Pinwheel Bandit, they possess a hooded, insulated back flap that sits on the top of their back. This flap can be connected to the ears, allowing it to stay in place, similar to a hood on a hoodie. This allows the Pinwheel Bandit to store anything on their back, from their young, to food, to even objects. This also provides the secondary use of insulation due to the colder climate. All Pinwheel Bandits are kleptomaniacs; they are always looking for something to steal, be it food, objects, or even other creatures. This behavior is passed down from parent to child, allowing them to be opportunistic, as well as training the young to “hunt” (I’m not sure if I would classify this behavior as hunting, but Pinwheel Bandits are primarily scavengers, so I guess this would be the closest term).

They also possess a lengthened face mask, which serves a similar purpose to whiskers. While Raccoons typically possess whiskers, Pinwheel Bandits lost this feature due to the colder climate of the Subalpine. In place of this, the Face Mask is neurologically wired in a similar manner to whiskers, while also providing additional warmth. Pinwheel Bandits are also expert climbers due to their curled tail, as well as their lengthened body. Both of these features possess a wide variety of uses outside of climbing. For the tail, it evolved to possess large eyespot-like patterns on the tail. This provides a sense of intimidation, as well as camouflage.

While the large eyespots might seem counterintuitive in terms of camouflage, this is actually beneficial. The large eyespots are semi-fluorescent, and are in the shape of human eyes. This is because the only predators of the Pinwheel Bandit, such as Black Bears, Coyotes, and Bobcats, all share a common fear: Humans. This allows the Pinwheel Bandit to scare off larger predators. They do this by hiding in shrubbery, or other well hidden structures, making sure that their tail is visible. This gives off the impression to other animals that there are humans lying in wait, ready to ambush.

For the lengthened body plan, this was primarily an adaption for the hooded back flap, but it also provides stability while climbing via a phenomenon known as Concertina Locomotion. Snakes actually do the same thing while climbing trees. By tensing their stomach muscles, they are able to grip onto surfaces using the scales on their stomach. Pinwheel Bandits do a similar movement, but instead of gripping with scales, they use their long body plan to wrap around trees, effectively constricting it while holding themselves in place. Along with their sharp, dexterous hands, this allows the Pinwheel Bandit to either climb trees in seconds, or hold themselves in place, keeping them safe from some predators.

Finally, they possess a modified snout. This enhances their sense of smell, similar to the level of a Bloodhound. This allows them to track other animals for miles, as well as to distinguish a member of their family. Each Pinwheel Bandit possess a signature, faint “Odor Signature”, allowing them to mark their territory. While Pinwheel Bandits are not particularly territorial, they can get into disputes with other Pinwheel Bandits. This Odor Signature allows them to distinguish where their territory is, effectively resolving most conflicts regarding this. However, they do compete with other animals, such as Pine Squirrels, for tree cavities. Both of these animals store their belongings in tree cavities, but while Pine Squirrels use this as their primary nesting place, Pinwheel Bandits are more nomadic.