#most dangerous aquatic animals

[forcenewz]

List of 10 Most Dangerous Animals in Australia

If you are planning to go on vacation in Australia then beware of the 10 Most Dangerous Animals in Australia. Here forcenewz shares a List of the deadliest animals in Australia with its images. be careful of these animals Great white shark, Common Brown Snake, Saltwater crocodile, Box Jellyfish, Inland Taipan, and more.

[shoplifting]

one piece kaiju au save me

[galehowl]

Another Digimon often seen in Aurora's setting, Seadramon

These large aquatic serpents are another common inhabitants of the Digital World, and can be found in various bodies of water, from rivers and lakes to seas and oceans.

They're excellent swimmers, unsurprisingly, and can dive to impressive depths. A very noticeable feature all Seadramon possess is the metal helmet-like armor on their heads, which is a part of their body, something observed pretty often in many different Digimon species, where various metals and minerals grow naturally on them. The beak and fins of the helmet keep growing with age, and it loses its shine the older the serpent gets.

They also come in a variety of colors, though the most common ones are blues and greens with white undersides, and red tailfins and jaw markings. Purple, grey and white of various hues were observed, along with some minor differences in appearance, which is attributed to different habitats. There have been cases of Seadramon found with bioluminescence, those who seem to prefer living in caves or at greater depths - another trait of Digimon - fast evolving adaptation - compared to any life forms of Earth. They can breathe on land, but they're slow and somewhat clumsy, moving around with the help of their front flippers and powerful tails.

Seadramon, though not all, are known to be more dangerous and territorial than some other Digimon humans encountered, and are somewhat prone to attacking without asking questions first. Any smaller Digimon or animal, including humans, are potentially on the menu, as Seadramon are near-exclusive carnivores, though mostly hunt fish and other aquatic life forms. Digimon can be sought after as a source of pure energy, rather than food. They attack by strangling their opponents and dragging them underwater if they can drown, or breathing out a cone of frost and ice.

Despite this, several non-partnered ones are known to work on Earth, in the organization alongside humans and other Digimon, namely helping with marine biology research, human-Digimon tech development, and issues like climate change and pollution. Later on, as Digimon become more publicly known, they take on the roles of helping in cases of natural disasters, sinking ships, and also patrol of coastal lines in case of aquatic hostile Digimon appearance, as well.

[serpentface]

Just dropping some illustrations of animals that I've only mentioned in passing (mostly in regional food posts), found within claimed Imperial Wardi territory.

Left to right (all to scale):

Grynaig, crested eagle, taarn, unkata, piispiispi, anara, nechoi.

Descriptions below:

The grynaig, a type of pigeon found primarily in the highlands. They come in a few local color morphs, ranging from this brown-white to a chestnut color (mostly dependent on the types of rocks they nest upon). They nest on the tops and sides of boulders and cliffs, out of reach from most ground-based predators and camouflaged from predatory birds above. They are commonly hunted for food, and are regarded as having beautiful calls.

The crested eagle, found widely across the region. They are specialized predators of snakes and will readily attack highly venomous species, having thick-skinned, pebbly textured legs as defense against bites. They will also take other reptiles, and occasionally prey on small birds and mammals. Among the peoples of the highlands, widespread belief holds these to be (one of many) birds that ancestors will send or take the form of in order to provide guidance and give omens to the living. Crested eagles are often an omen of hidden danger, be it a figurative or literal snake in the grass.

The taarn, a pheasant native to the highlands and domesticated for meat and eggs. The domestic stock has several color morphs and a few distinct breeds, a wild male taarn is pictured here. Wild taarn can be found in high altitudes in the warm dry season, and migrate down to the river valleys in the cold wet season. Taarn form the vast majority of captive fowl in the highlands, being the most tolerant of cooler, high altitude conditions. Males possess sharp spurs, and are used regionally for cockfighting. Cockfighting is also popular in parts of the Imperial Wardi cultural sphere and taarn may be exported largely for this purpose, being imagined as uniquely fierce, having been shaped by their hostile environment (in reality, they don't tend to fare well against the common rooster).

The unkata, a genus of large flightless birds. Several species can be found in the region, all of which are flightless and relatively large. The one here is a male savannah unkata in breeding plumage (about the size of a cassowary). Male unkata often have colorful wings, and all possess long, unfeathered quills. The wings are shaken as a part of courtship displays, creating a rattling sound and dazzling visual effect. These birds are herbivores and feed on grass, leaves, tender shoots, and fruit, but will consume insects and small mammals/reptiles when the opportunity presents itself. Most unkata are commonly hunted as wild game, and their large eggs are often prized as food and used for carving.

The piispiispi, named for its devastatingly silly warning cries (the sound is a shrill PeEEESSsss-PeEEESSsss-PIPIPIPIPI!). This is a fairly large and stocky lagomorph that lives only in the highlands and almost exclusively at high altitudes (with rabbits filling their niches in the river valleys). They subsist primarily on grasses, and are known agricultural pests. They pack on substantial weight prior to the winters (which is the best time to hunt them for rich, fatty meat), but do not truly hibernate, instead alternating between periods of low activity in their burrows and emerging to graze (the winters here are relatively warm, and snow cover is often patchy or impermanent at all but the highest altitudes).

The anara, a genus of large semi-aquatic rodent. Two species can be found in the region (the larger of which is shown here, both look very similar) and can be found throughout in most rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. Their tail is flattened vertically and used to propel them through water, though they retain (relatively) long legs, as they spend much of their time foraging on land, usually staying within a couple hundred feet of water. They are considered agricultural pests, and are commonly hunted for pest control and their meat (particularly the tail, which is uniquely rich and fatty).

They construct small lodges along banks for shelter in a similar capacity to beavers. They do not build dams, but dig canals to connect bodies of water (for ease of movement and to flee from predators). These canals are often expanded by the comings and goings of an-nechoi, and together the two species are of key ecological significance to their environments, vastly expanding the size of wetlands and the reach of seasonal floods. The two species also seem to get along quite well (especially given the notoriously bad temper of an-nechoi, and the bite-sized nature of anara), often peacefully sharing the same habitats in close quarters. Young anara are sometimes even seen resting on the backs of submerged an-nechoi. This connection is widely noted, and a subject of many regional animal folktales.

Nechoi, a family of pig-like opportunistic omnivores. The one pictured here is a scrub nechoi, one of the larger in the region (though dwarved by their somewhat distant, semi-aquatic an-nechoi relatives). These are the most widespread and generalized, and fare well in dry environments (mostly being found in the grasslands and savannahs). The skin of this species is exposed (though they bear a dense mane and thick, wiry hairs throughout), and they will coat themselves in mud and dust to protect against the sun and parasites. This particular species bears impressive tusks in the boars, and smaller tusks in the sows (shown here), and they are often hunted for their ivory.

Most nechoi bear very powerful jaws with a wide gape, and boars will fight over territory and mates by yawning and slashing at each other with their sharp teeth. These conflicts result in a scarred appearance in most older boars, and can sometimes be fatal. As with most nechoi, these animals feed primarily as browsers, but will readily scavenge and may opportunistically take live prey, mostly arthropods and small vertebrates. Predatory attacks on animals bigger than they can fit into their mouths are rare, but larger nechoi such as these are considered dangerous, and may readily eat humans injured or killed in territorial or defensive aggression. These more dangerous nechoi are sometimes subjects to taboos against eating the flesh of man-eaters, though smaller nechoi are common game animals.

[vestaignis]

Красный скальный краб (лат. Grapsus grapsus) или «Sally Lightfoot Crab» – десятиногое ракообразное из семейства Grapsidae. Салли Лайтфут — это небольшой, с достигающим 8 сантиметров панцирем, вертикально сплюснутый краб с общей окраской от коричневого до оливково-коричневого цвета и полосами от коричневого до желтого или оранжевого цвета на ногах. Детёныши красного скального краба окрашены в чёрный цвет.

Вид был впервые описан Карлом Линнеем ещё в 1758 году, но до 1990 года этих крабов относили к виду Grapsus adscensionis, обитающему в восточной части Атлантического океана. Животное обитает на тихоокеанском побережье и Центральной Америки, Мексики и Южной Америки до северного Перу; многочисленны на Галапагосских островах. Кроме того, эти крабы водятся в Атлантическом океане на отдаленной группе островов Сан-Педру-и-Сан-Паулу.

Красный скальный краб отличается большой проворностью и ловкостью, поэтому его очень трудно поймать. Он очень резво перемещается по твердой поверхности и может бегать по почти вертикальным утесам. Салли Лайтфут обладает уникальной способностью плотно всем телом прижиматься к скалам с такой силой, что его не может оторвать даже сильный прибой. Нередко его можно увидеть отдыхающим на камнях вместе с морскими игуанами. Иногда представители данного вида помогают ящерицам избавиться от поселившихся на их коже паразитов.

Красные крабы бурно реагируют на приближение любых хищников. При малейшей опасности они спасаются бегством. Они постоянно резко меняют направление бега, что в большинстве случаев сбивает преследователей с толку.Животное также отличается умением быстро регенерировать утраченные конечности, оставив их на съедение хищникам. Днем ракообразные прячутся в скальных расщелинах или норах. Во время ночного отлива они разгуливают по обнажившемуся дну в поисках пищи. Питаются Grapsus grapsus водорослями и падалью, выброшенными на берег морем. В целом они ведут полуводный образ жизни.

Старые особи живут в гордом одиночестве, а молодь предпочитает собираться порой весьма многочисленными группами.

The red rock crab (lat. Grapsus grapsus) or "Sally Lightfoot Crab" is a decapod crustacean of the family Grapsidae. Sally Lightfoot is a small, with a shell reaching 8 centimeters, vertically flattened crab with a general coloration from brown to olive-brown and stripes from brown to yellow or orange on the legs. The young of the red rock crab are colored black.

The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, but until 1990 these crabs were classified as the species Grapsus adscensionis, which lives in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. The animal lives on the Pacific coast and Central America, Mexico and South America to northern Peru; numerous on the Galapagos Islands. In addition, these crabs are found in the Atlantic Ocean on the remote group of islands of Sao Pedro and Sao Paulo.

The red rock crab is very agile and dexterous, so it is very difficult to catch. It moves very quickly on a hard surface and can run along almost vertical cliffs. Sally Lightfoot has a unique ability to press its entire body tightly to the rocks with such force that even a strong surf cannot tear it away. It can often be seen resting on the rocks with marine iguanas. Sometimes representatives of this species help lizards get rid of parasites that have settled on their skin.

Red crabs react violently to the approach of any predators. At the slightest danger, they flee. They constantly sharply change the direction of their run, which in most cases confuses their pursuers. The animal is also distinguished by the ability to quickly regenerate lost limbs, leaving them to be eaten by predators. During the day, crustaceans hide in rock crevices or burrows. During the night low tide, they walk along the exposed bottom in search of food. Grapsus grapsus feed on algae and carrion washed up on the shore by the sea. In general, they lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle.

Old individuals live in proud solitude, and young ones prefer to gather in sometimes very large groups.

Источник:/t.me/+E4YBiErj0A8wOGUy,/zooclub.org.ua/kraby/krasnyj-skalnyj-krab.html, ://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapsus_grapsus, //www.lookphotos.com/en/images/70133765-Sally-Lightfoot-Crab-Grapsus-grapsus-Galapagos-Islands-Ecuador, /sotni.ru/kraby-krasivye-kartinki/.

[kandyshoppe]

Do you think the Octavinelle boys would be amazed by mobility aids? Like they were taught how to walk and to learn there were other options!?! bet they weren’t really taught about EVERY different type of person since it would take years upon years for them to understand it all. Azul is mad he never thought to lean against his cane instead of just using it for decoration. Floyd probably tries to teach you how to walk “properly”, and Jade is upset he can’t go on hikes with you.

Azul obviously would start using his cane as an aid more, mainly cause it’s nice to help! Going from eight legs to two is difficult, so he’s taking all the help he can! If you get embarrassed, he’s bringing his cane for a type of community. He also helps get you a more “aesthetic” aid, and is fist fighting Floyd from slapping random stickers on his “masterpiece!” It’s very fancy, and aquatic, though if it’s not a cane, he may make it a bit difficult to use ie jellyfish streamers near wheelchair wheels that could get caught and tangled. He tries, but maybe only add a few small things ZuZu.

Jade is researching any and all off road wheelchairs, and he probably has even carried you to a few places cause gosh darn it! He is getting a hiking buddy one way or another! But I bet he has seen a lame animal before, and knows a bit more than the other two (cause he’s just like that) and is always ready to help when needed. Walks in front of you in busy halls to clear the way, is always scanning the walkway for possible dangers ie pebbles or rugs, and is ready to throw down any ableist meanies! Sometimes it’s Floyd…

Floyd is confused the most I feel, he loves running around and stuff, and really just wants you to join in on the fun! Tries to teach you how to walk, but Azul and Jade step in to make sure you don’t get hurt. Riddle eventually helps Floyd understand your legs don’t work the same as his, so he calms down, and thinks of other things to do with you!. If you have a cane or walker though he’s using it like a sword or baseball bat (when you’re sitting safely),and he doesn’t always ask before pushing your chair, but he is learning not to use certain words (I’ve never liked the term “cripple” so using that specifically, but he takes note of any words you dislike!)

Overall, they just need to learn, and are ready to accept you as best they can! You probably get a special table at the Lounge so you don’t have to move too far from the entrance, but are close to the bar so Jade can help with anything. Sometimes Azul offers you a special seat in his VIP office, when it’s crowded or someone accidentally gives away your table. Don’t worry! That waiter is on dishwashing duty for a month! No, two months!

[ranticore]

the sea is a terrible place (or: here's some scary natural phenomena found in the sea of Siren)

The false reflection, mostly encountered by deep-diving phocids. This phenomenon occurs when ultra dense high saline water gathers in underwater brine pools on the sea floor. It appears reflective, like a mirror. Down in the deep, the only way you can see at all is to take some form of luminescence with you, which obscures the pool and shows you nothing but another phocid below, holding a light source. It's common for pelagic people to be unfamiliar with their own facial markings and reflection. They mistake the reflection as another phocid, or a ghostly apparition, and reach out. But the salinity of the brine pool is such that even touching it can scald the skin, especially as all mammals on siren are adapted to low salt conditions and require far far less salt than unaltered humans.

The abyss, of course. Most of the sea of Siren is not as deep on average as the sea on Earth. But there are cracks and trenches in the sea floor that go down, and down, and down... they are poorly explored (though the first settlers did send drones down) and sites of myth and legend for swimmers. The abyss is not usually dangerous, since it's easy to just not go down there, but sometimes the cracks seem to inhale and exhale - natural flows of groundwater, or attempts to fill a vacuum caused by a different crack releasing gas. So swimming over certain cracks might result in you being dragged down unexpectedly into the anoxic zone near the sea floor in the region... or it might result in you being unexpectedly shot up. These events are incredibly rare and usually passed off as tall tales, some selkie who claims to have flown due to being propelled into the sky

The snowstorm... an event that occurs when the sediment is agitated enough to completely white out the water. If the particles are the right size, echolocation clicks bounce back immediately, making sight and echo useless. Phocids and selkies trapped in the snowstorm could lose situational awareness and forget which way is up very easily, and the instant bounce-back of echo clicks is deeply unpleasant, giving the illusion of being 1 inch from swimming straight into a solid wall.

Shriekers. This is an issue where ice caps, glaciers etc meet the water. The ice cracks and breaks, and to sensitive phocid and selkie ears it's an unbearable shriek that can render them disoriented and deaf at long range, and break eardrums at close range. Around the ice wall, there's an almost constant background noise of screaming.

The false sky. A phenomenon that occurs when a swimmer loses situational awareness, and ends up diving deeper and deeper thinking that they're about to come up for air. The reduced gravity of siren means that it's more difficult under the water to feel gravity, resulting in a more weightless sensation than on Earth. Occasionally, a natural biolumescence in deep water may produce an illusion of the sky viewed through the turbid water, making the disoriented swimmers even more certain that they are travelling up, when really they are diving. In Spiral mythos this is treated as a specific type of mania.

The wanderer.. it looks like a phocid swimming in the distance. You hail them, click at them, wave your lantern, but they don't respond. If you get closer, they'll flee. This is a really common story among nearly all pelagic people worldwide, and what they are seeing are the vanishingly rare aquatic zeta, those who did not adapt to becoming terrestrial and became extremely solitary, so they were not able to regain language due to not having complex cultures and societies anymore. They resemble smaller, hairy phocids and are considered a type of (for lack of a better word?) fairy or trickster spirit in Spiral culture, a false friend leading you astray.

The flesh cloud. This is a mass of deceased scalefish, the hagfish-like animals which make up many of the fish shoals on Siren. If they enter an anoxic zone unexpectedly (if chased, pushed by currents, or just unlucky) they can die in large numbers, forming a tangled, decaying mass that drifts through the seas. These are heralds of rot and disease and the water around them is filthy and unclean, an infection risk for any swimmer with an open cut. Sometimes large nets are set up to catch and redirect them.

Sharp sand. Some substrate is made of silica and appears glittery, like fairy dust. When water mixes, these can form plumes which are hundreds of feet tall. They're not dangerous in and of themselves, but you had better make sure you close your eyes around it, no matter how pretty the dancing glitter might be. A common cause of corneal ulceration and abrasion.

Cherta's Tide. This is a big one. Tides are slow and rare most of the time, mixing the water and enabling life to flourish. But every so often, there are two different tides that come round, which can be predicted based on which moon is most prominent in the sky for the duration. Ishmael's Tide is a high water apocalyptic event, but there are many monitoring stations and contingencies to avoid it. Cherta's Tide (similar to a neap tide) is far more unpredictable and occurs irregularly, as the moon Cherta is smaller, darker, and harder to see. This tide is a low-water event. Vast stretches of the sea floor are laid bare and the underwater ridges suddenly become towering cliffs and barriers for people who can't fly. This can last for weeks at a time, and without the water of course most animal populations who can't hide in substrate take a huge hit. It can happen fast enough to strand a swimmer at the top of a ridge, nothing but air below all the way to what was once the sea floor, and they might be stranded, unreachable, and without food or water for a fatal period of time.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: red-eared slider

It's turtle time, everybody! Today's topic, the red-eared slider turtle, is one of three subspecies of the pond slider, Trachemys scripta. The other two subspecies, the yellow-bellied slider and Cumberland slider are similar and I will mention them, but this post will largely be about the red-eared slider. Red-ears are the most popular pet turtle and as a direct result of that, is the most invasive turtle in the world.

(Image: a red-eared slider basking on a log. It is a small turtle with a dark green upper shell striped with yellow and brown. Its body is a very dark green, almost black, with yellow stripes. A red stripe runs behind the eyes. End ID)

Trachemys scripta elegans is knows as the red-eared slider because of the red markings on the sides of its head and its ability to quickly slid into the water when threatened. They are freshwater turtles who reach an average of 15 - 20 cm (6-8 in) in carapace (upper shell) length, but can grow over 40 cm (16 in) in good conditions. The shell is composed of bony, keratinous scutes and varies in appearance as the turtle ages. The carapace starts out as a strong green color with variable markings and darkens to a brown color as the turtle ages. The plastron (lower shell) starts out yellow with darker markings and can darken to a red color with age. The turtle's skin is green with yellow stripes and also darkens with age. The shells and skin are always covered with stripes and irregular markings that help camouflage the animal by breaking up its silhouette. They have no external ear canals. Instead, the ear is covered with a disc of cartilage called the tympanum. During winter, they enter a state called brumantion, which is similar to hibernation but requires the turtle to occasionally wake up to eat and breathe.

(Image: a juvenile red-eared slider in a tank. Its shell and skin are a lighter green and still heavily striped. The toes on one foot are spread, showing off the webbing between them. End ID)

It can be difficult to tell male and female red-eared sliders apart, especially when they are juveniles, but there are a few tells. Females usually get larger than males while the males have longer claws used to grab onto the female's shell while mating. Males also have a slightly concave plastron that helps them balance on the female's shell during mating. The biggest tell is the cloaca, which is located on the tail. In males, the cloaca opening is close to the tip of the tail, while in females it is close to the base.

(Image: a red-eared slider seen from the front. It is identifiable as a male by its long claws. End ID)

Red-eared sliders are native to lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams and rivers of the American midwest (which, for those of you who don't know, is on the east side of the country) and northern Mexico. They are omnivorous, feeding on aquatic and shore plants as well as aquatic invertebrates and small fish. They are not social, but tolerate each other's presence as long as there is enough food for everyone. In lean times, they will compete over food. Red-eared sliders are almost entirely aquatic, but they need to leave the water to warm their bodied by basking in the sun. Pond sliders can often be seen basking on rocks or logs sticking out of the water. They will bask in groups and even climb on top of each other. When they see danger, they will retreat into the water.

(image: a group of 6 red-eared sliders basking on a rock. One of them has partially climbed on top of another. End ID)

Mating season begin in spring and lasts until summer. Males will perform a courtship dance for females. He swims around the female while touching her head with the backs of his claws. This may help direct pheromones toward her. If the female approves, she will sink to the bottom and become receptive to mating. Otherwise, she will chase the male away. Courtship can take almost an hour, but the mating itself is short, lasting no more than 10 minutes. The time between fertilization and egg-laying can vary and females can hold onto sperm to fertilize herself later. Before laying eggs, females often have a change of diet and will spend extra time basking. The female will also spend more time on land, looking for a good spot to build a nest. The nest is a shallow pit dug in sand or loose soil. The female will lay between 2 and 30 eggs in the nest and bury them before leaving. A female can lay up to 5 clutches in a year. Incubation takes between 60 and 112 days. The temperature of the nest determines the sex of the hatchlings, with warmer soil producing females. The hatchlings use an egg tooth to break out of the egg, which will fall off a few hours after birth. Hatchlings are born with an external yolk sac attached to the bottom of the plastron that will provide nutrition for days after birth. The yolk sac being damaged or jostled enough to introduce air is fatal. The juvenile turtle needs to fully absorb the yolk sac and allow its plastron to fully fuse before entering the water, which takes about 21 days. Juveniles born late enough in the year may brumate in the nest and not emerge until next spring. Red-eared sliders reach sexual maturity at about 5 years of age and a turtle that survives its two years can live up to 30 or 40 years. Red-eared sliders can hybridize with the other pond slider subspecies.

(Image: a pair of juvenile red-eared sliders being held in someone's hand. They are small enough that both together don't take up the full palm. End ID)

Red-eared sliders are classified as least concern by the IUCN, meaning they are not at risk of extinction. They have become popular pets due to being cheap with low maintenance costs and not getting too big. They are the world's most commonly traded reptile thanks to the pet trade, though they are also eaten by some people. Release or escape of pet red-eared sliders had led to them becoming an invasive species in many parts of the world as their fast maturation allows them to outcompete local species. They have also been responsible for spreading diseases and parasites to native turtle populations. Red-eared sliders are also asymptomatic carriers of salmonella and need to be handled with caution. I leave you with a fun fact: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are, in at least one continuity, red-eared sliders

(Image: a pair of red-eared sliders standing in shallow water. their necks are extended and they are looking upwards. End ID)

[monstersdownthepath]

Homebrew Horror: That Old and Rotten Crick

(Art by @stranger-chads aka @bluejay-makes!)

First detailed here and further built upon here, the Rotten Crick has been plaguing my thoughts. The downside of working in a store that sells fishing gear, I suppose. This also is a departure from my normal intro blocks, since there's not that much more lore to go through!

Rotten Crick is a fisherman first and a fighter second, but of course a creature like him has to get good at filleting whatever monstrosity he drags ashore, alongside whatever assassins that enemy fey send his way. He also presents a very strange figure in any campaign he may appear in; he's immensely creepy and unquestionably evil, but he's entirely passive in the evil he does and can even benefit a community he enters! Not only can he teach men to fish, he can give them all the tools they need to do so AND defend them from greater threats at sea. Anyone who takes up his bargains may think they're being Devil Deal'd, but the truth is that there's an entirely different sort of danger in accepting his assistance that almost never affects the life of the person he's helped.

Rather than being a mundane source of fantastical danger (like a local lord using magic and conjured beasts to secure power), he's a fantastical source of mundane danger. He directly encourages and enables overfishing, water pollution, and ecological collapse, things that adventuring parties can't exactly solve by punching the right creature into submission. By the time the damage begins to manifest in a noticeable way, it's often too late to stop. Even if the party defeats or chases off the Old Crick, it could be years before the damage he does is undone, if it ever is, though the intervention of nature mages, other Fey, and spirits of the wilds may at least help clean and dress the wound.

If a DM wants to use the Old Crick to be a true and painfully clear source of immediate danger rather than a long-term danger, having him be a threat to local sapient sea life (such as water fey and merfolk) is fully possible. His animosity towards sea life peaks when he's faced with "betrayers," and he'll go out of his way to concoct terrible plans to cause their deaths.

Before we get to the man himself, though, we need to look at his two most famous pieces of equipment: The Tomb of Karaphas and the Tidepool Reaper.

The Tomb of Karaphas

Minor Artifact

Aura: Moderate Conjuration, Enchantment, and Transmutation

CL: 18th

Weight: 8lbs

Slot: —

This deceptively normal-looking but magical tacklebox contains everything an enterprising fisherman could need to do their work but a boat. The Tomb magically generates mundane supplies such as hooks, lines, rods, reels, floats, lures, baits, nets and whatever else as needed by its current holder. It can generate enough gear for up to six creatures to perform a day's work fishing and/or trawling, and grants anyone utilizing its tools a +5 profane bonus to Profession (Fisherman) checks (or similar), as well as to Survival checks made to gather food from bodies of water and areas nearby them. Anything generated by the Tomb dissolves into nothingness 7 days later.

In addition to the above functions, the Tomb of Karaphas is magically capacious, acting as a Bag of Holding (Type IV). What is contained within is largely at the DMs discretion, but it normally contains the Rotten Cricks four enchanted fillet knives crafted from whale bones (two +1 Keen Animal-Bane Daggers, two +1 Keen Aquatic-Bane Daggers), a Net of Snaring woven from merfolk hair, tools for preparing sea life for consumption, tools for whittling and scrimshaw, whittled and scrimshawed trinkets worth at least 4,000gp in total, no fewer than twenty bottled beverages of varying quality and alcohol content, and a corkscrew carved from a sea serpent's tooth.

Destruction: The Tomb of Karaphas and all its contents are destroyed utterly if gnashed between the teeth of Ragadahn while the Rotten Crick is dead.

-----

The Tidepool Reaper

Minor Artifact

Aura: Moderate Conjuration and Transmutation

CL: 18th

Weight: 4lbs

Slot: ---

This powerful, magical fishing rod is much more than its mundane appearance suggests. It's capable of fishing in any waters, magically adjusting the length of its line, the strength of the floats and the weight of the sinkers, and the size and design of the hook itself as needed, all such adjustments done on the fly by the malign intelligence within the tool with no action needed from the wielder. It's still up to the wielder to supply bait, but the Reaper can fetch bait on its own if a supply is left anywhere within 5ft of it. With a simple command, the Reaper will conjure a stand for itself and fish entirely on its own using either a Profession (Fishing) check or a Survival check (+10 to either), depositing its catches into whatever container is provided, throwing catches onto the shore beside it if no container is available.

In the hands of another creature, it grants that creature a +5 profane bonus to Profession (Fisherman) checks (or similar), as well as Survival checks made to gather food from bodies of water. Once per day, the Tidepool Reaper may be used to dredge up items of varying worth; this is identical to a 18th level Cleric with the Flotsam Subdomain using Sift.

Destruction: The Tidepool Reaper can only be destroyed if it is sealed inside of the Tomb of Karaphas when the tacklebox is destroyed.

------

That Old and Rotten Crick CR 15

Neutral Evil Medium Fey Init: +7; Senses: Darkvision 60ft, low-light vision, mistsight; Perception +25

------ Defense ------

AC 31, touch 17, flat-footed 24 (+7 Dex, +7 armor, +7 natural armor) HP 130 (18d6+54), Regeneration 5 (Electricity) Fort +8 Ref +16 Will +13 (see Shield of Hatred) Defensive abilities Evasion, Shield of Hatred, Uncanny Dodge; DR 10/Cold iron and Piercing; Immune Cold, poison, sleep; Resist Acid 20, Fire 20; SR 22

------ Offense ------

Speed 30ft, swim 60ft Melee Tidepool Reaper (rapier) +17/+12 (1d6+4/16-20/x2) OR Tidepool Reaper (whip) +19/+14 (1d4+5 plus pull or trip) Ranged +1 Net +17 (Special) Space 5ft; Reach 5ft (30ft with Tidepool Reaper (whip)) Special Attacks Fishmonger, pull 5ft, Supreme Angler Spell-like Abilities (CL 18th; Concentration +26)

Constant--Speak With Animals, Water Walking At-will--Fog Cloud, Hydraulic Push (CMB 26), Bestow Curse (DC 22), Water Breathing 3/day--Charm Monster (DC 22), Dispel Magic, Freedom of Movement, Hold Monster (DC 22), Quickened Spiked Pit (DC 21) 1/day--Air Walk, Control Weather (as Druid), Horrid Wilting (DC 26), Summon Ship, Walk the Plank (DC 23) 1/month--Salvage

------ Statistics ------

Str 16 Dex 25 Con 17 Int 24 Wis 18 Cha 26 Base Atk: +9; CMB +12 (see Supreme Angler); CMD 29

Feats Combat Reflexes, Craft Magic Arms and Armor (B), Craft Wondrous Item(B), Greater Serpent Lash, Greater Whip Mastery, Harvest Parts (B), Improved Whip Mastery, Quicken Spell-like Ability (Spiked Pit), Serpent Lash, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (Whip), Whip Mastery

Skills Bluff +16, Craft (Scrimshaw) +28, Craft (Whittling) +26, Diplomacy +21, Escape Artist +26, Heal +19, Knowledge (Geography) 28, Knowledge (Local) +27, Knowledge (Nature) +28, Perception +25, Profession (Fisherman) +35, Sense Motive +12, Sleight of Hand +20, Spellcraft +25, Stealth +15, Swim +24, Use Magic Device +29

Languages Aklo, Aquan, Common, Elven, Dwarven, Goblin, Halfling, Orc, Sylvan, Undercommon; Speak With Animals

SQ Fearsome Fishing, Item Crafting, water breathing

------ Ecology ------

Environment Any water Organization Solitary Treasure Triple standard (Tomb of Karaphas, Tidepool Reaper, Old and Rotten Coat (+3 mithral shirt with no maximum Dex bonus), scrimshaw collection, etc)

------

Combat: The Old Crick generally only fights against creatures he has an enormous advantage against; that is, creatures his Fishmonger ability triggers against while his target is in the water, allowing him to utilize his Supreme Angler ability to attack with unavoidable strikes. Against surface-bound foes, he will use the Combat Maneuvers his whips afford him alongside Quickened Spiked Pit to dispose of most enemies, or Walk the Plank to drag enemies into spontaneously manifested bodies of water to take advantage of Supreme Angler. His Fog Clouds do not impede him due to his mist sight, and he will use them to confound enemies relying on sight and keep his distance to utilize his whip's power to their full potential. Other favored tactics include utilizing the disarming ability of whips he wields to relieve enemies of their equipment before throwing the items into his conjured pits, or overboard any ship he's on. If he can throw his enemies into bodies of water with any ability, he generally will.

Morale: Old Crick is maniacal in combat against sea life, and bravely fights to the death against such creatures for the chance to end them. Against surface life, he fights only until the other party is unconscious or retreats, and rarely coup de graces fallen foes unless they are aligned with the sea in some fashion; he will likely steal what he desires from them and leave them tied up for another creature to find. When reduced to 30 HP or below, he will surrender and attempt to parlay and/or bargain. If his surrender is rejected, he will fight to the death.

------ Special Abilities ------

Fearsome Fishing (Ex): Old Crick wields the tools of his trade with such expert experience that he may use even common fishing rods or lengths of rope as if they were whips, applying his whip-relevant feats and special abilities (including Supreme Angler, below) to any such tools he wields. Magic fishing rods or ropes are treated as +1 weapons in his hands. His signature rod, the Tidepool Reaper, is even more dangerous when used in this way, responding to his will as easily as a limb; he may freely use it as either an +2 Aquatic-Bane Whip with a reach of 30ft instead of 15, or a +1 Aquatic-Bane Keen Rapier, both of which he is proficient with.

Fishmonger (Ex): Old Crick has the Favored Enemy ability of a 15th level Ranger (+6 to Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks, as well as to attack and damage rolls), except it works universally against creatures with the Water or Aquatic subtypes. His hatred of sea life is so great that this ability also extends to Animals, Fey, Magical Beasts, and Vermin which live in the water, even if they do not have the Water or Aquatic subtypes. However, this ability never applies to creatures who do not live in water, even if they resemble sea creatures, as he commends such creatures for shedding their "horrid lifestyle" and choosing to "live properly."

Item Crafting (Ex): Old Crick gains Harvest Parts, Craft Wondrous Item, and Craft Magical Arms and Armor as bonus feats. He crafts Wondrous Items with incredible swiftness; any item that costs less than 1,000gp to create is crafted in 4 hours instead of 8.

Shield of Hatred (Su): The waves of hate flowing off Old Crick prevents sea life from easily touching him. He adds half the bonuses gained from Fishmonger (+3) as a profane bonus to his AC, to his CMD, and his saving throws against the attacks, abilities, maneuvers, and spells of any creature with the Aquatic or Water subtypes. He never counts as a willing target for the abilities of such creatures, even if he is magically compelled to do so.

Supreme Angler (Ex): Over the years, Old Crick has fished in the strangest waters one can imagine, and it's given him an insurmountable advantage when attacking the beasts of the sea. He ignores cover and concealment when attacking creatures that are partially or fully underwater while he himself is on the surface (whether on a shoreline, on a boat, or standing on the water). Each round, he gains a +20 profane bonus to the first attack roll or CMB check he makes with a whip against partially or fully submerged targets.

[hey-hamlet]

Unhinged animal crossing rabbit hole.

ive been playing animal crossing new leaf again, because as dope as new horizons is the villagers feel a little flat in comparison with past games.

Anyway, i've fallen into a strange rabbit hole of like. villager identity politics. they clearly self identify with their own species (a peppy villager in new horizons will mention a "fashionable [species] monthly" magazine. In the original game, tom nook will mention a "mammal strike" when calculating the debt for your first home loan, and Hopkin's photo quote says something alone the lines of "a wise mammal avoids danger". Are there like. taxonomic based class structures. Is biological essentialism a right wing talking point - also, almost every business is owned by a mammal, with the exception of really only the Roost (i'd argue that the museum is a not for profit) and maybe Club Lol, but Dr Shrunk did have to come begging to the mayor to get signatures so...

Are semi-aquatic villagers like octopodes and frogs oppressed?? is there equal representation for non-mammalian constituents??? The only interspecies romance we see in game is Lottie's (otter) crush on Digby (dog) in happy home designer - all other couples (Kapp'n and Lelani, Reese and Cyrus, whatever is going on between Pete, Pelly and Phylis) are between the same species. I think villagers, in older games, will talk about rumours of one villager having a thing for another but I can't find any dialogue dumps so I can't find any evidence of this.

Also! You as a human - at least the lazy (or maybe smug?) villagers will refer to you as their 'favorite human', so it's probably not taboo to mention species at least. In the gamecube game your mother questions why you'd even want to live with animals - "don't they smell bad?" so there is clearly discrimination between species, even if its not at an institutional level. Also - all of (most of, but like - thats all representative stuff) the museum artwork depicts real human painted artwork, with humans in it. Interesting aside - why does no-one know the correct name for the artwork? Why did some random guy get it on his boat with his other sketchy wears?

[zenosanalytic]

Something that really struck me about Scavengers Reign(***SPOILERS*** Btw), and which is REALLY RARE to see in any sort of media, is how it presents facility with violence as something Dangerous and Bad, and incompetence at/refusal to use/hesitance with violence as a generally sympathetic quality.

Like:

Sam has his knife and he reaches for it allot, but mostly he uses it purely as a tool. IIRC(and I might NOT be), he only uses it as a weapon twice and the first time he absolutely gets his ass kicked(tbf: he's fighting a sealouse the size of an elephant at the time), and the second time, while he Murks an Aquatic Murderlemur like a Boss, he's, effectively, (and again I really cannot emphasize this enough: ***SPOILERS***) an Undead Super Soldier being driven around by a parasiteseed latched into his heart&nervous system, and it tries to take advantage of the situation to infect Ursula. So like: this historically good dude's facility with violence, while it saves Ursula from being drowned and eaten, is IMMEDIATELY followed by something deeply sinister.

In a flashback we see a rando named John using a rifle to hunt food, and he turns out to be under the influence of the same Parasiteseed Sam is, so once more we have capacity for violence being narratively near to something sinister about the character.

Ursula uses violence(I think?) a grand total of Once in the entire season, during the aforementioned Giant Sealouse Fight while it's feeding on Sam, and she totally gets lucky with it: She flings herself onto the Louse's back, manages to grab onto Sam's knife sunk there, then flips the louse on its side and guts it before it can get up again.

Azi is interesting because at the start of the story she's well-equipped, including a homemade Guandao(which: Respect u_u), and quick to use violence but she's ALSO presented at this phase of the story as Kind of a Dick, spcl to Levi, her robot companion. BUT!!! She still sucks at fighting. She tries to use the Guandao to take on some Giant Tonguecrabs and they just kind of bully her out of the way until she manages to get one of Levi's flares and deploy it(and blow her and Levi up a little). She uses it a second time to fight Hollow(a psychic monkey thing that Just Wants Some Food, Guys, he's cute and misunderstood and Did Nothing Wrong, Guys <:[ ) and she's not AS incompetent this time, even manages to get a hit in, but she still gets her ass totally handed to her, and almost dies. Later she attacks a REAL asshole named Kris, succeeds, and IMMEDIATELY gets bonked in the head with a rock for her troubles. Her most successful confrontation is near the end, confronting Kris for the final time when, in the process of threatening her with a knife, Azi chooses to stop and appeal to her better nature instead. It doesn't change what Kris is going to do, but it convinces Barry, and they both leave to save Ursula and the Passengers.

Barry loathes violence and conflict, tries to talk people out of it when it comes up, and is good at throwing rocks to stop it.

Kris is one of two(three?) characters we see being consistently competent at violence, and every single time she does it's presented as something sinister which alienates her from others and herself. She's unambiguously presented as a selfish, lying, self-damaging, manipulative villain, and she very much gets the end you'd expect from that.

Kamen is another of the two(three?), and he uses that most human of super-powers, The Ability to Throw Stuff, to kill a bunch of animals and feed them to Hollow. This Does Not Go Well. Kamen's presentation becomes more nuanced later in the series, but for most of it he's presented as a selfish, angry, corner-cutting fuckup and his use of, and facility with, violence is presented as part of this.

Hollow is the Third(?) of the Three(??) shown to be competently violent, and he is presented as an Unambiguously and Terrifying Antagonist in the later half of the story, and wildly Destructive to the "protagonists". He even "Kills" Levi; the sweetest of Robots! BUT! It's ambiguous what's really happening here. To begin with, Hollow doesn't commit violence until having watched Kamen do it Allot to feed it, and when it DOES it's first violent act is done to save Kamen's life(though even then it's a pretty sinister scene). Secondly the extent to which Hollow compels Kamen to violence is ambiguous; Kamen's initial killing spree DOES occur while his eyes are glowing(a sign of Hollow's psychic influence), but Hollow is FLABBERghasted by being presented with his kills; they still EAT them, but if Hollow was compelling him to kill, that he killed wouldn't be so surprising. It's possible Hollow compelled him to "get food"(this seems to be what Hollow's species does; compelling animals susceptible to their influence to pick berries and nuts they can't reach for them, and that's the first food-related thing Kamen does for them), and Kamen interpreted that into hunting when getting fruit was too hard for him. Third, the closer to Kamen Hollow gets, the more violent it gets, and the more protective of its connection to Kamen. Fourth, while Hollow is psychic, it's not really clear how much it understands human minds and thinking. The initial impulse is to assume psychic things are smart but I think it's important to remember this is just how these creatures eat. While WE see the visions Kamen experiences to manipulate him, for all we know Hollow is just Pushing Buttons and Pulling Levers in there. Clearly it knows the image and voice of Fiona, Kamen's ex-wife, but does it understand what those things mean to him, or what it's "saying" to him through those things, or is it just inducing emotions and impulses? A good example of this is its destruction of Levi. Levi was programmed by Fiona, and she gave it her own voice(which: they did this real cool and subtle gender thing with this which I loved :>). Kamen's motivation throughout this is his anguish over Fiona and desire to save her, so why would Hollow destroy Levi? Is this an act of jealousy, or does it only understand that this voice causes Kamen pain, and attacks it as a threat? The series never clarifies. After Avi's final confrontation with Kamen/Hollow leads to their separation, she scares Hollow away by just... throwing a rock near it like it was a raccoon or something. The question of how much of Hollow's actions are intentional vs instinctual is never clarified.

so Anyway:

I just Thought This was Neat :>

[entelodante]

Some species of Mirum Wyverns! Wanted to get a broad grouping because they're very diverse.

Marshy Garfinch- These are barely flighted predators who specialize in wetlands and floodplains. They are more comfortable in the ground and water than flying, but to escape danger they can fly for short bursts. Very chill, will wait patiently for bycatch.

Common Coast Wyvern- Most populous kind, basically a large seagull. They are notoriously bold and fearless, which leads to them stealing food from much larger animals. Most of the time this works out.

Blushing Snapper- Sea going wyverns with a bad temperament. They're known for shrieking and snapping viciously, but tending to flee immediately at the first sign of a physical confrontation.

Pelizard- Basically a lil pelican. They like to bound around the numerous islands around Mirum scooping up fish. On the ground they struggle to walk so they end up hopping along most the time.

Sneck- Another marshland wyvern. One who has completely lost the power of flight. Mostly aquatic they spend pretty much their whole life hiding at the bottom of lake and river beds. Will stick their whole head and neck out to look around.

Galunk- Named for the sound the males make to woo the ladies, these fellas spend most of their time roaming around grasslands. They prefer going after small terrestrial prey which is easy as they are the fastest wyvern on the ground.

Pendulo- Basically a lil hummingbird. They spend their days drinking nectar and catching bugs at breakneck speed. Then at night they sleep by biting and dangling off tree branches. Goofy lil guys.

Rain Chaser- One of the largest wyverns, these guys spend most of the year away at oceanic islands and only return to the mainland during the rainy season. There they like to snack on woodworm eggs for a couple months to fatten up.

False Wyvern- This ones actually a bird.

[lucienwrites]

The Monster Keeper - Chapter 1

-pretty much sfw (contraception mentioned), you show up for work the day after the rift appeared, learn about your new duties, and meet your first monster- 1068 words

You had only been working at the zoo for a few months but you were already getting used to the routine. So when you showed up early in the morning for your shift and your boss was already there waiting for you you knew straight away that something was up.

“Good morning (name)” he grinned.

“morning,” you looked at him suspiciously, “what’s going on?”

“Come with me and I’ll explain.” You dropped off your things in your locker, picked up a clipboard off the side and attached a radio to your belt before falling into step beside him. “I’m sure you’ve heard about the incident yesterday?”

“Of course.”

“Well as you know a huge focus of this establishment is conservation and with people being how they are I was certain that these creatures would likely become a myth again if we weren’t careful, so as soon as I heard the news I sent some friends of mine to rescue as many as we had space for. We’re keeping them in our temporary storage for now, just until we can find new homes for the other animals.” You didn’t speak for a moment, taking in the news. Your boss filled the silence “Most of our keepers will have their work cut out for them looking after the regular animals, and after some discussion we have decided that you should be in charge of our new guests.”

“What?!” you exclaim, shocked out of your silence, “I’m sorry but I hardly think I’m qualified-“

“None of us are, these species are entirely new to us all. You are one of the few members of staff who did not assist in the capture so perhaps they will be more inclined to trust you.” You understood his logic but it still seemed unfair. Something told you that the real reason for the decision was that you would be the easiest to replace, but you decided not to say anything. Besides you couldn’t help feeling excited despite the possible danger. The chance to work with creatures you had only read about in stories wasn’t exactly something you could turn down.

“Alright, I’ll try my best, but if I get eaten it’s on you.”

Your boss chuckled “sure”

You reached the temporary storage pens, or the holding cells as you called them. They were hardly fit for anything to live in, just concrete sheds with barred doors like a jail cell.

“I know they’re not ideal,” the boss admitted, “we’ll find better enclosures for them as soon as we can, and that’s part of your job too. We have no idea about any of their preferred habitats, besides the obviously aquatic creatures.”

“So basically I need to find out everything about how to care for these creatures by myself.”

“Pretty much. But if you need anything you know how to get hold of me.” You already knew you wouldn’t be contacting him for anything other than a genuine emergency, there wouldn’t be any point. He would just give you a corporate pep talk and encourage you to sort it out yourself.

“well I think that’s everything, see you later (name)!”

“see ya”. And just like that you were left alone with a clipboard, a radio and 20 concrete boxes concealing beings from another realm. As you were gathering your courage you heard your boss over the radio, “one last thing, are you on any form of birth control at the moment?”

“what??”

“if these creatures can’t get what they need they will try to escape, and we both know that they will succeed.”

“I had my tubes tied last year if you must know, but I’m not sure that I like what you’re implying.”

“Just keep them happy, I don’t care how you do it.”

You sighed, tied your hair back out of the way and approached the first building.

You don’t know what you were expecting, but it wasn’t this. Within the sad, grey, concrete cell there stood a unicorn. It shone iridescent even in such dim light. You felt your chest tighten, hating to see such a beautiful creature kept like this, cowering in a corner. You slowly reached a hand through the bars of the door, fearing it would try to bolt if you opened it.

“It’s alright,” you spoke softly, “I don’t know if you can understand me but I promise I won’t hurt you.”

-I understand you- you heard a voice in your head, neither male nor female. It reminded you of a river, or perhaps distant music. As the unicorn approached, you felt an irresistible urge to bow before it, and so you did. When you raised your head you were looking directly into its eyes. -I believe your words, you do not feel evil-

“thank you,”

-but this place… I fear it will hurt me and others like me whether you mean it to or not-

You nodded, it was right, “I know, but still I will try my best to protect you. The other people who work here have put me in charge of all the creatures from the rift so please, help me take care of you until we can find somewhere safe for you to live.” the unicorn gently placed its cheek against your outstretched palm, its coat velvety soft. You took that as a yes. “I have to ask you some questions to work out what you need, sorry if some of these seem silly.”

-not at all, I will be happy to answer them- Over the next few minutes you learnt as much as you could, scribbling notes on your clipboard. You’d write up a proper chart later, you told yourself.

“so, what do you eat? Is it the same as horses?”

-yes that would be fine, oats, grass, do you have apples here?-

You couldn’t help smiling, horses were horses it seemed, “yeah we have apples, I’ll get you some!” The unicorn whinnied softly and nuzzled into your palm. “I’m sorry but I’m going to have to leave for a while, there are so many other creatures I need to check on and I want to make sure that everyone is safe, but I’ll be back later, and I’ll bring as many apples as I can get my hands on!”

-Thank you, do not worry I understand, I too was a guardian-

You look into its kind eyes and nod in understanding.

[serpentface]

The two greatest beasts found in imperial Wardin's waterways, the river drake and the an-nechoi.

River drakes are actually small freshwater leviathans, with their resemblance to crocodiles being a result of convergent evolution. Juvenile drakes live in small, loose groups, but breeding adults are solitary. Full grown adults of the size seen here are rare, and legends speak of river drakes who grew twice as large in ancient times. This may be rooted in truth, as many of Wardin's rivers have depleted in size orr are heavily trafficked, and territory that can sustain such a large adult is increasingly rare.

They kill humans less frequently than crocodiles (also widely found in this region) but tend to have an elevated place in the cultural schema, partly due to their rarity and partly due to their inconspicuousness (they give live birth and never need to emerge on land, and can live completely undetected in an area for years). It is actually juveniles and smaller adults who are more dangerous to humans. Big, older animals do not need to feed as frequently and tend to reserve feeding for seasonal river crossings by migratory antelopes. They spend most of their time expending little energy, often staying so still at the river's surface to bask that water plants collect on their backs.

Nechoi are a family of large omnivorous hooved animals, and an-nechoi are the biggest and most aquatic of the bunch. Their jaws are exceptionally powerful, used in intraspecific combat. They spend most of their day keeping cool in water (usually slow flowing rivers), emerging at night to feed. Most of their diet is plant matter, but they readily scavenge and opportunistically kill prey.

Adult males form territories stretching up to a mile or so from a riverside and will aggressively defend them against other males (and other large animals that compete for food). Females move freely between territories, flocking to males who control the largest and most bountiful stretches of land. While resting in water, they are comparatively unaggressive and will flock into mixed-sex groups (though males will fight even in water when in the presence of receptive females)

An-nechoi are considered very dangerous to humans. Most attacks on humans are a result of territorial aggression or defense of their young, but are occasionally predatory in nature (and they will usually eat their kill either way). They are also known for stealing catches from fishermen, and appearing at the kill sites of hunters on land to scavenge the carcass. They are rarely targeted in subsistence hunting, but are some of the most sought after game in recreational hunts, with a killing of a bull an-nechoi being a marker of status and glory for an experienced hunter.

[copperpipes]

Okay so with the turtles being more...turtle...would this mean they wouldn't be able to stay on dry land as much as they might be able to if they inherited the more human side. All of the turtles aside from mikey are primarily aquatic turtles that spend a good amount of their time submerged in water. irl if they go too long without being able to be fully submerged they can get unwell, and can get more prone to diseases and such, so with that said, has donnie maybe built a large pond for him, raph and leo to just be able to swim around in and bask in at random times of the day? (Maybe with a build in giant UV/heat lamp above for when they can't go and get that naturally outside?

Yes!

Donnie built many things to accommodate his family with their special needs. They did have a pond in the old lair that was made for cleaning and just for swimming so they won't have to trudge in the stinky sewer waters every time they wanted to take a swim.

In other words the pond was made more for comfort and hygiene then out of necessity for scale health maintenance. Because they can sweat.

For reference, not many animals can sweat, only a few mammals, and humans are the only ones who's whole body can sweat, in fact, this is what made humans the most successful pursuit hunters and so dangerous in their early days, its why humans lost their fur, its why humans are able to regain stamina while using it.

Of course, Draxum would know this. He would know of the strengths and weaknesses of what he was setting his future warriors against. So naturally he wrote and adjusted this ability into the genome of his future warriors.

This is how they work;

Humans have to types of sweat glands all across their body, there are sweat glands at every hair root, but our turtles don't have hair (that is another topic, Mikey wouldn't grow hair, he would grow something resembling hair).

Instead, their scales are built in a certain way, different from their un-mutated counterparts, like this.

The turtle sweat(tm) has a few purposes.

First, similar to humans it is used for cooling, for whatever the reason may be of their temperature increasing.

Second, more vital and the primary one, for keeping the scales hydrated. (Of course the brothers would rather shower then sweat, Donnie especially. When sweat drys dust and dirt are prone to stick to the scales, obviously it may cause irritation and itchiness to bother the scales and the very delicate skin below)

Fun fact, Mikey’s palms specifically tend to sweat quickly, its the reason why he has specialized gloves made by Donnie (he wouldn't use athlete's chalk so he won't leave three fingered hand prints around).

And a giant uv lamp was already shown in the show so yeah :)

Good ask!

[obscure-entity]

14 species to look at (i worked hard)

Drelym

Drelym are dexterous bipeds in spite of having 3-digits on each limb. They are the bold successors to humans, "inheriting" their use of technology and written-language. 

Drelym were the first to investigate a visiting spacecraft (under the knowledge that other hospitable planets were already found, and that this planet was a mere side-voyage for humans). After quickly learning how to use humans’ technology, Drelym began implementing it in to their own civilizations and wiped the group out. In short: this thing can use a computer!

Presently, they build dome-like structures and travel in groups to kill larger creatures.

Teppet

Teppets are quilled creatures with a dietary-preference for fruit, insects, and unattended eggs. They either burrow or reside in dense forests to keep themselves hidden. 

Their quills are specialized to stun attackers. Not only are they packed with minor shocks, but the microscopic barbs on the tips flake off similarly to fiberglass. Teppets that bide their time correctly escape often.

Tervine

Tervines are massive, disc-shaped, grazing animals that roam in the open. The rocky masses on their backs are both crucial to their protection as well as natural. Plant growth and rock formations can indicate age.

Their offspring retract in to their “shells” to appear like rocks, and they often hitch rides on their mothers’ backs. In more pressing situations, their mothers even allow them to hide beneath them.

Arthrid

Arthrids are skittish hooved mammals. Their split jaws move independently as mandibles. They eat plants and extract nectar with their thin tongues, sometimes using their jaws to tear in to tree trunks for hints of sap. 

Arthrids cover distances in lengthy jumps, and they even bounce around each other to play! The drelym usually tame them as steeds, using them for speedy travels across more difficult terrain. 

Baleon

As some of the most common predators, baleons are dreaded for their lengthy claws. Baleons tolerate each other in unorganized social groups, but they remain alone when raising offspring. 

Their body variations are hereditary, but traits of them can combine. “Masked” baleons have thick, dulled claws and a hard facial surface. “Bald” baleons have furred faces and hook-like, sharpened claws. 

Leorien

Leoriens are extremely solitary predators feared for their presence in trees, crushing bite force, and ambush-hunting nature. They are direct rivals to baleons and capable of killing any lone ones they can find.

They are rarely found in open daylight unless traveling, and they stick to the canopies or denser foliage. Leoriens steer clear of each other, as they are very conscious of territorial spaces.

Bushven

Bushvens are fully-aquatic sentient flora that can be found in swarms.

While feeding, they can appear to the unaware like flowers floating along the surface of the water. This is because they flare the leaves from their bodies and point upward to photosynthesize, only letting their flower-shaped snouts break the surface. They have no mouths. 

Mayskit

The mayskits are tiny, photosynthetic tree-dwellers that skitter along branches to evade threats, being one of the fastest terrestrial animals.

They rely on signifying dangers to each other through their antennae. In confrontations, mayskits can whip their lengthy tails with sharp speed.

Alamoth

An alamoth is a rare and devastating sight, being the most significant threat to all other species including their own. If an alamoth spots another of its kind, it will urgently knock it out of the skies or kill it on sight. 

Their extra pair of eyes are angled downward to improve their range of vision in flight. While they can use their thick jaws and massive talons, their favored method of hunting is quite literally beating their prey in to the dirt with their wings.

Piboa

Piboas are long, lightly-furred nocturnal predators from the trees.

Their limbs are nearly vestigial, but they still utilize them for both leverage and a grip in climbing.

Piboas have a sticky tongue for hunting insects, but for more moderately-sized prey, they use a drop-and-constrict method. 

Blade-Beast

Blade-Beasts were constructed by the drelym and employed to kill predators in the immediate surroundings of their towns.

They are able to run unlimited distances and draw out built-in razors for attacking sensed movement. Their bodies are also encased in hologram-like “force-fields” that keep them essentially waterproof.

In spite of their lethality, Blade-Beasts are easily dismantled, as their protective field can be torn with enough force.

Mavie

The mavies are among the largest herbivores. Their necks enable them to reach fruit and leaves from the trees, while their front limbs give them the extra leverage on branches to stand further upright for a better reach.

Their thickly layered fur and sheer force in a stomp makes them an unfavorable target to attackers.

Mavies tend to migrate to less-populated and colder regions for the sake of having offspring.

Tivid

Tivids are small flying omnivores that roost on trees in swarms.

They fly actively at dawn and dusk to search for fruit, insects, larvae, and carcasses.

Their wings each have a single hooked claw for gripping surfaces and reaching in to narrow spaces.

Urcan

An urcan is a large, mostly-aquatic carnivore. They can be found basking on the shores, but they never stray far from the water where they have more mobility.

It relies on ambushing whatever crosses or drinks the water, veiled by the surface.

Even with a sharp vision, urcans are compelled by motion.

Chart in order of silhouettes:

Tivid

Mayskit

Bushven

Teppet

Drelym

Arthrid

Baleon

Leolien

Piboa

Blade-Beast

Urcan

Tervine

Alamoth

Mavie