (tUrn’hU) – ancient ancestor of the modern Cardassian, about half the height of an adult Cardassian, but very broad, similar ridge structure and coloration, though it has more blue highlights and scaling, highly intelligent, has a series of horns that start on the bridge of the nose, which increase in size as they run up to the hairline, strong prehensile tail, unlike most tUrn’hU, the “egg horn” never drops off, but stays in the place of the forehead “spoon,” revered by the Hebitians and often depicted on ancient tombs and religious artifacts, rare·
Hekant (mammal) – a small, herbivorous mammal with long ears, known for its downy coat, mostly domesticated and used for meat and fur, though there are still some wild varieties found in various regions of Prime, selectively bred for a variety of colors and coat patterns, sometimes kept as pets, common ·
Rhirzum (mammal) – a large feline with elongated fangs, also found only in the jungles of the Southern continent, however, fossil evidence suggests that this species used to be found across Prime, only known mammalian species on Prime to have developed venom, which can be sprayed and is akin to acid, causing severe pain, scarring, and blindness, it is believed that their venom was diluted with other compounds by the Hebitian clergy and when ingested produced trance-like states, rare due to habitat loss·
Thăv’os (tUrn’hU) – a medium sized, horned animal with six legs and a very faint forehead “spoon,” found in the upper regions of the mountains, remarkable at climbing the steep cliffs, the bones of its legs were extremely thin, but very solid and were often harvested to be used as writing implements, primarily covered in light gray scales, but has a mane of white, feathery hair on its head, chest, and shoulders, vulnerable ·
Vompăt (mammal) – a small, domesticated animals with a long, furry body and four short legs, extremely friendly and curious, make excellent pets, common·
Zeryd (bird) – a large avian animal, two pairs of small, non-functional wings, but has two long, extremely powerful legs ending in two clawed toes, a kick can disembowel most prey and they will eat almost anything, including carrion, tearing off chunks of flesh with their razor sharp beaks, both males and females are covered in shiny, black feathers, despite being found in more arid regions of Prime, rare·
Arafta (tUrn’hU) – a moderately sized animal found only on a small island off the Southern continent peninsula, it is covered in beige armored scales, though it also has a smattering of fur, it spends most of its life in the trees, where it uses its claws to dig into the bark for insects, though it will also eat fruit, lives in small family groups, intelligent and curious, but extremely rare due to limited habitat