How the Peacock Got Its Feathers

Courtney is a red fox. 

Foxes are known to be friendly and curious. They are solitary animals that hunt and sleep alone. They have the ability to climb trees and are more active after sunset. Foxes prey on squirrels. 

Pratt is a Douglas squirrel. 

Douglas squirrels are the noisiest of all types of squirrels. Their noisy "barks", chatter and screams warn other squirrels and animals of predators or other dangers. They often display deceptive behavior when hiding nuts/food in order to throw off other animals that may be watching them.

In the story, Courtney and Pratt are friends and together they play pranks on others. Unlikely bedfellows sometimes form partnerships - some for good and unfortunately, some for bad.  

Taylor is a Flemish Giant rabbit. 

Some Flemish Giant rabbits are the size of a cat and others can grow to the size of a dog or small child. Like all types of rabbits, the Flemish Giant rabbit frequently grooms itself throughout the course of a day, needs weekly brushing and nail trimming. Rabbits prefer clean and quiet habitats as filth can cause illness and loud noises cause stress. They are intelligent, social and easy-going animals. 

(Tip for pet owners: Never submerge a rabbit in water!)

Taylor is one of the older animals that reside in the forest. He wears pince-nez glasses and uses an ear trumpet. Taylor's favorite past-time is keeping up with current events. He is a member of the Council of the Birds.

Mama bear and Baby bear are black bears. 

Interestingly, black bears can be various shades of black, brown, white, blond or grey blue. Mama and Baby bear have brown fur. Black bears have the tendency to be solitary animals, foraging alone for example. The exception is a mother bear with her cubs. Cubs are expected to tag along with their mother to learn how to find food. Cubs are generally playful and play fighting is encouraged by the mother as that is how cubs learn to protect themselves. Mother bears have been observed to "swat" the paws of cubs if the play gets out of hand. Black bears are not typically aggressive, but cautious. One of their preys are rabbits.

Mama bear is very protective of her cub and desires for him to develop an interest in learning rather than wanting to play all of the time. You can see how bothered she becomes with the prank behavior in the story, but she does have a soft heart. She is also a member of the Council of the Birds.

Quinn is a great horned owl. 

While great horned owls are fierce predators, they themselves have no natural predators/enemies.  Owls have excellent night vision and have the ability to turn their heads more than 180 degrees to look in any direction. Great horned owls have an intimidating stare and their talons enable them to grip so tightly they can sever the spines of their prey.  

Despite possessing this power, Quinn is meek and inviting which the forest animals find reassuring and consider him very knowledgeable. He is the Lead member of the Council of the Birds. Like Taylor, he wears pince-nez glasses.