*deep, deep, deep inhale*
since Shier Whia are a worldwide invasive species, wouldn't it would make sense for there to be different kinds of Shier Whia based on region, built solely for their environment?
while Shier Whia are a jack-of-all-trades species, since they copy the survival behavior of the dominant species of whichever region they're in, they do tend to thrive in dark, damp places with lots of open spaces - large caverns, roofed woodlands, underground caves, etc etc.
which means they aren't the best in large, brightly-lit places with no dry caves or alcoves to nest in.
say, beaches, lakes, oceans, swamps - for example.
so what if there was a subspecies of Shier Whia that specifically evolved to survive in places with large amounts of water?
they evolved a long time ago - they're just really shy.
meet the semi-aquatic cousins of the god-eating Shier Whia: Syncari - also known as "sea-treaders" in a long-forgotten language. [pronounced sin-cah-ri]
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= origin =
Syncari are rather enigmatic regarding their origins. there are theories that they were bred into existence by zoologists, while other theories state that they are simply a product of very sped-up selective breeding.
the only thing we know for sure is that they are built solely for water and aquatic habitats. to take them out of any body of water for too long is to kill them.
= general appearance & anatomy, roughly =
Syncari are visually much different than their older Shier Whia cousins, with both sexes being rather indistinguishable from one another. the only giveaway that a Syncari is male is the fluorescent tattoos running the length of their spine and tails, along with the colorful display of various antennae and colored scales they tend to don. generally, females look rather dull in comparison, color-wise at least.
Syncari's appearances tend to vary depending on the body of water they inhabit.
for example, ocean and river Syncari greatly resemble seals and otters, in that their eyes are rather large and angled, and suited for both water and air. wetland/swamp Syncari have more hooded, reptilian eyes - resembling crocodiles and alligators.
similarly to Shier Whia, they take the form of humans, but like...improved. they barely have any of the structure issues we have. except they have larger, ribbed ears that act like a shark's electric sensors, and are often digitigrade with long, catlike tails with pretty flares/tufts at the end. their skin tends to be rather desaturated and dark, especially for Syncari who inhabit more shallow waters. very rarely will you ever see an albino or pale-skinned Syncari.
they tend to be very long and slender, with large ribcages and unnaturally flexible spines. they also tend to have a larger range of motion regarding their jaws, allowing most Syncari to catch their food easier. especially swamp Syncari, who have a pharyngeal jaw that shoots out from their throat to kill prey.
the average Syncari's height varies depending on their habitat. ocean variants can reach about 12-20 feet in length, sea variants are around 8-10 feet, lake and river variants reach 6-7 feet, and swamp/wetland variants are the smallest, the biggest swamp Syncari clocking in at 6'1. not to mention the sub-category, the pond variant, often clocking in at 3-5 feet in length.
while they DO have the capacity to be bipedal, most Syncari find it more comfortable to walk on all fours, oftentimes lowered to the ground to minimize their presence. swamp variants crawl on their stomachs, for some reason.
