Pin Snakes
The Pin Snake is a small, harmless snake, domesticated and trained for use in traditional Brossal clothing. Its state as a Fringe Animals is a source of current intense debates.
Etymology
The Name Pin Snake comes from its ability to stiffen its body to an almost metal-like ability to resist deformation or bending, with the added bonus that it does not break but just unfurls.
Uses
These Animals can be easily trained to stiffen (called colloquially as a Clasp) and relax (furl) at command, usually a tender stroke of the top skin from the head down is enough to trigger the reflex. At this point, it will retain its current form until hunger or other the need for excretion arises. Repeating the same movement tells a trained animal to furl by command.
Most young Brossal Inhabitants will own at least one Pin Snake in their life and use it to keep outer garments closed and secured to the Body.
It can be trained to partially release its body, which enables the user to bend it into a more convenient shape.
Using sufficiently wide Materials to connect to the Snake Body ensures that the Animal does not suffer Harm and has a long and Happy Life.
Despite many attempts of outside groups to prove differently, Pin Snakes seem to enjoy the Task they are used for. In some cases, older Snakes can rip or overstretch Material by tensing of their bodies, indicating that medium tension against their stiffened Body might feel agreeable.
In Contrast, many in Drusseodia at large state that the Pin Snake was not created for this task but used for this task because of a natural instinct already present in the Animal, contradicting the notion that it was created on purpose (and/or with Magic)
Basic Information
Anatomy
Pin Snakes are elongated, limbless, omnivorous reptiles with a size of up to 15 centimeter.
Their heads are barely wide enough for the two dark eyes and a stubby toothless mouth.
They can have a wide variety of different metallic tones with a distinct brushed metal sheen to them. Most common is a light silver or pewter color.
Genetics and Reproduction
Despite being a great example of a Fringe Animal, it has redeveloped the Ability to breed without need or intervention from Humans, causing a lengthy and heated Debate about both the definition of what makes an Animal a Fringe Animal and the Status of the Species at large.
Oh how jolly we Humans would be, if we could become like the Pin Snake.
If you feel like it, have some fun with someone sexy and then make the Kids yourself.
Central Argument in this Debate is that Pin Snakes do not require a Mate to reproduce, as there is no exchange of gene material during the process. As far as Science can understand it currently, they just do it to have some fun, and then lay elongated soft eggs.
Traditional Reproduction
The "Traditional" Part could be replaced with "Human Intervention" and it would be no less fitting.
Infusing a Pin Snake with Magic will trigger a body response in the Snake, causing it to fall into a coma-like state. Its Body will then start to form a second Body that is attached by a fine Seam to the side it is not currently resting on.
After about a Month, the Seam will dry up, and both Snakes snap to life.
Growth Rate & Stages
It takes about a Month to grow an adult Pin Snake from either an Egg or the traditional Cloning.
Incubating the Animal from an Egg is far saver because the Animal can stay awake to feed if necessary, whereas with Cloning it might die if short on stored energy or not properly artificially supplied by Magic.
Ecology and Habitats
Pin Snakes prefer specifically the warmth of Human Bodies but seem to be absolutely complacent if just in the vicinity of one.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Pin Snakes need to be fed through Humans and can survive on anything containing the barest traces of sugar. They can't bite off or chew food, for that reason, any owner must cut up or otherwise prepare food that is small enough for the animal to consume.
They can also survive on purely liquid nutrients, but seem to generally prefer an dry and crunchy texture. A commonly sold type of special feed is Skrench, a flaky shredded rough paper that was drenched in honey mixed with nut paste, then dried completely.
A Pin Snake requires food for each 14 clasps, but will happily eat at any opportunity.
Biological Cycle
While it is believed that they should be able to live indefinitely, the common Pin Snake does not grow older than 12 years due to an inability to remove some toxins they consume through food.
Extremely observant Owners may stretch the Life of their favorite Accessory to 15 years, if a strict diet is followed. However, many enthusiasts claim that the required lack of diverse food makes the animals dull.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Despite their two, in relation to their body, large eyes, they have poor eyesight. Most of their sensory input is gained from a complex system of nerves in their mouths that requires vibrating their tongues at a steady pace to "taste" the air.
Pin Snakes do feel noise as vibrations but do not appear to be able to differentiate one from the other.
Content
Youthfull Games
While Pin Snakes are increasingly replaced with metal-pins and only kept as Pets, in the outskirts of Brossal they are still the primary way of affixing Clothing to the Body.
There, youths that are attracted to each other, might find themselves playfully trying to get each others Pin Snake to furl while chasing each other, in a sense making use of a traditional agreeable method of premeditating copulation.
This puts enormous stress on the poor Animal and thus sentences like: "It didn't work out because my Snake wouldn't loosen" or "I just wanted some fun, but my Snake was too taught" are, by listening for the outburst of laughter, a surefire way to know if your parents are currently listening in on your supposedly private and serious talk with your best buddy.
This Article takes part in
World Anvil Summer Camp 2021
A SPECIES OF WORKING ANIMAL
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Snakes that are tools :O The description is so cute <3. I love reptiles, especially snakes. If I could have a live one pinned to my clothes, I would absolutely die!!!
So happy that you like my article! I honestly do not know much about snakes but just the thought of having a tiny adorable snake holding my jacket closed is so cool to me
Island-Inquest awaits!
Well then, a small detail I would remedy is that snakes do not mate, even in the real world! You could mention that they snuggle, intertwining their bodies together, rather than mentioning mating. IRL the snake lays the egg and the male inseminates it, they do not actually mate, as mammals do. It would be interesting for you to mention that, should a human be unavailable, they rely on another snake's warmth and that is how they form a bond! (I do know that in your world they do not need to inseminate the eggs, but it could be a cool detail.)
That seems like a fun detail. I will have a think about how to incorporate it, thank you very much for this :)
Island-Inquest awaits!
Any time!