Waterweasel Anatomy
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Waterweasels have a wide verity of varying traits on top of their base characteristics. In this section we will be discussing both the constant and fluctuating elements that make up Waterweasel anatomy… How those traits might effect the life/behavior of the Waterweasel, and why. Blow is an example of the average Waterweasel body without any special variations. Click on the names of the body parts to learn more about them.
All Waterweasels have eyes that are specially designed to see well on land or underwater. They have large lens inside their vitreous humor giving them a wide field of vision, and the ability to focus on objects much further away. Plus the tapetum lucidum behind the retina give them excellent night vision. Their iris can also expand or contract dramatically to protect their very sensitive retina from damage if there is too much light (similar to a cats eyes).
Solid Eyes
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The standard for Waterweasel eyes is for the iris to be the same color as the pupil. So the expansion or contraction is virtually invisible to the naked eye… we only know it dose this at all thanks to the other variations.
Colored Pupils
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This uncommon variant is identified by the high contrast in color between the iris and the pupil. However on a more interesting note it would also appear that the lens and pupil of these Waterweasels tends to be a bit smaller then that of a standard solid eye. It gives them a shorter and slightly more narrow field of vision, however nothing that would impede they're over all well being.
Shaped Pupils
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A special variant that is recognized exactly as its name suggests, by the shape of the pupil. For the majority of Waterweasels that have colored pupils those pupils are going to have a round shape… But a small percent will have abnormally shaped pupils. This trait mutation can be subtle or dramatic, however it is always symmetrical/constant in both eyes. The shapes of these unusual pupils have also seemed to be unlimited in the kinds of shapes they can take. As for how it can effect the Waterweasels sight is very unique to each case. Also as a side note this trait can sometimes pop up in solid or blind eyes too, it's just impossible to to see it.
Blind Eyes
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This is the most rare of the eye variations fortunately, and it only seems to occur under very specific circumstances. Also to clarify this title only refers to Waterweasels that have been born blind… granted its even more unlikely to find a Waterweasel that has lost their sight over time, or from a violent altercation. To have a Waterweasel be born without sight you need one major component, both parents that carry the mutation. This doesn’t mean they both are blind just that they both have that abnormality in their DNA. And even with a couple that both have this trait its still only a 1 in 10 chance the gene will be active in their offspring.
This inherited blindness is caused by cataracts that develop while the Waterweasel is still gestating in the egg. The iris will also have little or no pigment, resulting in the whole eye appearing white and cloudy. Waterweasels that have this affliction tend to seek out dark places (even though they can’t see anything), since bright lights can still cause them discomfort due to their pale irises.
A Waterweasels mouth is quite sensitive in large part to the special function of the interior skin. There is a dense network of blood vessels just under the surface of the skin in the mouth and throat. This delicate skin absorbs oxogen from the air and transfers it into the blood stream, enabling the Waterweasels to breath on land. The only drawback of this system is that it is quite vulnerable, any kind of scaring or burn could force them to live underwater preeminently. Hence why most Waterweasels avoid eating pray still alive, or things that are hot.
Next let's talk about a Waterweasels teeth. As stated earlier all Waterweasels are carnivores, and have a carnivorous diet. So it should be no surprise that they have sharp teeth to assist with the capture and consumption of pray. However it is interesting that the length, size, and placement of their canines can vary quite a bit… there is no concert evidence for why this is.
Last is a bit of an oddity, some Waterweasels can grow whiskers… again it’s unsure as to why. Regardless they are similar to the “whiskers” on a catfish being an actual part of their body rather than hairs that can be shed and replaced. These whiskers appear to function in the same way too, detecting minute changes in the air or water that could indicate pray or danger. Also they only seem to be able to grow on their cheeks and brow line.
This is the outer shell of the ear, made completely from cartilage, and has little mobility. The shape is almost aways a large round dish like shape, funneling sound to the ear canal. However on occasion you’ll see Waterweasels with damaged or oddly shaped pinna… it is debatable how this might effect their hearing.
This small external flap of cartilage protects the ear drum and canal when underwater. It closes and opens on reflex, and notable for typically being a different color than the rest of the ear.
The gills of a Waterweasel are very vital to their well being and survival, with the versatility and variety it provides them in terms of habitat they can call home. Their euryhaline gills are specially designed to take in a wide range of salinities, enabling them to breath in fresh or salt water. This evolutionary trait is speculated to be a result of their migratory habits when looking for a mate, but currently only a popular theory.
Normal Gills
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This the most common of the types of Waterweasel gills. There really isn’t anything else of importance to say here that hasn’t already been said… moving on.
Wide Flapped Gills
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These uncommon gills are a verity most frequently seen among Waterweasels that prefer to live in cold salt water. Since when sea ice forms the salt is not crystallized in the ice, it leaves the remaining waters to be relatively salty. This extra salty water makes it denser, and with less h2o to be absorbed. These wider gill slits allow the Waterweasel take in more water to be filtered without exerting excess energy, and maintain regular h2o levels.
External Gills
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This rare and unusual type of gill is typically only seen in Waterweasels that live in extremely static fresh water; such as natural underground reservoirs (caves), high altitude springs, and the occasional lake. Like the name suggests the gill filaments that typically sit behind the gill slits in the pharynx is instead open to the elements, and attached to frills protruding from the gill arch. These external gill filaments can then be moved when the Waterweasel flexes the mussels around its frills agitating the stagnant water. The agitation enables the gill filaments to take h2o from the water into the Waterweasels blood steam. Thanks to this adaptation these Waterweasels can stay still while stocking pray, or relaxing in the static water. Without this adaptation the Waterweasels that lived in these places would have to be constantly on the move just to breath.
The Waterweasel neck is very bulky with lots of extra fat and muscles to protect from attacks, both from other Waterweasels and predators. Male and female Waterweasels are equal in build, and equally willing to fight to protect their homes, partners, or children. Making this adaptation universal in Waterweasels. It is also interesting to note that a Waterweasels health/fitness can be gaged by how large their neck is. The thicker the neck the stronger the Waterweasel.
There is also a special mutation that sometimes happens within the skin around the neck, and occasionally the inter body (see “Dorsal Fin & Caudal Fin” to get more info on that). This particular trait used to be referred too as “Thick Skin Gills”, but now that it has been confirmed to affect the whole neck not just the gills. So the name has been changed to “Thick Neck”. The abnormality affects the epidermis layer of the skin making it much thicker than usual. In most cases it will make this layer of the skin (which is typically only 25mm thick) 3-4 times thicker. This may seem like a small change, but compare those numbers to the average thickness of the human epidermis layer at a measly 0.1mm and you can see how dense that really is. As a result this skin is extremely durable, however its difficult to identify this particular trait unless the Waterweasel in question has sustained some kind of injury. Since on the outside the change is quite subtle, one must look for scars to be able to see the difference. On a typical Waterweasel scars are very faint and hardly noticeable, where as on Waterweasels with a denser epidermis the scar tissue becomes much more pronounce. This mutation appears to be a kind of last line of defense, and is very helpful to stave off otherwise fatal attacks to the neck. Many people believe that this mutation will become more, and more common with time due to this evolutionary advantage.
This is the webbing in-between all 4 of the front limbs… the webbing is extremely stretchy and durable with frequent shedding of top layers to keep this skin springy and elastic. Old layers are easily washed off underwater or rubbed off on bushes. The purpose for the webbing is to help with stability and speed while swimming.
Typically very strong and muscular, resembling a large cats such as a cougar. These limbs also tend to be notably thicker than the midlimbs.
Little is known as to why Waterweasels have these seemingly superfluous limbs. There are many theories, but the two most common are as follows…
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They are a development that allows them to always carry their oculus, and still have full function of their other 4 limbs.
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It is a left over trait from WAY down the evolutionary line such as the appendix or the tail bone. Eventually the midlimb will get smaller and thiner until it no longer appears at all.
The hind legs of a Waterweasel are the most prominent visual connection they have to their amphibious genus brethren. These powerful legs can jump as high as 12 feet into the air, and run up to 20mph.
Like a frog or most aquatic life, this webbing increases the Waterweasels ability to swim quickly. And just like the patagium webbing the Waterweasel frequently sheds off the top layers of skin to keep the webbing in premium shape.
The tail of a Waterweasel is 1/3 of the length of their entire body and extremely muscular. This long muscular tail can propel them through the water, or be used to cause some serious blunt force damage. Their tails also have the most flexibility when moving side to side rather than up and down, this helps their ability to swim and keep balance.
The fins on a Waterweasel are key to their survival, without them they would barely be able to swim underwater and be totally incapable of hunting for any aquatic food that is a staple of their daily diet. Without fins it wouldn’t be long before a Waterweael would start to starve and suffer from major nutritional deficiencies. Of course these fins also assist balance and speed, however this is really secondary to the first point made.
Now let's take a look at the multiple verities that Waterweasel fins come in. We’ll be focusing on how these different types of fins affect the behavior/livelihood of the Waterweasel, how rare they might be, and their biological construction.
Cartilaginous Fins
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This is what the average Waterweasels fins look like. One dorsal fin and caudal fin made from cartilage, and shaped similar to that of a sharks. The shape can very slightly from one Waterweasel to the next, but not enough to become their own categories. These cartilaginous fins are not made completely out of cartilage, they do have a skeletal structuring in the center of the fin. However these bones are not a part of the main skeleton of the body. Instead they have a very complex network of ligaments, tendons, and connective tissue to enable flexible but precise movement. Hence why it’s not too surprising that this is the most common of the fin types thanks to its duality, and versatility.
Thick Skin Fins
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Unlike the others this uncommon fin type actually affects the whole body. However sometimes the trait will only effect small regions of the body (see “Neck” to get more info about that) rather than the whole body, but they are not classified under this fin type. The abnormality affects the epidermis layer of the skin making it much thicker than usual. In most cases it will make this layer of the skin (which is typically only 25mm thick) 3-4 times thicker. This may seem like a small change, but compare those numbers to the average thickness of the human epidermis layer at a measly 0.1mm and you can see how dense that really is.
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As a result this skin is extremely durable, however its difficult to identify this particular trait unless the Waterweasel in question has sustained some kind of injury. Since on the outside the change is quite subtle, one must look for scars to be able to see the difference. On a typical Waterweasel scars are very faint and hardly noticeable, where as on Waterweasels with the denser epidermis the scar tissue becomes much more pronounce. Interestingly this thick skin syndrome only appears on Waterweasels with cartilaginous fins… this is most likely due to the genetic requirements for the mutation.
Frilled Fins
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The frilled fin is a special verity that resembles the types of fins on a lionfish, or walleye. They are made from a fairly delicate construction of boney spines incased in cartilage with a thin membrane stretched between them. These spines are attached directly the rest of the skeleton unlike cartilaginous fins, giving them less flexibility than one might expect. However this additional rigidness provides much needed support to the thin membranes.
Eel Fins
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This is the most rare of the fin types, and highly revered among Waterweasels for its visual grace and impressive speed. The fin is made almost entirely out of a very thick membrane with floating thin flexible spines that are cartilage at the tips and bone at the base. At the end of each of these spines is an elaborate structure of muscles, which the Waterweasel can control with ease. The edge of the eel fin is smooth unlike the frilled, greatly decreasing drag. It is the combination of these elements that makes the eel fin so superior… with the lighter more aerodynamic fins, and pinpoint precision of the spines they have unmatched speed/agility. Plus form a visual standpoint its hard to deny their elegance and beauty.
Double Dorsal Fin
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There is another extremely rare mutation that a few Waterweasels have, the double dorsal fin. This mutation appears to increases the agility of the Waterweasel, and is seen in all fin types except for the eel. The mutation functions just like its name suggests… the Waterweasel effected is born with an extra dorsal fin, simple as that.
