Truffula, also called the Truffula (Tree) fields and land of Truffula, is the main location of focus in The Lorax reboot, The Biggering.
It's spacious and special in the sense it's guarded by a supernatural being and said to be one of the first places on Earth where life formed. It's long remained undisturbed, until The Once-ler made it his home. Its soil doesn't allow the growth of plants that aren't native to it.
Truffula is also featured in the original Lorax storybook, where it does not have an official name; and the land is primarily defined by the trees that inhabit it. Commonly used names are "Truffula Tree Forest" and "Truffula Valley", the latter having been introduced by the 2012 Lorax remake.
| 🌳 The Plants of Truffula | 🐻 The Animals of Truffula | 🏠 The Sites of Truffula |
🌳 The plants of Truffula
Truffula Tree
The Truffula Tree is Truffula's most defining feature.
They come in large numbers and are the only species of tree in the area. It takes 30 years for one to fully develop. They're tall, thin, with soft hairs for leaves, and have black zigzagging stripes on their yellow-tinted bark. The leaves come in the colours red, pink, purple, yellow, and orange. Because their roots are long and intrusive, they grow with plenty of space between them and Once-ler would leave behind their bottom halves in the ground. These stumps and their roots made it challenging to set up buildings.
They carry clumps of red fruit, loved by most animals, but primarily bar-ba-loots and humming-fish. Inside is one hard, large seed.
Their bark has no special use and Once-ler processed it in more typical productions, like furniture and paper, while the leaves were his main source of interest. These didn't solely end up in clothes and attire accessories, and many other benefits were discovered. It's sold as a healthy, flavourful variant of food, most commonly soup, as for medicine, glue, make-up, perfume, and natural dye/paint for hair and products. When properly refined and heated in high temperatures, it's possible to make sturdy objects from it; and Once-ler's mansion is built with bricks made of Truffula leaves.
Nerve Ending
Nerve Endings are blueish-grey flowers that always choose horizontal surfaces to grow on, usually boulders. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
The older it gets, the longer its roots become. These are thin and look like nerve endings, though it's also the flower's sensitiveness that earn them the name. They violently shake when touched, but also when they sense "ill intent". The flower functions like an alarm bell for other animals, but can't protect itself.
Croculus
Croculi are large flowers with what looks like a large eye sitting in the center. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
They have yellow stamen, positioned like eyelashes, and velvety leaves that come in multiple colours, most commonly blue. They're loved by herbivores, though not every animal can handle the flower's "deep stare" and will walk off feeling awkward.
Flutter
Flutters are pink butterfly-shaped flowers. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
When strong gusts of wind blow past them, their leaves flutter like wings. In stormy weather, the entire bud comes lose and looks like a butterfly taking off. Wherever it lands, it will grow a new stem and continue on living until Winter season hits.
Honey-crisp
Honey-crisps are orange flowers with four large leaves and a thinner one between each. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
When detaching one of the small ones, the flower will liquefy into a honey-like substance. When detaching a big one, this leaf will harden. It will taste like honey if the creature taking the leaf has benefited the flower in some way. It generally has a bitter taste and is not considered food.
Icano
The Icano is a bush with leaves that somewhat look like bat wings. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
Icano butterflies seek out this bush when they're old and ready to die. The leaves absorb their corpses as they dissolve into a buttery substance. The insects are their main source of nutrition.
Grickle-grass
Grickle-grass are longs strands of black, stringy plants that emerged after Truffula had been completely destroyed.
They look somewhat dry and dead, but are resilient because of it. They have no value to the ecosystem itself; and don't provide food for animals or help fertilize the land.
🐻 The animals of Truffula
Bar-ba-loot
Bar-ba-loots are miniature bears that solely sustain themselves on Truffula fruit. They're one of the oldest inhabitants of Truffula.
They're known to be docile and oblivious to danger, making it possible to pick them up without receiving any kind of resistance. Because they have claws and fangs, though, it's assumed they used to be predators of a larger size, but the absence of natural enemies and the addictive Truffula fruit made them evolve into carefree herbivores.
They're always seen eating, playing, or sleeping, and make a recognizable high-pitched "oo" sound. Much like cats, they become excited when objects are shaken in front of their face; and the sweeping tails and wings of the swomee-swans are seen as an invitation to play. The impatient birds are hesitant to approach the otherwise harmless bears because of this, and see them as their "enemies". Bar-ba-loots are tolerated by all other animals.
They have round bodies, small eyes, and pleasant fur that comes in different shades of brown, though this "shrivels up" after it dies, as found out by The Once-ler. Their bodies will take on a deflated look as well and tends to decompose quickly when touching the earth. The corpse of a bar-ba-loot greatly improves the land's fertility and plant life will quickly emerge at the place they died. This was never discovered by The Once-ler, nor was a known fact by The Lorax, as he creates the same effect by just walking around, making it impossible for him to say whether something else shares his gift.
Swomee-swan
Swomee-swans are mid-sized birds that rarely approach land and nest inside Truffula trees. They are cautious of their surroundings and don't like being casually approached. Unlike other birds their size, they sound more like small songbirds.
Swomee-swans are orange with a yellow-feathered, black-tufted head, have long eyelashes, a black-tipped beak, long black-tipped wings, and a striped tail feather. Their legs are short compared to the rest of their body and are not made for long-term walking. Having that said, a swomee-swan that can't fly is highly disadvantaged and tends not to survive long.
Their eggs are very recognizable; and white with a horizontal, zigzagging black stripe. These eggs and the swans themselves taste tough and stale, as found out by The Once-ler.
Humming-fish
Humming-fish are semi-terrestrial fish of little intellect and great curiosity. They are the most hunted prey, but their speed and slippery scales help them stay out of most predators' mouths. They are deaf, but their whisker-like eyelashes are sensitive and function as their hearing.
They can survive on land for at least 5 hours without any form of hydration, and push themselves forward using their frontal fins. The ones on their back flutter like insect wings and help them speed up by decreasing their weight. These fins make a humming sound when used.
They sleep in dirt and dig holes using their long, pointy noses -also used to find food. These are strong like a horn, but seldom used as a weapon, since they are a peaceful breed that prefers to flee.
Humming-fish are orange with a slight golden glow, have a pointy white nose, large glassy eyes with long eyelashes, and translucent fins.
While they're a delicacy to most animals and very nutritious in general, humans will perceive a rotten smell and taste, as found out by The Once-ler.
Cotton cat
Cotton cats are a rare breed of mid-sized felines. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
Despite being wild cats, one can be kept as a regular pet, primarily if raised from a young age. They're effective killers, yet will always choose to sprint off when approached by a human or an angered animal, regardless of its size.
Cotton cats prefer prey they can catch off-guard and take out with a single bite, making them oddly merciful predators.
To The Once-ler, they were a combination of everything he liked and hated in an animal. He acknowledged their skills as hunters, but felt annoyed by their sympathy for their food and urge to flee from conflict. He liked the look of their fur and hunted them to extinction for it.
Cotton cats have light, puffy fur, that releases what looks like spores when they move. Their young are the size of a regular kitten, while the adults are shaped like mountain lions.
Panthyr
Panthyr are giant felines that look like black panthers with a snake-like physique. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
They are speedy, ominous-looking predators, who -unlike many other animals from Truffula- show no mercy. They're nocturnal and only active when there's no moon out. They stay hidden deep underground, and one panthyr may chase multiple prey to then offer other panthyr, making it difficult to know how large the population truly is. Though they assist each other like this, they don't live in prides and are solitary animals.
Panthyr dislike bright colours and bright-coloured animals tend to grab their unwanted attention the most. Those that are fully black like them are usually ignored, insinuating their eye-sight might not be so good and they don't identify each other using scent.
The Once-ler has a large panting of a Panthyr hanging in his headquarters and respects the animal's position in the food chain, though not to the point of wanting to preserve it. Once-ler believed he'd prove his own talents as a hunter by seeking out this powerful, evasive species.
He's only ever found one, and the creature mistook him as one of its own, allowing for Once-ler to kill and claim it as a trophy.
Panthyr have black fur, slender legs, a flat face, and extremely long bodies, making them look somewhat comparable to Chinese dragons.
Sleeved Trippy
Sleeved trippies are moose with peculiar fur that changes colour depending on their food intake. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
They're sturdy animals with legs and hooves strong enough to crack the skull of almost any other beast, but are seemingly too heavy for their own bodies and lack the speed to be functional fighters. They're often seen lying around and are generally docile creatures, though don't like getting approached by anything that isn't one of their own. They live in small communities of 5 to 10 trippies, max.
Besides colour, another defining feature are their long, hanging ears, which their name refers to. It insinuates these can grow so long, they'll often trip over them.
Bicyazelle
Bicyazelle, or just gazelle, are gazelle with bicycle wheels attached to their legs. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
They are extremely fast, but easy prey when they choose to lie down, as the wheels make it hard for them to stand back up in a timely manner. Since they live in large communities, many will try to confuse predators by crossing around them in circles and buy their allies more time that way. They're extremely fast, with the panthyr being the only animal who's able to hunt them with relative ease.
They have greyish blue fur that looks almost metallic when the sun shines down on it, and their horns are shaped much like the handlebars of a bike. Their cries sound like a bell being rapidly rung, though also has a bird-like sound to it.
Lowena
Lowenas are hyenas with stubby legs. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
They are stealthy hunters, which they have to be because of their low speed. The have a sad look to them and their cries sound like sobbing.
Dogbull
Dogbulls are wild, cow-like dogs. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
They have sturdy builds and are hostile towards intruders, no matter how small and inoffensive they are. They can become so consumed by blind rage, that not even The Lorax will be able to command them.
Their skin is nearly impenetrable, and like cows, they come in all kinds of colours.
Icano leaf butterfly
Icano (leaf) butterflies, or "I-Can't-Believe-It's-Not-Butterflies", are butterflies with bat-like wings and three long tails. Their wings supposedly look like the leaves of the Icano plant. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
They are fearless insects and will sit and rest on the most strangest of places. When hit, they'll spread like butter and have a somewhat similar taste, but are not suitable for human consumption. Eating just three of these otherwise small butterflies will guarantee to make one nauseous, and it's believed that they're the main source of nutrition for the Icano plant itself.
Icano butterflies instinctually seek out this plant when they're old and ready to die, and sit on their leaves, slowly turning to butter after passing away.
Bu-nun-bun-bun
Bu-nun-bun-buns are rabbit-like creatures that are plentiful in the area, but mostly stay underground. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
They tend to copy the demeanour of other creatures nearby, and as such, are bad at picking up danger if by themselves. They're aware of this and always seek out vigilant, trusted animals to stand guard for them. Because their front legs are short, they can only use their back legs to dig holes.
They're white, have long necks, relatively short ears, no visible nose, and long tails with a poofy end.
Thcat-ant
Thcat-ants, or "Chad Ants", are a comically strong species of ant. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
Unlike ants, they have small nests that consist out of a king and male workers. They can lift and throw adult humans out of the way, but are harmless when not disturbed.
Concerning appearance, they look like regular ants, making it challenging for insectivores to determine whether it's safe to approach them.
Guinea coon
Guinea coons are an exclusive breed of raccoon dogs and one of the oldest inhabitants of Truffula. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
They're shy, omnivorous animals that are seldom seen, and live in large communities. They mostly travel underground to where they need to be and prefer to run opposed to fight, yet won't hesitate to bluff or bite their way out of a situation if they feel to have exhausted all options. In the story, they didn't wait for The Lorax' verdict and were first to leave Truffula when Once-ler began destroying the land. Many of them became drawn to human establishments with well-maintained plantlife, especially cities with generous residents or edible trash lying around.
People tend to mistake them for regular dogs, sometimes cats, making guinea coons one of the few wild animals that aren't treated like an invasive species. They're in fair standing with the human race, though still don't like getting approached, and as such, can't be kept as pets.
They don't make sound, unless angered; and will release a low, growly yelp/bark as an attempt to threaten their enemy. It's not very loud, and their small size rarely intimidates larger creatures.
Guinea coons have a loaf-like body that holds enough fat to endure long periods without food, and fur that's thick enough to help them stay warm in even Arctic temperatures. The animals are excessively built for survival -likely remnants from a time Truffula was less inhabitable.
They have the agility of a cat, but their thin, short legs may cause them to trip when they get startled into a sprint, making it crucial for them to stay aware of their surroundings at all times. Though their ears are small, they can hear well.
They have striped limbs, a short striped tail, a short bearded muzzle, and their fur can vary between yellow and brown. Orange and red guinea coons also exist, but are rare.
Incidentally, the animals bear a fair bit of resemblance to The Lorax.
Skyscratcher
Skyscratchers are an exclusive breed of maned wolves and relatively new inhabitants of Truffula. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
They're aggressive predators who feel inclined to attack anything shorter than themselves, regardless if their target has a sturdy build or is generally stronger. Taller creatures are ignored or fled from, until these lie down or bend over, which is something a hungry skyscratcher is willing to wait for.
Their character in combination with their comically long legs makes them bad at hiding and sneaking, but they've evolved to not only produce sounds other animals can misconstrue as a sign of docility, but also scents to lure them in further.
Despite their disruptive existence, the animals refrain from having cubs if they sense there's not enough potential prey in the area to sustain their urges, making the risk of their extinction ineradicable -at least so in the wild. They're surprisingly sturdy and recover from extreme damage or stressful situations better than most other animals could. Their extreme aggressiveness may not make it seem likely; but it's not impossible to gain their loyalty and affection, though it tends not to extend to more than one creature outside of their own breed, possibly as a defense mechanism to lower the chance they'll abandon their already small community.
Skyscratchers prefer to be by themselves, but will always stick around in ear's reach of other skyscratchers for the purpose of reproduction, if not for the chance to steal another dog's food. They only look out for their own safety and never reply to cries of help, making the act of calling out at all odd behaviour that's not wholly understood. These cries have somewhat of a similar effect as their coos of deception and may draw out curious animals to their location, which is why a skyscratcher in audible danger will be watched by many skyscratchers in the hopes of getting their meal for the day.
They produce rather high-pitched sounds for their size, which is somewhat comparable to that of a ferret. When trying to appear friendly -whether genuine or an act- this pitch will increase, but when angered, it lowers and makes them sound more like a barking coyote.
Skyscratchers have long limbs, small paws, slender bodies, bright-coloured eyes, long pointed ears, long tongues, long poofy tails, black manes, and black lower bodies with the rest of their fur being anything between a pale or dark shade of grey or brown.
Ruddogger
Ruddoggers are hairy caterpillars with dog heads. They are not canon to The Lorax, nor creations of Dr. Seuss.
They are excitable creatures with seemingly one goal in mind: getting pet. They'll crawl towards anything that moves, but because they shed a hindering amount of hair, no human likes having them around. The common insectivore can't eat them because of it, and ruddoggers have no natural enemies or rivals.
It's not entirely known what their diet consists out of and they're more often seen drinking regular water. Despite having the head of a dog, they suck in their nutrients like most flying insects and their muzzle is able to extend a short distance for this purpose.
The Once-ler had a short-lived interest in the neverending fur dispensers, but their hair proved too much of a hassle. There's no effective way to stop these from flying around and sticking to everything, and it retains that faint smell of dog, no matter how often it's washed.
Ruddoggers are black with patches of brown, have very furry bodies, 12 nubby legs, and their heads look like that of a German Shepherd. They're not known to transform into butterflies.
🏠 The sites of Truffula
Humming Pond
The Humming Pond is the unofficial name for the largest stretch of water in Truffula. Seemingly hundreds and thousands of humming-fish live there, fairly cramped, but content. One could step into the water and not sink. The area is not canon to The Lorax.
The Thneed factory
Truffula's Thneed factory is the first factory set up by The Once-ler to automatize the production of Thneeds. His home office is only a few steps away.
The building has a dreary grey colour and an odd-looking, recognizable tower, functioning as the main boiler room for the machinery. This factory doesn't face the road and is mostly hidden behind the more presentable headquarters building.
Once-ler made the tower his home after losing his riches. He's mostly left alone by the city folk living nearby, who assume the building has been completely abandoned. Once-ler is found to be living there some years later, but mistaken for a random squatter.
The Thneed headquarters
The Thneed headquarters is a large office building where The Once-ler is most often found. It holds many rooms where employees take care of the administration, hold meetings, or invite over approved guests. The area is not canon to The Lorax, though the original story argues The Once-ler's factory is also his headquarters.
Once-ler has his own office, and outside a hallway with wooden benches for people to sit and wait for the chance to speak with him. These are usually regular people, thus not always let in.
The Once-ler's mansion
The Once-ler's mansion is a large building made from hardened Truffula Tree leaves. These bricks are of different colour, but placed in a way to give the home an artsy, presentable look. The area is not canon to The Lorax.
It's far removed from any other building in Truffula.
Neces City
Neces is Truffula's only human establishment, and a large city built by The Once-ler. The name is a play on the word "necessity".
The area is not canon to The Lorax and replaces "Thneedville" and the unnamed town from the 2012 movie and original book, respectively.
It's mostly inhabited by Once-ler's employees and biggest fans, but even after losing his reputation, people refused to leave. It's a well-maintained, affordable city, with the only downside being the dreary area it's located in. Because Truffula's soil can only grow plants native to itself, patches of foreign land were shipped over and Neces remains the only area in Truffula with plantlife after everything had been destroyed.
L.L. Street
L.L. Street, or "Lifted Lorax Street", is an unmapped pathway that supposedly goes through every major location The Lorax himself visited before departing into the Heavens. It ends at The Once-ler's abandoned factory, then loops again.
This road has no meaning or significance to anyone, except The Once-ler. The very slight differences in the dirt that deems this road a road is his doing, and it's implied he created it as he entered his senile years to ensure he wouldn't forget The Lorax or their past. It ended up not being necessary.
Trivia
- If The Lorax is argued to exist, opposed to being imagined by The Once-ler, Truffula's name is guessed to be based on the Irish word "truamhéalach", meaning "miserable/pathetic", referring to the state of the land and all others that used to be under Lorax' protection;
- Outside of Ireland, it's assumed the name was given in a time the soil carried an abundance of truffles, or that the Truffula Tree seeds were mistaken for them.
- Ruddoggers are based on VampireMeerkat's dog;
- "(Hairy/tasty/dog/wolf) caterpillar" is one of the many nicknames VampireMeerkat gives her;
- The "ru-" in "ruddogger" is a slight reference to the word "rups", which is Dutch for "caterpillar".