Shirshu

The Shirshu is a large mole-like creature found in the southern Earth Kingdom. The only Shirshu seen in the series is Nyla, first appearing in "Bato of the Water Tribe".

Anatomy
The Shirshu has poor eyesight, made up for by its remarkably keen sense of smell. The animal's face is dominated by a large snout that ends in a collection of small flared tentacles surrounding the nostrils, which are used to detect scents in the environment and effectively "see" its surroundings. The Shirshu's exceptional sense of smell makes it a superior tracker, as it can smell a particular scent from anywhere in the world. In addition to its amazing smelling abilities, the Shirshu's whip-like tongue contains paralyzing toxins. Depending on a person's size and how hard they are hit, the Shirshu's tongue can paralyze anywhere from one minute to two hours.

Concept Origins
The Shirshu is said to be the combination of a giant anteater, a German Shepherd and a star-nosed mole, which engenders rumors that it has excellent digging ability. Instead of digging with its nose, it uses it much like that of a bloodhound in the real world.

Tamed Behavior
Tamed Shirshu's are used mainly for their superior tracking ability, as they can detect any particular scent anywhere in the world, paralyze their prey from afar without doing permanent damage, are extremely fast and agile and can travel over great distances without tiring significantly. Shirshu saliva contains powerful paralyzing toxins, which make it highly valuable, and is so used in the production of paralyzing darts. The difference between a domestic and a wild Shirshu is unknown as no wild Shirshu are seen or mentioned in the series.

In Combat
Despite its size and weight, the Shirshu has outstanding agility, and can hold its own in close combat situations. Using its powerful claws, it can easily protect itself from most threats, though in the majority of cases, close combat is unnecessary as the Shirshu's paralyzing tongue can reach up to several meters and take down opponents before they have a chance to get near. Its only weakness is its highly sensitive sense of smell which can be overpowered by strong scents, effectively blinding it, and in some cases inducing a frenzied panic.