This is an article about Separa'Shan Physiology. Any body systems not listed generally act like they would do in humans.

The Separa'Shan is a race of Lamia, with a tail replacing the lower half of a human torso. While the lower body of all Separa is replaced by a long tail, their upper bodies slide between a snake-man or be more human-like sometimes close enough to be considered human.

For more, visit the "How to Create a Separa'Shan" for more detail.

Details about Separa'Shan Physiology.

Separa'Shan have hair in the same places as a human. Pythus can grow facial hair normally and Venis typically do not grow hair on the chin or sideburns.

Most Separa'Shan have eyes that are slitted like a snake. However, some have more normal human eyes. Their eyes come in a full arrangement of various eye colors. Their eyes are very keen at tracking movement. Separa'Shan who have not yet reached adulthood have fuzzy vision but can still make out movements and shapes.

The nose looks similar to humans for Pythus Separa'Shan, but Venis tend to have a snout like nose. Unlike the more human nose, the snout-like nose has heat-sensing pits. Both noses have a reduced ability to smell when compared to a human nose, but this weakness is balanced by the tongue's abilities.

Separa'Shan typically have pointed ears similar to elves.

Separa'Shan teeth appear deceptively human-like. Their Canine teeth are fully formed fangs. Unlike human teeth, they are mounded on a bone structure that allows them to drop farther and wider then a human's mouth would. This allows Separa'Shan to bite enemies easier. Their mouth can expand and open wider to allow a Separa'shan to swallow large portions about 2 to 4 feet wide and 6 feet long. However, such large portions often take weeks or months to fully digest and may leave the Separa'Shan more lethargic than usual as their body processes such a large meal.

The tongue is a forked tongue rather than a human one that is used to smell and taste the air at the same time. The tongue has a smaller range of taste than that of a human's tongue, but can determine which direction the smell/taste is coming from, allowing it to track smell lingering in the air, and only needs a small mouth opening to dash out for a sample.

Due to the change of the digestive tract mostly being in the lower part of the body, the upper body bone structure is geared to allow larger portions to be swallowed. This means that all of the organs in the chest move as something large makes it's way down. This also means that their vital organs are much farther from the center of mass then a human's organs would be. Eating something too large may cause damage to the organs on its way down.

Separa'Shan, regardless of their variation, all share similar layouts to their snake-like body. These can be found near their waist at the front, where males are known to have retractable hemipenes and females with a traditional vulva. This is often why Separa'Shan can be seen wearing something where their bodies meet.

Separa'Shan hands and arms are nearly identical to human hands and arms. However, they tend to be more claw-like. Venis may also sometimes have spines sticking away from the hands on the arms.

The Tail is made up of numerous smaller bones bonded loosely fit together with multiple muscles attached within, this allows the Separa'shan to push its body along the surface to move. On the outside of the tail is a sequence of scales that behave similar to something like stone shoes, the main purpose is keeping the tail protected from objects that could cause harm by simply slithering across them. The stomach is right at the waist where the tail and torso are joined, and their digestive tract and reproductive organs are also located close to where you would expect a human would have theirs.

Their Tails also have a very wide variety of colors and patterns. Their tails come in almost any color imaginable, common ones include black, brown, tan, orange, yellow, gray, blue, and green. Patterns include Solid, Speckled, Stripes, Spots, Crossbands, Rings, Blotches, Diamonds, and more. The coloration and pattern is usually similar to others in their family.

Unlike humans, Separa'Shan are ectotherms, which means that they have no internal means of regulating metabolic function. In cold weather, they tend to be sluggish as their metabolisms slow down, whereas in warm weather they tend to eat more and move more quickly. This also makes them hard to detect on termal imaging as they are the same temperature as their surroundings. They don’t get their energy from caloric intake the way humans do. This allows Separa'Shan to go longer without meals.

Separa'Shan are most comfortable at an internal body temperature of 30-35 °C (86-95 °F). Separa'Shan prefer living accommodations with a warming spot and a cooling spot just outside of these ranges. They are minimally impeded in internal body temperature ranges between 20-50 °C (68-122 °F). If their internal body temperature goes below 20 °C they become sleepy, irritable, and brain function slows down significantly. The reason for this is that their body is going into a hibernation mode to protect them from low temperatures. They can survive in hibernation temperatures down to -10 °C due to a natural antifreeze they produce. If their internal body temperature goes above 50 °C, they are in danger of overheating. Due to normal Yamataian temperatures being on the cold side, many Separa'Shan wear clothing with heating elements included.

Separa'Shan do use 'hugging' friends and even occasionally strangers to regulate their temperature. They view sunning themselves as a social activity, with many Separa'Shan gathered in a single place to socialize.

Separa'shan have four primary ways of moving the Serpentine method, the Concertina method, Sidewinding, and Rectilinear motion. The Serpentine method is how they normally move at a walking pace. They push off of various objects in their environment to make forward progress. However, this method is ineffective on smooth surfaces such as glass. The Concertina method allows them to brace the back portion of their bodies and extend the forward part. This is often used to get through tight spaces. Sidewinding is typically used on loose or slippery surfaces. Rectilinear motion is a slow, creeping, straight movement. They use some of the wide scales on their belly to grip the ground while pushing forward with the others.

While all Separa have a venom sack in the back of their mouth, only the Venis race has an active one. The venom is secreted to the teeth in the same way saliva is used to break down proteins and is controllable as long as they don't think how hungry they are. The venom is a mix of nerotoxin and hemotoxins which typically paralyze the victim, though more powerful venom is rarer. The lethality and purpose of the venom is largely dependent on the Clan, as a war focused clan will more likely develop this trait to be more lethal.

Charts to help determine colors for your Separa'Shan. Their tails have a staggering amount of variety in their coloration and patterns.

The Separa'Shan life cycle consists of four stages. It should be noted that the egg laying season and the Ascension period are biannual events but the times are different for each species (Venis and Pythus).

The lifecycle of a Separa'Shan begins when they are laid as Eggs. There is significant variation in number of eggs per laying with some laying as few was one to as many as eighty. The typical number of eggs laid is between six and thirty. In pre-Yamtai Essia, roughly only 20% of hatchlings would survive to ascension. Eggs are typically laid during biannual events that have spiritual significance. They consider this a sacred stage of life and once it has begun no living soul may interfere with the development of the eggs on pain of death by consumption or fitting means.

After they hatch, the Separa'shan appear to be nothing more than snakes that are slightly larger than average earth snakes. They are cared for by their parents who are probably the only ones who can recognize their own offspring. During this time, Separa'shan often hunt for their own food. It is thought by some that hunting for their own food builds empathy.

Another sacred right in their culture. This typically happens around the 14th birthday. This is the time in a young Separa's life when he or she transforms into their adult form. Always proceeded by a feast that provides the fuel for the bodily metamorphosis, the young are sealed into a quiet cave which they can only leave in their adult forms. The transformation typically takes about a week and begins with the child growing to the size of a teenager before the arms grow out. A stockpile of Fruits is always made available to the young adults because they're starving when they're finished, followed by a festival for the family.

After their ascension, a Separa'Shan is considered an adult. This is the final stage of the life cycle, they'll continue to grow indeterminately, but very slowly. Because of this, they will need to shed their skin from time to time.

Soban updated this article on 2018/05/17 19:44.