#shark social behavior

[wholesome-sharks]

Wish we had a telepath who could tell us the meanings of these meetings and hangouts. Oh well. Research and observation will get us there with time.

[trans-xianxian]

it's always good to foster empathy for animals and I think that there are so many creatures that are far more similar to humans than we give them credit for (or perhaps more accurately that humans are not as special as we make ourselves out to be) but anthropomorphism can truly be so dangerous... it's important to remember that humans are Also animals, but other animals are, obviously, Not humans and we lack an ability to communicate with them fully. trying to shove human emotions onto them hurts conservation more than it helps it. you can never actually know what an animal is feeling or what potential feelings mean to an animal. we can Guess, but broad and vague descriptors of behavior are always better than assigning human emotions that can have dangerous implications. a shark is not "angry", it is acting aggressively towards something, a lion is not a cold blooded killer, it is hunting for food. once you try to give animals morals or try to moralize their actions you enter very dangerous territory, especially if you're just like. a random person on the internet and not a scientist that studies animal behavior

[sunspira]

this take is incredibly annoying to me and this twitter is always so dumb. the reason people like dolphins so much is they are social mammals who think and behave much like we do. dolphins have the capacity for great kindness as well as great cruelty and both extremes are frequently observed behaviors from them. kind of exactly like humans and our range of behavior from altruism and sadism. shark behavior as far as i know is simply not as complex in the social ways we can understand or relate to (tho probably plenty complex in the shark ways sharks can understand and we don't appreciate) they don't really show malice nor compassion in ways we understand it and this whole turtle rescue claim is just clickbait, i truly don't think a shark would do that... he seems to be just trying to crack its shell open on the side of the boat (and then the humans intervened because humans actually do have some of the animal kingdoms most intense social instincts). he's just a hungry critter using problem solving which is very cool but not "kind" per say. dolphins can and do intentionally rescue as well as torture other animals. sharks don't really intentionally do either. not in a way that's comparable to us. both are good animals. dolphin similarities to humans is just fascinating and in combination to them not physically being able to eat humans it leads to some favoritism. simple as that. sharks arent evil but the idea that sharks are these actual sweethearts is ridiculous too. they're just neutral lil guys trying to live and eat

and i LIKE sharks but of fucking course they scare people more than dolphins do lol. sharks can KILL you EASILY even if they have no evil intent. dolphins really don't do the same visceral carnal damage to a swimmer just due to the way they are built. being eaten alive is a primal fear so sharks = scary and dolphins = not as scary. people can and do fear sharks very understandably and logically without hating them. and yes people DO need to have a healthy fear of dolphins too as they are still very capable of killing you biting you drowning you and otherwise hurting you yes even sexually. but the idea that people are just stupid for being afraid of sharks: an extremely powerful unpredictable wild animal that can eviscerate your body like nothing and have done so before: insisting that's not frightening because "erm well sea mammals are technically smarter and meaner" is so insane and stupid lmao. you're barely able to move in water and thats apex predator that feeds like a honing torpedo made of knives and absolutely and easily might mistake you for its target, it's scary. i just hate u mr contrarian ass you are not as smart as you think you are it annoys me soo muchhh lmfao

[cthonic-bunny]

1. Natal Chart Observations

1. Libra Moon: decision paralysis that comes from feeling two contradicting ways about an issue. “I want my cake but I want to eat it too.” I feel like libra moons are the most sentimental of the air moon signs. Libra moons can constantly weigh out the pros and cons for every emotion you feel. “I want to do this but I don’t want to deal with how messy it’ll make things.” When libra moons are feeling a little lost, they can over-schedule themselves and their commitments to friends to avoid thinking about overly-vulnerable feelings. There is zero tolerance for imbalance in relationships. Poor behavior from a partner will be met with matched behavior to tip the scales back to a balanced one, even if the overall locational of the scale is descending into negativity. “You get what you give” mentality. Libra moons can be keen on the idea of karma. “Come to me with sweetness, or don’t come to me at all.” Daydreaming about romance is a relaxing way to pass time. Before maturity, libra moons might suffer from social anxieties when they find themselves in group settings where there isn’t a cohesive vibe. If someone around a libra moon doesn’t look like they are having a good time, it subconsciously makes it difficult for a libra moon to relax. The libra moon will then play the role of a diplomat or host/hostess to ensure the vibes equalize to restore their peace.

2. Mars in the 10th house: these natives are always making money. They are known for their side hustles too. They are always looking for new ways to make money and I feel like they are good at getting clientele. They will get their hands dirty for their job. For a man, this can point to a “blue collar ‘manly’ job.” I noticed 10H mars can be pretty generous with their money and services, but feel extremely terrible about getting help from others. If these natives aren’t confident where they are in their career or skill set(s), I noticed that they are likely to undersell themselves or undercharge for their services/time. It can also point to people in the workplace as perceiving the 10H mars person to be brash and outspoken. The authority figures in their career can feel a sense of competition with the 10H mars person, or wants to humble them in some way. I feel like it’s really easy for them to get good jobs or climb up the ladder when they do things the right way. They get impatient when they aren’t growing in their careers as fast as they want to. “Why am I not a millionaire yet.” They work hard for what they want and are very ambitious once they find their niche. I feel like these are often people who can find jobs that don’t necessarily need a degree. Their career mistakes feel explosive. They can be seen as “sharks” in their fields because they go in for the attack. They like to be the best and the most competent at what they do, and want their colleagues to see them as competition. “I’m the best and no one will tell me otherwise.” They can be known for being assertive and extremely determined in meeting their goals. They will work themselves to the core and utilize all their energy towards elevating themselves career and reputation wise.

3. Mars in the 1st House: These people might often be noticed for their bodies. They might be seen as someone you shouldn’t mess around with. They look athletic. Maybe they are known for fitness or for being athletic. These natives can be associated with the military, and probably look incredible in their uniforms. This is a man-eater or womanizer placement, for sure. “I get what I want when I want it.” They look like they have a rough exterior, even if they are sweethearts. They can be into martial arts. Commanding presence. They can make wonderful personal trainers. Regardless of gender, they can come off as being comfortable with their masculine energy. Reds look great on them. They might have thick eyebrows and a nice jawline. They look attractive when they are angry. They know how to make someone feel sexy. They have people chasing them or falling for them fast.

4. Pisces and 12th house placements: these people have no problem ghosting you. Pisces placements and 12H placements are always made out to be innocent and naive, but they are attracted to people and situations that have something a little “bad” about them. Savior complex. They can go through feelings where they feel detached from social settings and those they love, where they cannot fully escape the role of observer. They will always be able to fully escape into their internal landscape and get consumed by it— but it seems as though no matter how hard they try, they can’t have that same presence in the material world. This can lead to frustrating feelings of disconnection from the world and people around them. They can be smiling and staring off, but you will never fully know what they are thinking. They can make people really curious about them, because their thoughts always catch you off guard. Having an existential crisis on the daily. Casual things might have a bigger internal meaning to them that others might not always understand. We can find plenty of people attractive, but if the spark isn’t felt in the soul and doesn’t pique a deep curiosity, we will get bored and swim away. Liking people who are a bit “mean and dark” but wanting them to be sweet and soft with you. Using music to paint your daydreams, or to escape. Finding music that relates almost entirely to whatever they have on their mind feels like striking gold. They can like someone just for having the same interests as them. Feeling like a ghost in a flesh suit. Enigmatic. Can embody different vibes and personas depending on who they are around. They are sensitive and can adapt to the situations at hand. Too much self awareness can lock them in their heads. “I only jump into waters with the depth of an abyss.” Laying down for hours just to daydream and process your thoughts. Long baths feel like therapy. Moderation isn’t in our vocabulary. We love what we like, and we want to get lost in what we love. Not being able to properly process your day or interactions until you’re alone and can replay them in isolation.

5. Taurus Placements: I noticed Taurus moon women get spoiled financially by their partners. The type for their partners to say “don’t worry, I’ll work and you can be at home,” or that being their partners goal at a point. I noticed Taurus placements can enjoy the occasional shoplifting. They are not going to compromise their comfort, and if you come after that it will be met with intense stubbornness. They can seem nonchalant about a lot of things, but can be extremely unwavering in their opinions on certain things. In some cases, they can have strange eating habits or relationship to food. Thankfully, the Tauruses I’ve been around don’t project that on those around them. It’s more internal from what I’ve noticed, and they can enjoy feeding those they love and care for. They can have great taste in food. They love sensual vices and sex. They look great with pearls. They master an aesthetic and can stick to it. They are fiercely protective of those they love. They can be lazy at their worst and will not want to do anything that requires too much effort. They can be impressively good at couponing. Making money from home is the ideal setup for them. They will spoil their loved ones too, and can be great gift givers. They don’t cheap out with presents for their loved ones. They get much enjoyment from decorating their spaces and hosting their loved ones. They can be prone to overthinking and some may obsessive behaviors or crippling anxiety as well. They can honestly make the best scammers, as terrible as that sounds. They can sell someone a dream and make it sound beautiful, but can be lying through their teeth. Their jealousies can sometimes come from a place of vanity. Watch out for envying others, and appreciate your own beauty. They can focus so much on the beauty around them they forget about their own. They can be the image of beauty and grace, or strive deeply for that. They have pretty and soothing voices. Taurus placements can easily be the funniest person you know when they are in a joyful mood. I also noticed Taurus placements are wonderful at finding vintage pieces and re-selling them!

-D

[camiliar]

AVNJ on youtube is having a invent a fish contest so I made the False Orca Shark!

Here’s the bio I wrote for this dude:

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Orectolobiformes Family: Lucemaculidae Genus: Occisornus Species: O. falsus

The false orca shark (Occisornus falsus) is a slow-moving, bottom feeding carpet shark that feeds on mostly sea grass and detritus. False orcas live in tropical epipelagic waters. It ranges in size from 16-23 ft long, making it one of the largest extant shark species, behind the whale shark and basking shark. It is also comparable in size to a small orca whale, which it imitates in appearance and behavior. Evidence suggests that the false orca mimics the orca whale as a defense from predators. The false orca’s other defenses from predators include their large size, and their tendency group in schools of 2-8 individuals. Though theses schools look similar to a pod of orcas, their social dynamics are much simpler. The false orca feeds by sucking plants and decomposing organic materials from the sea floor into its downward facing mouth. It has sensitive barbels that can detect food through touch and chemoreception. False orcas are very gentle and rarely, if ever, attack humans.

[bethanythebogwitch]

So a while back I made this post

And it became very popular. While many people already knew, I did get some asking why humboldt squids are scary. So for this Wet Beast Wednesday I'm going to teach you why you should be afraid, or at least respectful, of molluscoid menace that is the humboldt squid.

(image: a humboldt squid)

Known to scientists as Dosidicus gigas and to many others as the jumbo squid, pota, jibia, and diablo rojo, the humboldt squid is the 5th largest squid in the world and the largest of the flying squids. Don't worry, it can't actually fly. They reach an average mantle length (tat's excluding the head and arms) of 1.5 meters, with some specimens reaching up to 2 meters (6.5 ft) in mantle length. The arms can reach up to another meter in length. Adults can weigh up to 50 kg (150 lbs), with females generally being larger than males. They live in the Pacific along the cost of the Americas, from the tip of South America up to California in North America. Some individuals have been known to travel farther north, up to Alaska, which is outside of their historical range. It is possible that as the ocean warms, their native range will continue to expand north.

(image: a humboldt squid releasing ink as a defense mechanism)

Humboldt squids reproduce in deep waters, and as a result we don't know much about their courtship. Males use a modified arm called the heterocotylus to transfer sperm into the female's mantle. She then lays a transparent, gelatinous egg mass that is left to float in the water column. These masses can range between 1 and 4 meters in diameter can can contain up to 4 million eggs. Hatchlings receive no parental care and most will die before adulthood. They grow extremely rapidly, likely as a self-defense against cannibalism by larger squids. Like many squid, humboldts only live for a year and die shortly after mating.

(image: a humboldt squid next to a much braver diver than I will ever be)

As with most cephalopods, the humboldt squid has cells called chromatophores that allow it to change color. Cameras attached to captured and released specimens have show two types of color-changing behavior: flashing and flickering. Flashing is when the animal changes rapidly between red and white. This is done in the presence of other squid and is likely a means of communication, possibly a form of courtship or warning to stay away. Flickering is when waves of red and white travel down the body. This is likely a form of camouflage to blend in with light flickering through the water. In addition to flashing and flickering, cameras have seen multiple forms of color changes and communication behaviors, indicating that they have a rich social life. The red color the squid turns when hunting contributes to its nickname amongst Mexican fishermen: "diablo rojo", the "red devil".

(gif: humboldts changing color)

So all that sounds pretty normal, why are they scary? Well that comes down to their feeding behavior and aggression. Humboldt squids hunt in shoals that can include thousands of members and go into feeding frenzies that can make shark feeding frenzies look like a child's tea party. They are infamous for their aggression and there are many stories of them attacking divers and fishermen. Not even they are immune to their predation, as multiple studies have found between a half and a quarter of all dissected specimens have recently fed on others of their species. Cannibalism may make up a major portion of their diet, though cannibalistic behavior seems to increase in response to stress. Their typical diet consists of fish, crustaceans, and other squids. Humboldts typically keep their two long tentacles coiled up between their arms, only for them to suddenly lash out and grab prey. These tentacles have multiple sharp hooks that have been reported to cause severe cuts in humans. Captured prey is then pulled in toward the beak and consumed. Feeding happens so fast that scientists need to us high-speed cameras to record the capture as the tentacles move so fast they prey can be caught and reeled in between frames. Eating is also fast enough that they can grab a hooked fish and skeletonize it in the time it takes a frustrated angler to pull their catch in. And if that wren't enough, they also engage in cooperative hunting, working together to catch prey. When not feeding or being hunted, they have been described as curious, though they often react to unfamiliar stimuli with aggression. Some divers have reported that humboldts will come investigate them and even act friendly, though I can't say I'd be willing to try it.

(gif: a squid attacking a camera)

(gif: hunting squid)

Numerous fishermen's tales and news stories tell of attacks on humans, but the squid do have a reason to not like us. They are fished heavily, especially off the coat of Mexico and are the most important squid for commercial fisheries. Humboldt squids make up about a third of all squid fished every year and are the most popular food squid. Squid meat is saturated with ammonium chloride, which they use for buoyancy, and must be prepared to remove the taste before eating. Not much is known about threats to conservation, though some speculate that overfishing and global warming disrupting their food supply could threaten the population. They are listed as data deficient by the IUCN. As scary as they might be, humboldt squids serve a very important ecological role in their territories, both as primary predators and as prey to sharks and toothed whales, and more research on their sustainability and conservation needs is important.

(image: a scientist attaching a crittercam to a humboldt squid)

[aphroditelovesu]

Yandere Akatsuki Headcanons (Platonic)

❝ — 🍥 lady l: something I thought about for a while and decided to do it now. I hope you like it and forgive me for any mistakes! ❤️🖤

❝tw: obsessive and possessive behavior, murder, mention of death, yandere themes, stalking and jealousy.

❝🍥pairing: platonic yandere!akatsuki x gender neutral!reader.

Becoming part of Akatsuki was an important decision and one you knew shouldn't be made lightly. They were wanted and dangerous criminals. Once you decided to join, there would be no going back.

You were not innocent, you had already killed and committed some minor crimes and you were a well-trained ninja. That's why you decided to join Akatsuki. You just didn't know that your life would turn out completely different than you initially thought it would.

Pain was a little wary of allowing you to join Akatsuki, as not only did you not have a little-known reputation but there was something about you that unnerved him. That attracts him. But he decided to agree, after talking to Konan.

That's how you joined the world's most wanted ninja, Akatsuki and became their obsession.

Pain is the leader of Akatsuki and has a god complex. He is serious and distant, rarely approaching other members except to give him missions or orders. However, when he is Nagato he is totally different. Kind and shy. You and Konan are the only people who really know him as Nagato.

Regardless of your identity, he is very protective of you. He sees you as something good, as one of the few remnants of goodness, even if you are a criminal, you are still better than everyone. Besides being quite possessive of you. He wants to become a God and he will, but he sees no point in becoming one if you are not by his side.

Konan possessed a calmness, an admirable and frightening control. She has enviable self-control and this is visible in the way she deals with you. She is very calm around you, offering a kind smile and seeking any form of affection she can get from you.

She is desperate for affection, but she will never admit it. Konan is very intelligent and knows how to manipulate you. Stoic and cold-blooded, she will kill anyone who gets in her way, in your life other than herself and the other members. She takes whatever time she can have by your side.

Tobi has lost a lot during his life and these losses have shaped him into who he is today. He never expected to get attached to someone again, to love someone else after being deprived of someone he loved. This made him paranoid and very overprotective of you. Obito already lost someone he loved once, he won't lose you too.

He is introverted, however, and tries to avoid social interactions with the other Akatsuki members as much as possible, but with you, he is more sociable. Tobi is very possessive and always has one eye on you, especially when you are around the other members.

Itachi is calm and reserved, his feelings for you, the obsession he harbors, are very well hidden behind his mask. Not even the other members know Itachi very well, as he is enigmatic and mysterious. He deals with you the same way he does with everyone else, calmly and without showing much of how he feels. This makes you more distant.

However, he is not a really bad person. He did bad things, things he will regret. He sees a second chance in you, he trusts his intuition and you a lot. Itachi has a strong sense of empathy towards you and he is the one who notices the most if you are uncomfortable or upset about something, usually offering you comfort. He is possessive, however, because he has already lost a lot and wants your attention to him.

Kisame is a tailless tailed beast, a shark in humanoid form and he has strong predator instincts. He is very aggressive and can often be dominated by his bloodlust and desire for death, but he knows how to control himself when he wants to or when ordered to do so. You are one of the few people who can convince him to have mercy.

He's very perceptive, though. Kisame is always on alert and is aware of any danger and his first reaction is to take you away from danger. He is very protective and is also great at analyzing people and will know when you are bad.

Kakuzu only cares about money and himself, an avaricious and greedy man. He used to be like that until you joined Akatsuki and he started to care about you, but like a possession. Something that belonged to him, something to be controlled.

He often says that you can only trust him and money, the only two things you can rely on. Kakuzu is very attached to you and cares in his own way. He has a violent temper and becomes obsessed easily and you are his biggest obsession. He gets jealous very easily and reacts harshly to it.

Zetsu is a duality and only a manipulation, a difficult one to read and understand. White Zetsu is the easiest to deal with, he is playful and carefree, and he loves to tease others. He is very calm and loves to have fun with you, but he is very protective of you and although he doesn't usually use violence, he will.

Black Zetsu is the real problem. He is very intelligent and is the real brain behind many plans, serious and experienced. He is a great manipulator, appearing trustworthy and loyal, but his true loyalty is unknown to you. He is very possessive and a born stalker and will kill anyone who gets too close to you. He gets into several conflicts with White Zetsu because of this.

Deidara is extremely proud and fully believes that the greatest art form is destruction. He does not accept defeat and will always seek revenge. He is very reckless and even impulsive, often acting without thinking and that includes you. But he is not stupid, but rather calculating.

He is easily jealous and no one can insult you around him, as he will go crazy and be willing to sacrifice even himself to destroy the offender. Deidara protects you fiercely and his possessiveness leads him to states of madness that only you or Sasori can control. His favorite activity is the art of explosion with you.

Sasori is devoid of any human emotion, has no feelings of affection and is even considered inhuman. He doesn't feel anything, he never cared about anyone or anything, until he met you. Cold and distant, Sasori just watches from afar, preferring to keep his attention on his puppets.

You made him feel something for the first time in years, someone he could finally have the love he always wanted as a child. Sasori, although distant, still stays close to you when it suits him. He became possessive, even threatening the other Akatsuki members over you. He doesn't care about anything or anyone except you. And he won't let you be taken from him. Even if he has to turn you into a puppet. You will stay together.

Hidan has no respect for anything or anyone, insulting everything and everyone that suits him. Not even his own leader is safe from his insults, considering he doesn't respect him at all. Although a religious ninja, Hidan acts in a manner completely contrary to a religious person. He kills everything and everyone without any remorse.

He is quite easygoing towards you, his insults are never directed at you and he will eviscerate anyone who dares to insult you. Hidan is a sadist, finding pleasure in causing pain and killing his victims in the most painful way possible. He definitely wants to teach you how to be like him.

Akatsuki became more united when you joined and although there will always be conflicts between them, you became the missing piece. Pain would never let you leave, not when you were true peace. You're stuck with them forever.

[todropscience]

STINGRAYS CAN MAKE CLICKING SOUND, ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH

New evidence, from oncidentally recorded observations of sound production obtained in the Magnetic Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, shows that the mangrove whipray (Urogymnus granulatus) and the cowtail stingray (Pastinachus ater) can actively produce sounds. Juvenile mangrove whiprays appear to make loud clicking noises as an social behaviour related to fighting, either to warn off and startle predators or to signal to other nearby juveniles to aggregate in defense. Though it is clear that elasmobranchs, such as sharks, rays, and skates, can hear and respond to sounds in various ways, until now, there have been no confirmed examples of active sound production by this group in the wild.

The exact mechanism of sound production remains unclear but appears to be similar in both species. In all recordings, contractions of the spiracles and associated gill openings are visible simultaneously with theclicking sounds, indicating that sounds may beproduced through fast contractions of the cranial and gill area.

Photo: Juvenile mangrove whiprays displaying a typical high tide group overlapping behavior, by José Javier Delgado Esteban. Whale Nation Studio 2018–2023.

Video showing mangrove whipray emitting sounds

Reference (Open Access): Fetterplace et al., 2022. Evidence of Sound Production in Wild Stingrays. Ecology

[requinoesis]

hi! stumbled upon you with the humans post and honestly it would look like an awesome tattoo. anyway, I'm in a dnd group with homebrew races, classes, background ect. I decided to go with a humanoid shark race that resembles a black tip reef shark and was wondering if you have any interesting facts about them? sorry if it's weird thing to ask

Oh that's an interesting shark question! 🦈✨

Over the years I've seen a few articles on the curiosities of this species of shark, these are the ones I remember:

⭐They Have Social Behavior: As they are a small species, it makes sense that they would group together in small groups with complex social systems to protect themselves from predators. In a fantasy inspiration, they would probably always be united in large families and live in tropical regions such as beaches and reefs in large houses or villages.

⭐They Have Best Friends: It's a recent discovery and apparently happens in several species of sharks, they are usually always in pairs, always of the same sex, two females or two males, they always swim together and there is even the hypothesis that they will defend their friend. There have been cases of scientists or divers having to interact with a shark to remove a tag or hook, and another shark biting the diver lightly, which could be that shark's faithful friend.

⭐Prey for the Great Hammerhead Shark: Great Hammerhead Sharks have often been seen preying on these little sharks, being their natural predator. So a blacktip reef character could certainly feel intimidated by a Grante Hammerhead character, but nothing would stop them from being friends! Imagine a big hammerhead shark protecting his little blacktip reef friend from other bullying hammerheads sharks hehe

⭐Shy, Slippery and Full of Anxiety: In personality they are extremely shy and insecure, they are very fast and slippery, difficult to catch.

⭐They are viviparous: which means that the female becomes pregnant with an umbilical cord and all!

That's it! If other people know any more curious information about blacktip reef sharks, feel free to comment on this post!✨

[chainsxwsmile]

Thank you to @macrolago for the adorable suggestion!

What’s funny is that this isn’t just Bruce, Anchor, and Chum who are cuddly sharks— shark species like nurse sharks and white-tip reef sharks sleep en-masse in piles! Scientists theorize that this behavior may be for both security and socialization, which is usual in many species!

[k9emote]

NEW ANIMAL IDENTITY TERM. ANIFAUX. COINED BY US (k9s)

ANIFAUX - Someone who has some sort of deep rooted connection to an animal(s). These individuals feel out of place in their body, and that they would fit better as a species other than human. Their behavior, love style, and personality might reflect this behavior naturally. Anifauxies may have had a deep rooted connection to their anifauxtype since childhood, or could've discovered recently. They differ from therians and otherkin in the way that they know they are human and don't have any religious beliefs around their identity, but that feels fundamentally wrong. Their mental state more often than not reflects their anifauxtype, and though they may shift to a heavier anifaux regression, the constant animalistic view on the world never truly goes away.

if you relate, find out your anifauxtype below

How does this differ from Therians?

We made this because Therianthropy/Nonhuman/Otherkin just didn't feel right. Some Therians aren't religious, and I can see how other nonhuman identities are similar! We just made this term because those didn't feel right. It feels as if god accidentally put an animals brain in our body (though we don't believe that, it's just a heavy identity feeling.) It's definitely something to do with our mental disorders that make it hard to socialize with people. But Dogs? Cats? Befriended instantly. We love like a dog, our physical behavior reflects canines, yet we know we're human. But "human" is just wrong.

TERM LIST

- Anifaux , General Term

- Anifauxtype , Specific Animal

- Anifauxies , Members of this Term

ANIFAUXTYPES

- Canidfaux (Dogs, Foxes, Wolves, Coyotes, etc)

- Felidfaux (Domestic Cats, Lions, Jaguars, etc)

- Leporidfaux (Rabbits and Hares)

- Ursidfaux (Bears)

- Avianfaux (Birds)

- Chirofaux (Bats)

- Rodenfaux (Hamsters, Rats, Ferrets, etc)

- Amphifaux (Frogs, Salamanders, etc)

- Arthrofaux (Spiders, Scorpians, Butterflies, Bees, etc)

- Vertefaux (Sharks, Fish, Rays, etc)

- Procyfaux (Raccoons, Ringtails, etc)

- Reptilfaux (Snakes, Turtles, Bearded Dragons, etc)

- Hyaenfaux (Hyenas)

- Ungufaux - (Sheep, Goats, Deer, etc)

- Mustelfaux (Weasels, Badgers, Otters, etc)

The way this naming system works is based on the scientific groupings of animals. If you don't see yours - look up your anifauxtypes scientific grouping, shorten it, and slap faux on the end. C:

[darlingsfandom]

Let Me Show You .

Dr. Johnathan Crane x Plus Sized! Reader.

TW: humiliation , choking, breeding, fingering, p in v, unprotected sex!

Lighting flashed across the sky giving some light into your cell where you laid on the soft bed. It wasn’t your fault that you ended up in here, how long does it last until you can’t the taunting anymore? For you it lasted your whole life until ten months ago when the coil inside of you snapped!

You had made yourself face the public and go out one night. You just needed one night to go out and try to be social but that ended with you on top of a man punching him until your knuckles were bloodied and bruised as he laid there laughing until he started to go unconscious. He had pulled on your hair while you were trying to make your way to the bars bathroom making you gasp so he took it as a challenge with his friends. He teased you by calling you ugly names , commenting on how your clothes really outlined your rolls , how you looked like a made up pig! You had enough! The words you’ve heard for your whole life finally took its toll and now here you were lying in the asylum.

You stood trail and since you had a squeaky clean record along with one of the best public defenders in all of Gotham you only had to serve six months unless you followed good behavior and could get out earlier. The sentence was fair and you were to also be under the care of Dr.Johnathan Crane Gothams best psychiatrist. That was the best part. He didn’t see you as another patient, probably because almost everyone there was another male and you were one of the only females in there. Of course they didn’t have love handles or tummy rolls like you and it still irritated you.

The sound of your cell opening perked up your ears making you sit up.

“Good evening Y/N” The sly smile on his lips made you tingle in a way that it shouldn’t. Dr.Crane waited for you to stand so he could take you to his office for your mandatory session. Both of you walked in silence until you were in his office standing nervously . “You know you can sit. You’ve sat on that couch every day for the last month, what’s the matter now ?” He circled around like a shark in water making your thighs clench.

“What if I break…”

“You’re not going to break it!” He snapped at you before grabbing your shoulders and looking into your eyes. “Go sit on it!” You swallowed hard before you carried yourself to the black leather and sat on the edge. “All the way.” He spoke up. You nodded and sat in the middle of the couch folding your hands in your lap.

“Clearly you’re not doing what I’ve told you.” Dr. Crane sat in his own chair with his legs crossed. You couldn’t argue with him. He raised his eyebrow at you and clicked his tongue before pinching the bridge of the his nose.

“I know you think that since I’m male that I know nothing of how the female brain works. That I don’t understand that when you look in the mirror that your poke at all your insecurities. You THINK that you’re ugly because your stomach folds and hangs, your arms jiggle when you raise them and your delicious thighs…” he coughed “I mean your thighs, yes they touch and rub but you need that.”

Your mouth hung open for a split second when he called your thighs delicious, that was a joke right? You looked down at your feet while holding your stomach. Dr.Crane stood up , walked up to you , grabbed your hand and stood you up. He walked with you out of his office, down the hallway to a part of the asylum you had never seen before. It was dark, wet and yet still felt welcoming. He opened a door and pulled you inside.

“Where?” Before you could finish your sentence he had his hand over your mouth.

“Shh. This is our secret.” He whispered in your ear when he flicked on the light. The room wasn’t big, it was poorly lit, a single bed in the middle of the room and in the corner was a giant mirror. He walked you over to the mirror and made you stand there. You tried to turn away but he grabbed you by your wide chin and forced you to look at yourself.

“You’ve heard how ugly you are , how you’re unwanted , unattractive…” his words were bringing tears to your eyes as you looked yourself in the mirror. “You look like a barnyard animal, but that’s what years of damage do to the ego. You’ve been brainwashed into thinking you’re all those things.”

Dr. Crane stood behind you in the mirror holding your face with a soft grip. “Now I want you to say all the nice things about your body.”

“I can’t ! My body is ug-“ His hand quickly wrapped around your throat and squeezed enough to take your breath away.

“Say something nice.” He gritted his teeth against your ear. He let go of your throat making you gasp.

“My… body.. “ your hands ran over your stomach as he watched with darkened eyes.

“Is soft?” He gave you a decent smile.

“There you go. Nothing wrong with having a soft body.” His hands ran over your sides before giving your love handles a big squeeze making you giggle. “How cute!” Crane gave your hips another squeeze before pulling them towards his own hips.

“Tell me something else nice about your soft beautiful body.” His words had a hint of lust wrapped around them. Crane watched as you chewed your lip looking at yourself through the dirty glass. His hand found your throat again and squeezed it enough to make your eyes roll back.

“It’s not that hard darling!” Crane used his free hand to grope your boobs. “These are nice! Say something nice about them.” He let go of you with a small shove making you stumble forward. Your hands gripped the mirror. No thoughts were in your mind , no words could leave your mouth.

“Fine, if you can’t say it…. I’ll show you.” His hands reached up and ripped opened your shirt exposing your breasts. “See!” He yanked you up straight by your hair making you whine. The little whine made him smirk. “Look at your breasts!”

“They’re not that …” Crane slapped your face making you whimper before forcing you to look at yourself in the mirror.

“You’re too hard on yourself darling. You’re a beautiful girl .” He finished ripping your clothes off making you stand in front of the mirror completely naked. He grinned ear to ear. “Look at you!” He ran his hands all over your body giving your most hated areas a squeeze. “I don’t know anyone couldn’t find you attractive. You’re a smart young lady with beautiful curves, delicious thighs and your breasts … “ Crane kissed the side of your neck making your knees buckle. He held your hips as he bent you forward . Your fingers gripped the sides of the mirror while Crane dragged his finger tips over your thighs.

Your body felt hot from his touch. You couldn’t tell if he just wanted you for sex or if he truly did find your body to be beautiful. Your thoughts disappeared when his hands spread your thighs.

“Since you’re struggling to accept how beautiful you are, maybe this will teach you.” His index finger slid inside of you while his other hand squeezed the side of your throat keeping your head turned to face the mirror. “It’s my job as your doctor to make sure you get those nasty ideas out of your head.” Crane worked his finger inside of you twisting it in a way you’ve never felt. You were so used to your hand and toys but to feel his slender finger going deeper than your use to felt amazing. He slid another finger inside of you while keeping the soft pressure on your neck. Your eyes were closed which angered him until he heard you mumbling.

“feels so good.” Your voice was trembling which made him smile.

“Yeah? Why does it feel good?”

“Because you’re touching me! You see my soft body!”

“Good girl!” Crane nibbled your ear lobe while fingering your pussy like his life depended on it. “You’re so close, I can tell.”

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Dr. crane I’m so close!” You cried out. The coil in your stomach was about to snap right there at any second until he pulled his fingers away making you whine.

“Oh honey, you don’t get to cum now. You were a bad girl. You can’t even tell me what you like about your body.” Crane licked his fingers clean while watching how you pouted your bottom lip at him through the mirror. Once he was done he grabbed your hand and took you over to the old style medical bed that had leather straps.

“Nooo!” You went to run but he grabbed your hair and yanked it backwards.

“Don’t be dumb. I’m not going to hurt you.” He shoved you down on the bed making your squirm below him. You gulped in panic as he huffed. “Normally yes, my patients get strapped down and are subjected to unusual treatments for therapy but not you.” He stood up and quickly restrained your arms. “You my dear… I’m going to make you a mommy.”

Your eyes went huge! You quickly tried to struggle against the leather which made him chuckle before gripping your chin. “Stop! Or I will subject you to those type of treatments.” He gave you a little smack before standing there undressing himself slowly. Tears filled your eyes until you looked at him and it flooded your mind… Dr.Crane was on the opposite end of the scale. He wasn’t buff or anything, he did understand your pain. People always judged his body, how fragile he looked. He was beautiful to you and he had spent all this time making you see that you are beautiful just the way you are.

“Dr. Crane..” you mumbled as he crawled on top of you. His fingers traced over your cheek gently almost lovingly.

“What is it ?” He pushed his glasses up his nose.

“Why me? Why make me a mommy? Why would you put a baby in me?” You turned your lips out at him as he looked into yours.

“Because you are mine! You’re the smartest girl I’ve ever met. Not mention you can kill a man with your bare fists. A strong, smart, beautiful woman, you’re what I’ve always needed and now I’ve you and you’re not going anywhere . You see…” his hands grabbed at your thighs and spread them open . He grinned down at your pussy before lining the head of his cock up to your folds, slowly he slid in while grabbing your hands and locking your fingers together.

“When I heard about, I followed you. I watched your trail closely. I learned everything I could about you. I need you! You need me.” He pushed his cock all the way inside of you making you scream. “Oh pretty girl!” He moaned out. “That’s a good girl.” Crane closed his eyes at the feeling of how tight you were squeezing his cock. You laid there with tears running down your cheeks as he thrusted into you. Your legs were still unrestrained which meant you could try to kick him off, but he held your legs up to drill into you deeper making you moan in pleasure because he was reaching at spot you’ve never felt.

“You’re going to be such a beautiful mommy! Going to make such beautiful, intelligent babies with you !” His mouth hung open while he looked deep into your ears as he fucked you faster. You looked into his eyes softly while wrapping your legs around him tightly.

“Good girl, you want me to make you a mommy so badly .” He leaned down and kissed you passionately , it was romantic and sweet. Crane felt his own orgasm about to break as he slowed down his thrusting holding your hips tightly. He cried out your name with a loud groan and held you in place as his cum shot deep into your cervix.

“You’re going to make me a beautiful mommy.” You whimpered feeling his cum fill you up. Crane looked up at you with a smile . “I knew that would fix you.” He huffed as he held your legs in the same upward position. Crane reached down between your bodies and found your clit. He rubbed it hard until the familiar feeling was about to wave over you.

“Cum for me pretty girl!” He looked into your eyes as your orgasm gushed out of you. You choked out his name as he held your face in his hands.

“You did such a good job. And don’t worry , if this time didn’t take…. I’m not going to stop until you and I have made the most precious thing ever.” His words were sincere. Dr.Crane had made his mark on you more ways than one and you would have never imagined that this is how you ended up in life, but all of it lead you here as his.

[serpentface]

INTRO TO THE SOPHONTS

There are eight distinct sophont genuses and/or species in the known world of the blightseed setting. above are examples of each to show overall difference in anatomy and size.

note- terms like 'genus' 'species' 'subspecies' have no meaning in-universe, and do not necessarily have a role in the formation of cultural groups and identity.

Yotici

Yotici are large marine grazers. Their place on the tree of life is an offshoot of very early fish, all of whos modern representatives live in alternating generations, with a sessile asexual stage that resembles a plant, and a long-living reproductive phase (shown here).

The sessile phase appears in the form of 'gardens' that grow from a seabed where eggs were lain. The reproductive phase begins when tiny yotici (yotlings) develop and emerge en-masse. Yotici do not actively protect yotlings until they begin to speak, and many will die within their first year. (though they provide passive protection by allowing their yotlings to school around them, and through the shielded garden environment)

Their sessile young, however, are closely guarded. Yotici are ecosystem engineers that modify their environments to protect their gardens. They build enclosed and controllable environments with coral, rocks, mangroves, shipwrecks, etc, in shallow waters. They manipulate their environment via their 'tentacles' (actually highly modified genitalia, very dextrous and present regardless of sex).

They have likely domesticated more species than any other sophont, both as an unintentional byproduct of their ecosystem engineering and through intentional breeding. Their most important domestic animal is the garden shark, a species of bullhead kept to protect their sessile young from predation by invertebrates and other small animals.

They primarily eat sea grasses, certain corals, kelp, and occasionally shellfish, crustaceans, and other small animals. They require large, healthy expanses of seagrass to be sustained, and will readily kill or drive away competition. They also take an aggressive stance towards predation, generally being highly aggressive until predators recognize them as a threat leave them alone. This includes encroaching landdwellers- yotici territories utilized by land dwellers are often sites of conflict. Peaceful coexistence in the same waters requires the creation and maintenance of treaties and pacts, historically rare due to difficulties in interspecies communication.

They have aesthetic sensibilities, and may decorate themselves by allowing barnacle growth, or via scarification. 

Yotici exhibit no sexual dimorphism and near-ubiquitously do not construct gender. Their genitalia-arms no longer have a sexual function, and they reproduce via group spawning.

The most basic social unit of the yotici is the pod, related individuals who hatched in the same garden and maintain it throughout their lives.

-----

Human

Humans are upright bipedal apes. They are notable among midsized mammals for lacking protective fur, making them vulnerable to both sun exposure and the cold.

There is only one species of human, sole survivors of a once broad family of upright apes. Humans came into behavioral modernity as mobile plains dwelling hunter-gatherers- a highly efficient mode of living utilized to the present day. They are omnivores, capable of adapting to a wide variety of diets and thus a great variety of environments.

The first humans likely developed south of the now inhospitable equatorial Deadlands. Known contemporary populations exist mostly within the eastern and northern parts of the supercontinent.

Humans exhibit modest sexual dimorphism, less pronounced than other apes but with some unique display features such as permanent breasts and bright lips. They can reproduce year-round, and typically bear one child at a time. Childbirth is very dangerous, and many young and mothers die in the process. Their young are completely helpless, and may take over a year to even begin to walk.

The most common basic human social unit is composed of reproductive pairs and their families, though there is tremendous variety in how they form groups.

-----

Elowey:

Elowey are primates, most closely related to lemurs. They average around the same height as humans, but are heavier. They are capable of both bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion.

Two relatively distinct subspecies of elowey are known to survive, though with significant gene flow between the two. Southern elowey (pictured here) are larger on average with bigger guts and more exposed skin, and northern elowey are smaller, with denser fur and slight aquatic adaptations.

Elowey are omnivores, but better adapted towards plant eating. Southern elowey can subsist entirely on plants and digest much tougher plant material than humans with their large guts. Northern elowey rely more heavily on meat, especially during the winter months. The gene for lactase persistence is widely found in northern elowey and largely absent in southern populations.

Elowey have a strong sense of smell. They have two sets of scent glands, which at their most basic communicate territoriality and identity, but the social implications are far broader. 

They come from highly territorial ancestors, and most individuals become stressed and uncomfortable when living in dense populations with unrelated elowey. This discomfort is lessened towards members of other species, though they are still prone to social claustrophobia.

Elowey lack significant sexual dimorphism, with nonreproductive females being indistinguishable from males (aside from genitalia, which is brightly colored in males). Reproductive females go through a pronounced estrus, and hormones from pregnancy induce permanent bodily changes, mostly in the form of longer fur and greater muscle mass.

The most basic social unit of elowey is a reproductive pair, their young, and nonreproductive siblings/family. Typical families only have one reproductive pair at a time, and the presence of a reproductive female actually suppresses the fertility of other females. They give birth to 1-2 young at a time, which are helpless for a couple months until they begin to walk. 

-----

Caelin and Delkhin:

Caelin and Delkhin are two closely related drakes (pterosauroids of this setting), with locomotive forelimbs (wings) and manipulative hind limbs.

Both are obligate carnivores who supplement their diets only occasionally with plant matter, and as such large populations can only be supported by ecosystems with massive herds, or intensive animal agriculture. Both have ancestors who scavenged on the dead, with active hunting being a byproduct/driving factor of sapience.

Males develop large, colorful wattles, and all possess the ability to create booming songs with their gular sacks (though the calls of males average louder). Females are typically smaller than males in both species, and have dull coloration

The two are closely related enough to produce young, but their eggs are often inviable and the young are rarely fertile. In spite of this, there is frequent gene flow between the two and hybrids are relatively common.

The sex of offspring in both species is determined by incubation temperature, with profound societal implications- often sons are intentionally limited.

The pre-sophont ancestors of both reproduced in lek based mating systems, which remains an influence on modern social behavior. The basic social unit of both caelin and delkhin societies is the lek, typically one (sometimes more) breeding males, several females, and their offspring. 

Caelin:

Caelin are about the size of egrets, and capable of powered flight. Their ancestors followed herds of bison, aurox, horses, and khait to scavenge on the dead and dying, which developed into more active management and domestication.

There are a few subspecies of caelin, though most are indistinct from one another (aside from the very small polar caelin).

Caelin are the most widespread sophont of all, having settled anywhere in the world that could support them, though the areas with highest populations are the great steppes of the west. There are few populations historically existing in human-dominated areas, as they tend to compete for food resources.

They are capable of a unique mode of subsistence, scavenger nomadism. Scavenger-nomads fly from place to place seeking dead or dying animals as food sources.

Delkhin

Delkhin are flightless and significantly larger than caelin, standing between 3-5ft in height and weighing several times as much as their relatives. They possess a small horn jutting from the back of the skull, larger and colorful in males.

There are few populations of delkhin outside of Cynozepal and the western grasslands. Their reliance on meat and relatively large size keeps their populations at a low density with great difficulty adjusting to other regions.

Delkhin have notched beaks and strong necks that allow manipulation of larger and heavier objects, and their 'hands' are deft at handling smaller ones.

-----

Qilik

Qilik are roughly turkey sized protobirds. Their ancestors glided, but modern qilik have lost much of their gliding ability as their wings were re-repurposed for manipulation. Their hands have two mobile fingers and one mostly immobile claw.

Qilik would be considered a genus rather than species. There are several species + subspecies of qilik, with the most distinct species being the plains qilik (which are larger, with long thin tails and smaller wings) and the forest qilik (which are smaller, with fans on their tails, broader wings, and are better climbers). More isolated populations have more derived features, such as the small and nocturnal cave dwelling qilik of the deadlands. All are interfertile with significant gene flow between most.

Qilik are omnivores and primarily insectivorous. Their ability to survive on insects makes them one of the least competitive for resources with other sophonts, and as such qilik populations commonly overlap with others and may be indigenous to the same areas.

Most populations are native to forested regions with a high density of insects.  Those who have taken up animal husbandry spread to the plains and eat a more meat-based diet.

Qilik have sexual trimorphism - large, dull colored females, smaller, brightly colored males, and larger, dull colored 'feminine' males (faeder).

Mating occurs seasonally, and most individuals lack any significant sex drive out of season. Hens typically mate with multiple males and mating pairs do not form permanent bonds.

The most common social unit is same-gender (or hen/faeder) flocks which are interdependent but live primarily homosocial lives, with hens/faeder doing most work while groups of males care for children. Their social systems are highly plastic, however, and great variety exists.

-----

Talking crows

Talking crows are crows. They produce language and have complex societies, and can intelligently communicate with other sophonts via mimicry. They may give the impression of being child-like or 'animalistic' to other sophonts, as they struggle with large numbers and certain abstract concepts (and live overall similarly to their non-sophont corvid relatives) but excel beyond any other at cognitive mapping, memory, and navigation.

They do not differ significantly in anatomy from other crows, though notched beaks and flexible feet allow for more deft manipulation of tools. Because of their appearance and relative isolation from other sophonts, they are often interpreted as supernatural beings or 'talking animals'.

-----

Archin

Archin are sapient ant colonies. The only known extant population of the species occurs in the Red Rock Archipelago far southeast in the world-sea, and has been isolated from other sophonts for the majority of its history.

Rather than an individual animal, archin consciousness and personhood exists in the collective. Archin consciousness is an emergent property of colonies, with individuals being somewhat akin to cells composing a brain. 

They are not a hivemind in any literal sense, rather they use the same methods of chemical and touch communication as most other eusocial insects (only highly specialized and with enough plasticity to communicate abstract concepts and understand language).

A single archin has more complex cognitive ability than most ants, and most vertebrates for that matter (better memory, complex motor skills, problem solving) and fully functional as an organism, but is not sapient on her own. Individuals are also very large for ants- about an inch long, with strong jaws capable of deft tool manipulation,

Archin colonies are composed of ‘units’ of 50-100 ants, each unit being functionally an individual personality. A single archin lives about a year, but a unit can survive and retain memories for decades. A unit usually has a set job within the colony, but their role may shift throughout their life. They will usually choose a 'name', and identify themselves with chemical and some visual signals.

A full colony (~1000-3000 individuals) blurs the lines between a person, family, and tribe. It can function as one broad consciousness, but cannot ‘think’ quickly and efficiently as a unit.

Each colony has one queen, who functions as the womb of the group. Her lifespan determines the lifespan of the colony, (up to 60 years in a healthy individual), during which time she will lay eggs yearly. The queen is no more or less intelligent than any other individual archin and contributes little to the collective consciousness, but her importance to the colony's longterm survival makes her uniquely valued over any other individual.

Drones (reproductive males) function as the sperm cells of the group, and are used to forge alliances with other colonies. They die upon mating and contribute nothing to archin consciousness, though their reproductive value makes them the second-most protected individuals in a colony.

Individual archin instinctually reject 1:1 inter-colony communication, which is necessary to not interfere with their consciousness. When parts of different colonies combine, it can lead to units becoming confused and disoriented, or 'mentally ill'. This may be resolved into rogue units, who roam apart from their colonies until they die (or are successfully divided and restored).

Consciousness does not extend beyond a colony. However, due to the highly plastic nature of archin consciousness, it is possible for colonies who lose their queens or suffer great loss of population to perform mergers with other colonies and form new identities. Relations between colonies vary- each has allies and enemies. Allied colonies may form 'nations' and even have forms of governance, though this is near-universally decentralized.

While their mode of consciousness is quite alien to other sophonts, coexistence, communication, and even friendships are possible. A unit is functionally a person with their own personality, with likes, dislikes, curiosity, favorite foods, aesthetic sensibilities, etc. Archin also exhibit highly abstract thought and have forms of religious sensibility.

[mochinomnoms]

shark reader and Floyd would be so cute. Opposites attract is my fav troupe. Shark s/o is like a calm reserved mer and Floyd is just…. A menace 💀💀

-🌑

A cute lemon shark s/o would be a great fit for Floyd “The Menace™” Leach. They're highly social and calm, especially for a predator, wild lemon sharks will sometimes approach divers for pets! Over all, lemon shark s/o is chill, slightly bigger than Floyd, and will allow Floyd to bite, scratch, and squeeze them to his heart's content as long as he follows up with a kiss.

Floyd, on the other hand, wants to try to find their weak spot that will eventually break them until they toss him with their tail 50ft into the nearest current. Then it's a game of “who can throw the other one farther”? Hint: it's not Floyd.

It's a good match though, as Floyd, believe it or not, can actually mellow out if he has someone that will go with the flow and indulge him occasionally, as long as they aren't a doormat and can be firm on when certain behaviors have a time or place.

[capybonara]

I want to follow the idea done by others of explaining their zora kingdoms, but since the zorca technically have no kingdom I've hit my own obstacle on how to share this info. So I figured I'll just post here and there and then figure out how to compile it all together (maybe do a directory similar to werewolfsisters comic one!) but yeah!! Basically I just wanna share this stuff and it won't get done if I don't do it so HERE WE GO! DIVE! DIVE! DIVE!

The Zorca (Zora Orca)

🐋 The Basics The average zorca is larger than a hylian zora, ranging from 15 to 20 ft in height. They're bulkier and wider, carrying more fat/blubber which protects them from harsh elements, being completely immune to ice and lightning specifically. Because of their size they don't go inland very often.

Unlike the zora in Hyrule, the zorca have more mammalian traits. They have blowholes in order to breathe in oxygen, they give live birth and nourish their young with milk, they have fat and blubber instead of scales, and they use echolocation to hunt and detect things (a fantastic visual comparison can be found here!)

The zorca are nomadic by nature and are highly adaptable. They can thrive in artic/subarctic, tropical and subtropical areas. They are apex predators meaning they are at the top of the food chain. Their diet consists of fish, and other marine life such as seals, sharks, whales, and monsters. Zorca don't stay in one place too long to avoid over hunting (other races gotta eat too!) They don't prey upon other Hylian races, but there have been some startling encounters between them and their smaller zora cousins at times!

🐋 Their Hierarchy Zorca families are matriarchal. A female zorca, usually the progenitor of the pod, leads her family. And she passes all her knowledge down to her daughters, from hunting techniques, migration routes, to child rearing. 

The Grandmother Matriarch, her sisters, and eldest daughters all form a council and make decisions for the pod. Daughters of each generation are taught the lessons of their foremothers and become a potential candidate as a future leader. 

Choosing a matriarch of a pod is a once in a lifetime event since zorca are a long lived race. While each woman is raised to become a candidate for matriarch, in the end, the role is bestowed through a vote from the entire pod. Creating a new pod is surprisingly not as common either. Daughters are allowed to strike out on their own to establish their own, but they find it difficult to maintain without the support of their family. Many end up returning to their original pod with a child or two in tow! 🐋 Social Behaviors

🫧 A pod is led by a Grandmother Matriarch. Decisions are made between her, her sisters (if any) and her eldest daughters. Said decisions include things like where to travel, when to hunt, and on the rarest occasion – who to exile.

🫧 Both male and female zorca have privileges and restrictions among the family.

🫧 All adults save for the very elderly, pregnant or nursing are expected to help in a hunt. 

🫧 Mother’s with young children or who are expecting get first pick of each hunt. If asked, men will give up their share to help them keep their strength up.

🫧 Male zorca are allowed more freedom than their sisters. They are slightly spoiled; with mothers hunting for them more than their daughters. The goal is to see their sons reach adulthood so they can sire healthy babies.

🫧 The men are allowed to leave the pod whenever they want without being questioned. And they can be absent for as long as they wish. Most of the time they visit other pods to court zorca. Ultimately, many return to their matrilineal pods.

🫧 Women zorca stay with their mothers and grandmother to learn about the responsibilities of leadership. There are other roles they can choose from ranging from lead hunter, bard/historian, teacher, midwife, scouting, diplomat/envoy and many more.

💖 Courtship 💖

🫧 Turning the Wheel - A large courtship event where many zorca pods come together and participate in a “race” that begins in the Lanayru Sea and ends at the center of Rist Peninsula. During the journey, individuals may find a partner to race with, and may choose to pursue a relationship if they reach the end together. All are welcome to join; new faces, experienced runners, those with non-zorca partners. The event itself does not have to be finished, there’s no prize for anyone who arrives first. It’s about the camaraderie and celebration of life! Zorca don't have to wait for the courting event to seek partnerships either. It's just easier when all the pods are together in one space.

🫧 Male zorca employ various methods to attract partners. From feats of strength, athletic displays and singing. They can form bonds with partners of any gender which can last a lifetime. 

🫧 Fights can break out between competing individuals, but the injuries are never too serious.

🫧 Teeth Raking can be a form of affection during courtship. A zorca runs their teeth along the skin of the one they're courting. It can often leave light marks, and possibly more permanent scars depending on how rough they are.

🫧 Zorca are polygamous but men and women can develop a preference towards a partner if their bond is strong enough. Example, two zorca may meet repeatedly over the years to produce children.

🤝 Bonds with other Hylian Races 🤝

🫧 While it's not taboo for a zorca to seek the company of someone from another race, it's preferred their trysts help increase their population.

🫧 Even so, some prefer to love freely without the heavy responsibility hanging over their heads. As well as not having to deal with the difficulty of finding another zorca somewhere in the vast ocean!

🫧 More often than not, these particular relationships rarely form lasting bonds due to the zorca’s nomadic nature.

[respect-the-locals]

🦈 Daily Shark Fact: 🦈

Shortfin Mako Sharks, of all the sharks studied, have the most significant brain-to-body ratio, making it a fast-learning species that initially demonstrated caution that evolved into novel behaviors during testing. For example, in research presented in a documentary aired on Shark Week, mako sharks learned to allow researchers to hand feed and touch them. This is a testament to their extremely impressive critical reasoning and social skills.