Falabella Miniature Horse, Equus Callabus

The smallest breed of horse in the world at 78cm or 8 hands at the withers, the Falabella, even prior to its extinction, was one of the rarest breeds of horse on Earth, with only a few thousand individuals existing worldwide. Descended from Criollo horses in the geologically isolated areas of Argentina, an intensive breeding program was undertaken by the humorously named Patrick Newtall, which sought to mate the local horses with other small horse breeds such as the Shetland and Welsh ponies. The Falabella later derived its name from one of Newtall’s descendents in the 1940s, and all Falabellas that have ever existed all originated from Newtall’s ranch in Argentina.

Unlike other miniature species, the Falabella was not abnormally proportioned – rather, it retained an overall slim confirmation similar to that of the Arab. Neither was it a delicate species: Falabellas were very hardy horses due to their ancestry, and were able to breed even when advanced in age. Although their small size rendered them unable to perform draft work, Falabellas were intelligent horses that could be ridden by small children and be taught to pull appropriately sized carts. Most Falabellas had bay or black coats, although pinto coats were also commonly found. Unscrupulous horse dealers would often try to pass off other miniature horse breeds as Falabellas, and all authentic Falabellas were required to have the requisite documents and official certificates (known as equine ‘passports’) to confirm their pedigree bloodlines.

A very small percentage of Falabellas survived the initial fall-out following WWT, whereupon lack of numbers made it extremely difficult to continue breeding the horse. The last Falabella passed away in ----, according to Sydney’s records.

Domestic Canary, Serinus Canaria Domestica

The Domestic Canary was a domesticated form of the Wild Canary and part of the Finch family groups originating from the Spanish archipelago. Prized for the singing voice of its male birds, the Canary was once exclusively marketed only to those wealthy enough to afford the birds, although prices went down once local citizens were able to obtain hen birds to breed. Domestic Canaries usually possessed distinctive yellow-green feathers, although other colour varieties such as Brown and Ivory arose through hobbyist breeding. In countries such as the USA and Europe, Domestic Canaries were often judged at bird shows following the end of the breeding season for the quality of their voice and their appearance, whereupon only the person who raised them would be granted the right to show the bird.

With bodies no larger than 15cm, Canaries were extremely popular pets due to their friendly personalities and the ease involved in their care. Their small size and inoffensive voices moreover made them easy to rear even in apartment buildings, although predation from neighbouring cats seems to have been a risk posed to the careless owner. Canary male and females were however extremely difficult to tell apart by mere appearance, since not all males sang and all females remained silent. While their gender was able to be determined upon internal examination by veterinarians, most of the time, the only reliable way for a breeder to make entirely sure would be to wait and see if ‘she’ laid eggs! Generally non-social animals, Canaries were able to thrive even when kept on their own, provided they were fed well and had access to a large cage with room for flight. Their diet consisted mainly of seeds, and could also be rounded out with various fresh vegetables and greens.

The use of Canaries in coal mining as an early warning system for toxic gases was finally outlawed in ----. Unfortunately, the susceptibility of these otherwise hardy birds to methane and carbon monoxide meant that they were among the first avians to succumb to the dust following WWT, along with owls and sparrows.

Siamese Fighting Fish, Betta Splendens


Known as ‘biting fish’ in their native country of Thailand, the Siamese Fighting Fish, was given its name due to the aggressive nature of their males and the barbaric gambling practice of pitting these beautiful fishes against each other. Until WWT and the corresponding decline in the viability of keeping fish as pets, it was previously the most popular species of insectivorous freshwater aquarium fish.

Siamese Fighting Fish came in many iridescent colours, such as red, orange, white, green, blue, or any ‘marbled’ or ‘tinted’ combination of the above. The male, as the more colourful of the two genders, was more the highly prized, and pet owners often held competitions at which owners would be awarded according to the unique coloration and tail fin shape of their fish. Both male and female Siamese Fighting Fish had the odd characteristic flaring their gill covers for purposes of intimidation or courtship, and such behaviour was also found to be easily elicited by owners with the use of a mirror. The Siamese Fighting Fish was otherwise a solitary and shy fish by nature. A group of Fighting Fish were hence usually kept in separate tanks by their owners except during mating, lest the fish injure themselves with aggressive behaviour.

The Siamese Fighting Fish was known to be an extremely hardy species due to its wild ancestors who had thrived in oxygen-poor environments, and was invariably in high demand by both amateurs and connoisseur pet owners alike for its adaptability and beauty. When exposed to the radioactive dust fallout and the drastic changes in the chemical composition of water during WWT however, the Siamese Fighting Fish was unable to adjust quickly enough, and massive declines in the population resulted. Following the new laws on water usage in the year ----, the Siamese Fighting Fish was no longer stocked in pet stores or bred privately. They are now thought to be extinct, no live specimens having been recorded by Sydney’s since ----.

Hedgehog, Erinaceinae Erinaceomorpha


The Hedgehog was one of the few existing spiny mammals on earth, and was originally found throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand. Its name was derived from the Middle English word ‘heyghoge’ due to its frequenting of hedgerows and its pig-like snout, and it was also sometimes known as a ‘hedgepig’ or ‘furze-pig’. These spines, actually hollow hairs stiffened with keratin, were not poisonous and they were not removed easily like that of the porcupine. While hedgehogs tended to flee or attack when confronted with predators, they were much better known for their ability to roll into a tight ball with their spines pointing outwards as a deterrent.

Hedgehogs were nocturnal omnivores, and they fed primarily on insects, mushrooms, berries, and fruits. Pet owners of hedgehogs found that these remarkable creatures would also subsist happily on commercial dog or cat food, although these were not very nutritious. Hedgehogs were sometimes welcomed by traditional gardeners who found their presence useful in reducing the numbers of pests that would prey upon precious vegetables and fruits. Able to live up to 7 years in captivity, their small size and general amiability made them a popular choice of exotic pets in countries that allowed hedgehog ownership.

Hedgehogs went rapidly extinct on earth following WWT due to their susceptibility to cancer (Hedgehogs shared many diseases common to humans).

African Egg-eating Snake, Dasypeltis Scabra

The African Egg-eating Snake, prior to WWT, was native to the Southern portion of the African continent and was one of the two genus of snakes that lived exclusively off eggs. Largely nocturnal, it preyed mainly upon eggs of Weaver Birds, and was extremely adept at tree climbing. Able to determine the freshness of the egg by testing the shell with its tongue, the snake would then push its head over the egg, and our records indicate that the snakes were able to swallow eggs up to three times the size of its head. Once inside the snake, a series of modified vertebrae at the back of the neck would pierce the eggshell, whereupon the contents would be sucked out and the flattened shell regurgitated.

Usually caught directly from the wild, the African Egg-eating Snake was considered to be an impressive if hard to feed exotic pet, due to the ethically troublesome necessity for an availability of fresh small bird eggs all the year round. It was especially prized among reptile owners and herpetoculturists for its docile temperament and lack of teeth and venom sacs. While able to live happily in a small terrarium tank when provided with sufficient water and warmth, the African Egg-eating Snake was also an adept escape artist, and hence required much attention and a secure container.

In captivity, the African Egg-eating Snake was able to breed all year round, and could reach lengths of between 70-100cm. Its scale pattern consisted of rhombic patches on a base of grey or brown – a coloration that caused it at times to be confused with the venomous Horner Adder, also native to Africa. On the whole, given its feeding habits and doppelganger risk, we might perhaps be glad that such a repulsive pet went extinct with many of the other snake species following WWT, due to the lack of available sunlight to warm their cold-blooded bodies.

Sidney: Facts and Fictions

In our day and age, we all have questions.  Questions we want to ask our friends, family, colleagues, or even The Great Mercer.  Many have speculated as to how Sidney came to be regarded as the authority ranging from arcane animal knowledge to the most seemingly inconsequential trivia, but few have any true idea as to who the person behind the name was.  Until now.  In the first authoritative treatise on the Sidney's Institution, I will give you, the readers, a front row seat to this titilating historical roller-coaster ride.

The first well-documented historical nod to the Sidney name came in the 1500's when the Sidney family rose to prominence in the Elizabethan era.  You may well remember the names of Sir Philip Sidney and Mary Sidney--later to become Mary Sidney Herbert, Second Countess of Pembroke--as important members of the court.  Due to the lasting impact of their wonderfully crafted lines of poetry, they are still fondly recalled today, but this was not the first Sidney of prominence.

The etymology of the name Sidney (or Sydney, or any other variation in spelling for that matter) can be traced to the Greek god's name, "Dionysus," which became "Saint-Denis," in the Norman French of the 1500's and in turn, once the name crossed the Channel, it contracted to become the current form we now know.  However, this was impossible to know until very recently, when a text thought to have been destroyed by Henry VIII's English Reformation (between 1536-1541) mysteriously resurfaced.  One of the consequences of the aforementioned Reformation was the disbanding of the monastaries, and more to the point, the selling off of the monastic libraries.

Only six books were thought to have survived the purging of Worcester Priory, but the efforts of nameless curator were able to secure an elusive seventh book.  As luck would have it--and I would argue that History has indeed lucked out in this case--this book made passing reference to a line of farriers and hound masters that served in the armies of both Alexander the Great as well as those of Gaius Julius Caesar.  These animal trainers were identified only as 'residents of Dionysia,' a city in Greece.

This theory is only an abstract, my full research can be accessed in association with the Fearson Corporation, but I think from this alone it is clear that the tradition of the beloved Sidney is landed in the annals of History.  With such generational knowledge garnered over literally millenia of practice, the rise of JT&L Sidney Limited in the early 1980's is hardly unprecedented.  

The Sidney's Annual is a production that began in the early 1980's, commensurate with completion of John Thomas Sidney's formal training in animal husbandry.  Upon earning his degree from the McKinley Institute in Fort Collins, Colorado, Sidney and his sister Laura started their own small business: a supply company that handled of all materials needed for stock.  The many interactions that they had with farmers, ranchers, herders, breeders, and others led to increasing contact with animals who were to be traded and sold on the open market.

With the business doing swimmingly under Laura's keen eye for figures, J.T. (as he prefered to be known to both intimates and business partners) began to be consulted as an arbiterwith a keen eye for any animals worth or potential in barters done around Fort Collins.  This expanded once he issued the first issue of Sidney's, a short and cheaply printed circular which detailed the health and vitals of each animal in the county that was worth trading.  This became enormously popular, and as the business prospered, J.T. and Laura were able to spend more time travelling and appraising an increasing quantity and variety of animals until their reach was nearly limitless.

After the fallout of WWT made animal husbandry and collection even more of a hot commodity, J.T. and Laura really came into their own.  With an incredible mixture of foresight, adaptation, and business acumen, they hired programers and designers to anticipate the desire for electric animals for the less well-off.  Their information was and remains utterly comprehensive, driving their competitors under, buying them out, or simply out lasting them with a cheaper and better publication.  To this day, Sidney's is a family owned and operated corporation.