Creature design - Andune (sunset) Squirrel

The Andune Squirrel (pronounced Undoonay) is a creature I designed to fit within Tolkien's universe of the Lord of The Rings. It's the animal companion to the hobbit character I also designed for this assignment. Creatures usually shown in the movies are gruesome monsters save for Radaghast's rabbits. I wanted to create a lovable creature to contrast the rest of the horrors of the world. The Andune Squirrell is named after it's sunset like colouring. It lives in the forests in the trees, using its extra thumbs and strong tail to hold tightly to branches, you'll never find one on the predator ridden ground except for the one my character found and took home to care for, it's now become a close companion to my character. The Squirrel is usually regarded as a bad omen due to the red colouring under its eyes. It looks like it's crying blood which can represent grief, pain and loss. If seen on journeys people believe the squirrel to be a sign of bad luck or danger. This didn't stop my hobbit character who is unofficially regarded a guardian of small things to take in this small creature and nurse it back to health. The Andune squirrel turned out to be as friendly and cuddly as a cat.