How can my Tayan creature excrete waste, whilst buried underground?

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Beneath the sands of the Planet Dalia, their lives an abominable creature, a creature that eats beings whole and slowly, slowly digests them for years at a time. This creature is...The Tayan.



Worshipped by the native aliens as dark gods, most of the Tayan’s victims are slaves of nobles and priests, who sought to appease the dark gods with special “gifts”.



As of late, Dalia is often visited by the occasional sadists, who want their enemies to die in the most horrific way possible. Most of the time, victims are stripped of most belongings, as to prevent any rowdy escape attempts. But, my hero steals a weapon, and falls into the Tayans fuller with it.



The weapon is metallic, with a fusion power cell contained inside it. No acid can possibly corrode it, so god the Tayan it would mean an extremely upset stomach. I have just seen a huge design flaw in my creature. It’s maw is shaped in a way so that things can only go in, not out, so regurgitating indigestible materials that way is impossible. And it’s buried underground, so my question is: How can the Tayan regurgitate indigestible materials, given the circumstances above?



Just Incase you want a visual representation of the Tayan, here is a photo



enter image description here










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  • Sorry in advance about the picture, it was pretty rough sketch but I think it’ll work
    – Robert Paul
    Sep 2 at 21:26






  • 1




    See Earthworms. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthworm
    – ohwilleke
    Sep 10 at 4:36










  • Your title and body of the post seem at odds. The title is "How can my Tayan creature excrete waste, whilst buried underground?" but in the post, you ask "How can the Tayan regurgitate indigestible materials..." Are you asking how to get rid of the byproducts of digestion, or about removing foreign objects that cannot be digested? If it is the second one, you already asked a very similar question about getting rid of sand.
    – John Locke
    Sep 12 at 22:31














up vote
6
down vote

favorite












Beneath the sands of the Planet Dalia, their lives an abominable creature, a creature that eats beings whole and slowly, slowly digests them for years at a time. This creature is...The Tayan.



Worshipped by the native aliens as dark gods, most of the Tayan’s victims are slaves of nobles and priests, who sought to appease the dark gods with special “gifts”.



As of late, Dalia is often visited by the occasional sadists, who want their enemies to die in the most horrific way possible. Most of the time, victims are stripped of most belongings, as to prevent any rowdy escape attempts. But, my hero steals a weapon, and falls into the Tayans fuller with it.



The weapon is metallic, with a fusion power cell contained inside it. No acid can possibly corrode it, so god the Tayan it would mean an extremely upset stomach. I have just seen a huge design flaw in my creature. It’s maw is shaped in a way so that things can only go in, not out, so regurgitating indigestible materials that way is impossible. And it’s buried underground, so my question is: How can the Tayan regurgitate indigestible materials, given the circumstances above?



Just Incase you want a visual representation of the Tayan, here is a photo



enter image description here










share|improve this question























  • Sorry in advance about the picture, it was pretty rough sketch but I think it’ll work
    – Robert Paul
    Sep 2 at 21:26






  • 1




    See Earthworms. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthworm
    – ohwilleke
    Sep 10 at 4:36










  • Your title and body of the post seem at odds. The title is "How can my Tayan creature excrete waste, whilst buried underground?" but in the post, you ask "How can the Tayan regurgitate indigestible materials..." Are you asking how to get rid of the byproducts of digestion, or about removing foreign objects that cannot be digested? If it is the second one, you already asked a very similar question about getting rid of sand.
    – John Locke
    Sep 12 at 22:31












up vote
6
down vote

favorite









up vote
6
down vote

favorite











Beneath the sands of the Planet Dalia, their lives an abominable creature, a creature that eats beings whole and slowly, slowly digests them for years at a time. This creature is...The Tayan.



Worshipped by the native aliens as dark gods, most of the Tayan’s victims are slaves of nobles and priests, who sought to appease the dark gods with special “gifts”.



As of late, Dalia is often visited by the occasional sadists, who want their enemies to die in the most horrific way possible. Most of the time, victims are stripped of most belongings, as to prevent any rowdy escape attempts. But, my hero steals a weapon, and falls into the Tayans fuller with it.



The weapon is metallic, with a fusion power cell contained inside it. No acid can possibly corrode it, so god the Tayan it would mean an extremely upset stomach. I have just seen a huge design flaw in my creature. It’s maw is shaped in a way so that things can only go in, not out, so regurgitating indigestible materials that way is impossible. And it’s buried underground, so my question is: How can the Tayan regurgitate indigestible materials, given the circumstances above?



Just Incase you want a visual representation of the Tayan, here is a photo



enter image description here










share|improve this question















Beneath the sands of the Planet Dalia, their lives an abominable creature, a creature that eats beings whole and slowly, slowly digests them for years at a time. This creature is...The Tayan.



Worshipped by the native aliens as dark gods, most of the Tayan’s victims are slaves of nobles and priests, who sought to appease the dark gods with special “gifts”.



As of late, Dalia is often visited by the occasional sadists, who want their enemies to die in the most horrific way possible. Most of the time, victims are stripped of most belongings, as to prevent any rowdy escape attempts. But, my hero steals a weapon, and falls into the Tayans fuller with it.



The weapon is metallic, with a fusion power cell contained inside it. No acid can possibly corrode it, so god the Tayan it would mean an extremely upset stomach. I have just seen a huge design flaw in my creature. It’s maw is shaped in a way so that things can only go in, not out, so regurgitating indigestible materials that way is impossible. And it’s buried underground, so my question is: How can the Tayan regurgitate indigestible materials, given the circumstances above?



Just Incase you want a visual representation of the Tayan, here is a photo



enter image description here







reality-check xenobiology






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edited Sep 2 at 21:25

























asked Sep 2 at 21:19









Robert Paul

1,71461639




1,71461639











  • Sorry in advance about the picture, it was pretty rough sketch but I think it’ll work
    – Robert Paul
    Sep 2 at 21:26






  • 1




    See Earthworms. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthworm
    – ohwilleke
    Sep 10 at 4:36










  • Your title and body of the post seem at odds. The title is "How can my Tayan creature excrete waste, whilst buried underground?" but in the post, you ask "How can the Tayan regurgitate indigestible materials..." Are you asking how to get rid of the byproducts of digestion, or about removing foreign objects that cannot be digested? If it is the second one, you already asked a very similar question about getting rid of sand.
    – John Locke
    Sep 12 at 22:31
















  • Sorry in advance about the picture, it was pretty rough sketch but I think it’ll work
    – Robert Paul
    Sep 2 at 21:26






  • 1




    See Earthworms. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthworm
    – ohwilleke
    Sep 10 at 4:36










  • Your title and body of the post seem at odds. The title is "How can my Tayan creature excrete waste, whilst buried underground?" but in the post, you ask "How can the Tayan regurgitate indigestible materials..." Are you asking how to get rid of the byproducts of digestion, or about removing foreign objects that cannot be digested? If it is the second one, you already asked a very similar question about getting rid of sand.
    – John Locke
    Sep 12 at 22:31















Sorry in advance about the picture, it was pretty rough sketch but I think it’ll work
– Robert Paul
Sep 2 at 21:26




Sorry in advance about the picture, it was pretty rough sketch but I think it’ll work
– Robert Paul
Sep 2 at 21:26




1




1




See Earthworms. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthworm
– ohwilleke
Sep 10 at 4:36




See Earthworms. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthworm
– ohwilleke
Sep 10 at 4:36












Your title and body of the post seem at odds. The title is "How can my Tayan creature excrete waste, whilst buried underground?" but in the post, you ask "How can the Tayan regurgitate indigestible materials..." Are you asking how to get rid of the byproducts of digestion, or about removing foreign objects that cannot be digested? If it is the second one, you already asked a very similar question about getting rid of sand.
– John Locke
Sep 12 at 22:31




Your title and body of the post seem at odds. The title is "How can my Tayan creature excrete waste, whilst buried underground?" but in the post, you ask "How can the Tayan regurgitate indigestible materials..." Are you asking how to get rid of the byproducts of digestion, or about removing foreign objects that cannot be digested? If it is the second one, you already asked a very similar question about getting rid of sand.
– John Locke
Sep 12 at 22:31










6 Answers
6






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up vote
14
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The Tayan is always growing upwards to match ground level



Leaving any undigestable items behind.



Say that in this environment the ground is slowly rising (sand, big rainstorms, dirt storms, dirt volcano, etc), so this plant creature has to always stay at surface level. Instead of moving upwards, it grows upwards to match. It will have a third compartment at the bottom that will compress extra material (metal bits, very hard to digest material, your gun) into as tightly as it can. It then uses a concrete-like or Amber sap-like substance to seal and solidify the unwanted material. New tissue has been prepared by the plant, and it grows a new bottom of the stomach. The old third compartment's nutrients are cut off by the plant, so it can save resources. This also gives the plant stability as it now was a solid pad to be on top of.



This also provides other story opportunities, such as finding fossilized things under these plants or people hiding things in acid proof boxes to hide them and make them unobtainable for years until the unwanted searcher has left and given up.






share|improve this answer




















  • Hey, good answer. This question may seem stupid, but how does my drawing look. Is it a realistic anatomy for a creature to have?
    – Robert Paul
    Sep 2 at 23:18










  • Robert Paul have you ever seen an ammonite or belanite fossil cross section? The series of chambers gradually growing larger represents phases of the animals life most of the soft parts lived only in the last opened chamber the others are walled off except for a small connecting tissue that allowed gas transfer for buoyancy. It's not too dissimilar to the idea @RobertPaul has had, you could even include the idea of growth chambers if you like.
    – Sarriesfan
    Sep 3 at 16:26










  • @Sarriefsan: Anytihng else
    – Robert Paul
    Sep 3 at 17:51










  • Excellent idea, also the animal kingdom already encloses extraneous bodies in PEARLS. You can also have people feeding Tayans the same way we put grains of sand on seashells to induce the creation of pearls.
    – Gustavo Almeida
    Sep 11 at 21:53










  • And then it can put the pearls in the top mouth part to attract animals and people. Animals and locals being afraid of prescious stones or shiny objects could be added as subtle foreshadowing and help entangle all of the world building elements together.
    – Grant Davis
    Sep 11 at 22:07

















up vote
5
down vote













Firstly, the Tayan has evolved over millions of years just like any other creature. Over most of that period there were few (no?) metallic fusion-powered items in the environment, so it is unlikely that it would have developed any natural strategy to allow it to deal with such a thing. But it quite possibly has evolved to cope with hard/impossible to digest things. From its life-style it is more than likely that the odd rock would fall into its maw, or it would eat a creature with large indigestible fangs/armor etc. One strategy to survive this would be for it to produce a thick coating over the indigestible item, in the same way that an oyster produces a pearl. Sure, it is stuck with this thing in its stomach, but it is also growing over time so the waste items won't necessarily fill its stomach (in fact they could be used as an aid to digestion by helping grind softer items like bones to a powder - a bit like an ostrich that stores stones in its gizzard).



Secondly, there is a bigger issue. Your Tayan is very large, but presumably started its life much smaller - would have eaten rodents as a child and only as an adult can eat things the size of a human. To achieve this it must have some way to remove material (dirt, rocks) that used to be where its body now is. I can imagine two options that don't require it to spit stuff up out of its maw: either it produces an extraordinarily corrosive elucidate on its outer body, so the rock/soil etc. is dissolved and washes away in solution with ground-water; or it has massive muscles that allow it to push dirt outwards and allow it to infill the space. (Or maybe a combination of both strategies). In the latter case, the ground around the Tayan would eventually start to bulge upwards a bit. Seeenter image description here sketch above...






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  • Good answer, but Slight Nitpick. “Sketch Above” Also, what’s the red circle shape inside the Tayan
    – Robert Paul
    Sep 3 at 3:19











  • Oh, so the Tayan grows kinda like a popcorn kernel
    – Robert Paul
    Sep 3 at 3:59






  • 1




    Why would the ground bulge up? Trees push roots through the ground and the ground is flat at the base of them. The only bulging is from surface roots.
    – Daniel
    Sep 5 at 23:08






  • 1




    It's just as likely that the soil is compressed around the body over time. It's a good point though. Actual roots reduce soil mass by absorbing nutrients so they don't have to push away the entire soil mass. This thing though doesn't absorb soil nutrients, it actually expels stuff into the soil making the ground around it more dense.
    – Daniel
    Sep 5 at 23:19






  • 2




    Usually soil is fairly in-compressible. Also, unless the animal has a very different biochemistry from that of carbon-based species we are familiar there will be very little reduction in soil mass by absorption of nutrients. Only a tiny fraction of a plants mass comes from the ground - more than 95% consists Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen (that it gets from water and air). Animals are similar in composition. The roots of trees grow by displacing soil (not compressing it) which is why the ground tends to bulge upwards around a large tree. I believe a buried 'animal' would be similar.
    – Penguino
    Sep 5 at 23:31

















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This is going to be a bit gross, so bear with me. Have you ever gotten something embedded under your skin?



Your body rejects inert matter when it's foreign. If you have something embedded in your skin, a cyst will form around it, full of pus formed by leukocytes trying to protect you from this foreign thing. The cells of your body will slowly work to bring the cyst to the surface, where it becomes a boil. When you lance and drain the boil, you have to make sure whatever foreign matter was causing the problem is also removed, so that the process doesn't just begin again.



I'd combine this process with the way oysters make pearls, or how ambergris is thought to be produced by whales. Your tayan coats inert matter that it's ingested with something to make it less irritating while also having an organ which connects its stomach and skin. This organ specifically forms cysts around the object and slowly moves the object out through the tayan's skin. Since the tayan is constantly increasing its outer surface area as it grows, it never runs out of places on its skin to have a new boil, and it just pushes old "pearls" out of the way, the same way tree roots push through the ground or the way Penguino describes in his answer.



This could be the weakness your hero uses to try and escape the tayan?



Bonus points if people risk their lives trying to dig around tayans for treasure.






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    up vote
    2
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    Here's an idea: the Tayan has some kind of organ that grinds all waste material into a watery paste. (The weapon would not be dissolved. Instead, it would be ground into a fine, powdery substance that would just end up mixed into the paste). This watery paste is taken to another organ on the outside of the creature. This organ is littered with trillions of microscopic pores that leak out this "waste paste" into the sand around it.






    share|improve this answer




















    • Hey, I’m trying to make sure my creature is realistic. Is their anything about the Tayan’s anatomy thy is unrealistic? Thanks
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 2:38






    • 2




      The Tayan does seem to be realistic. However, it does seem a little bit too similar to the Sarlacc from Star Wars.
      – The Weasel Sagas
      Sep 3 at 2:42










    • Ok, so what should I change? Just asking for advice
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 2:46







    • 2




      The outward appearance of the creature that is shown in the sketch is what is causing this problem. Search "Sarlacc Anatomy" on Google images and you will find this looks almost a lawsuit level of similar to it. You don't have to really make any changes to how you described it or anything. Just give the creature a new visual design and it'll be fine.
      – The Weasel Sagas
      Sep 3 at 3:04






    • 2




      Dude, I just remembered, I saw that image on a jpeg years ago. That’s what i subconsciously based this creature on the Sarlaac anatomy photo
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 3:11

















    up vote
    2
    down vote



    +50










    What are the tentacles for?



    Shouldn't they be like nose hairs which stop foreign objects getting into your plant? So anything large the tentacles regard as too hard would be pushed aside which would also stop rocks falling in or tree branches etc.



    There should be an opening of some sort which can close as what happens when it rains? Your plant would fill up with water and drown.



    It would be worth checking out sea anemone for a real world example that is similar to your plant.



    edit



    It has two stomachs, how do they relate to each other. Cows have four I think, though not sure how they process food. I'd think the larger one does the breaking down and then the soup is passed to the next one for actual digestion.
    For excretion, it could sweat out unwanted compounds such as calcium which then has an affect of creating a crust between it and the soil which acts as a protective barrier. It would likely need to exude something to protect it from being eaten by worms, moles, rabbits whatever.



    I assume the tentacles etc are really tough because you wouldn't want someone with a knife falling in and being able to slash the inside of the Tayan.
    How does it stop a person stretching their arms and legs out and wedging in the throat or top of the stomach? Does the surface inside prevent this, is the victim paralysed in some way, is the victim restrained by the tentacles or passed to some other set of tentacles further down?






    share|improve this answer






















    • It’s not a plant, it’s an animal. Also, it’s mouth can close, their a muscular flap over it
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 0:32










    • Also, I intended for the tentacles to be used to grip and drag beings down into its gullet
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 0:33










    • Also, I’m asking for help with my creature design. Is their anything else wrong with it’s anatomy?
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 0:33











    • Hey, is their anything else unrealistic with it’s Anatomy? I’m trying to make this creature as realistic as possible
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 2:04










    • I figured the tentacles were for dragging prey down like the sarlac on Tatooine in Star Wars but they can be used to sift through junk too.
      – Daniel
      Sep 3 at 2:37

















    up vote
    1
    down vote













    This seems pretty simple, there's a lot of good answers here you could combine together to handle objects of various sizes, cysts could be used for medium size for example.



    Overall, just mimic a lung. Lungs have almost all the same problems you're contemplating it seems? The biggest difference is no diaphragm to handle large obstructions, but if the stomach wall is musclebound then it's all the same.



    Small indigestible pieces would be handled the same way a lung does, with cilia. Just bundle up a glob and move it with tiny tentacles to the top of the mouth and out the sides.






    share|improve this answer




















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      6 Answers
      6






      active

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      6 Answers
      6






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes








      up vote
      14
      down vote













      The Tayan is always growing upwards to match ground level



      Leaving any undigestable items behind.



      Say that in this environment the ground is slowly rising (sand, big rainstorms, dirt storms, dirt volcano, etc), so this plant creature has to always stay at surface level. Instead of moving upwards, it grows upwards to match. It will have a third compartment at the bottom that will compress extra material (metal bits, very hard to digest material, your gun) into as tightly as it can. It then uses a concrete-like or Amber sap-like substance to seal and solidify the unwanted material. New tissue has been prepared by the plant, and it grows a new bottom of the stomach. The old third compartment's nutrients are cut off by the plant, so it can save resources. This also gives the plant stability as it now was a solid pad to be on top of.



      This also provides other story opportunities, such as finding fossilized things under these plants or people hiding things in acid proof boxes to hide them and make them unobtainable for years until the unwanted searcher has left and given up.






      share|improve this answer




















      • Hey, good answer. This question may seem stupid, but how does my drawing look. Is it a realistic anatomy for a creature to have?
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 2 at 23:18










      • Robert Paul have you ever seen an ammonite or belanite fossil cross section? The series of chambers gradually growing larger represents phases of the animals life most of the soft parts lived only in the last opened chamber the others are walled off except for a small connecting tissue that allowed gas transfer for buoyancy. It's not too dissimilar to the idea @RobertPaul has had, you could even include the idea of growth chambers if you like.
        – Sarriesfan
        Sep 3 at 16:26










      • @Sarriefsan: Anytihng else
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 17:51










      • Excellent idea, also the animal kingdom already encloses extraneous bodies in PEARLS. You can also have people feeding Tayans the same way we put grains of sand on seashells to induce the creation of pearls.
        – Gustavo Almeida
        Sep 11 at 21:53










      • And then it can put the pearls in the top mouth part to attract animals and people. Animals and locals being afraid of prescious stones or shiny objects could be added as subtle foreshadowing and help entangle all of the world building elements together.
        – Grant Davis
        Sep 11 at 22:07














      up vote
      14
      down vote













      The Tayan is always growing upwards to match ground level



      Leaving any undigestable items behind.



      Say that in this environment the ground is slowly rising (sand, big rainstorms, dirt storms, dirt volcano, etc), so this plant creature has to always stay at surface level. Instead of moving upwards, it grows upwards to match. It will have a third compartment at the bottom that will compress extra material (metal bits, very hard to digest material, your gun) into as tightly as it can. It then uses a concrete-like or Amber sap-like substance to seal and solidify the unwanted material. New tissue has been prepared by the plant, and it grows a new bottom of the stomach. The old third compartment's nutrients are cut off by the plant, so it can save resources. This also gives the plant stability as it now was a solid pad to be on top of.



      This also provides other story opportunities, such as finding fossilized things under these plants or people hiding things in acid proof boxes to hide them and make them unobtainable for years until the unwanted searcher has left and given up.






      share|improve this answer




















      • Hey, good answer. This question may seem stupid, but how does my drawing look. Is it a realistic anatomy for a creature to have?
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 2 at 23:18










      • Robert Paul have you ever seen an ammonite or belanite fossil cross section? The series of chambers gradually growing larger represents phases of the animals life most of the soft parts lived only in the last opened chamber the others are walled off except for a small connecting tissue that allowed gas transfer for buoyancy. It's not too dissimilar to the idea @RobertPaul has had, you could even include the idea of growth chambers if you like.
        – Sarriesfan
        Sep 3 at 16:26










      • @Sarriefsan: Anytihng else
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 17:51










      • Excellent idea, also the animal kingdom already encloses extraneous bodies in PEARLS. You can also have people feeding Tayans the same way we put grains of sand on seashells to induce the creation of pearls.
        – Gustavo Almeida
        Sep 11 at 21:53










      • And then it can put the pearls in the top mouth part to attract animals and people. Animals and locals being afraid of prescious stones or shiny objects could be added as subtle foreshadowing and help entangle all of the world building elements together.
        – Grant Davis
        Sep 11 at 22:07












      up vote
      14
      down vote










      up vote
      14
      down vote









      The Tayan is always growing upwards to match ground level



      Leaving any undigestable items behind.



      Say that in this environment the ground is slowly rising (sand, big rainstorms, dirt storms, dirt volcano, etc), so this plant creature has to always stay at surface level. Instead of moving upwards, it grows upwards to match. It will have a third compartment at the bottom that will compress extra material (metal bits, very hard to digest material, your gun) into as tightly as it can. It then uses a concrete-like or Amber sap-like substance to seal and solidify the unwanted material. New tissue has been prepared by the plant, and it grows a new bottom of the stomach. The old third compartment's nutrients are cut off by the plant, so it can save resources. This also gives the plant stability as it now was a solid pad to be on top of.



      This also provides other story opportunities, such as finding fossilized things under these plants or people hiding things in acid proof boxes to hide them and make them unobtainable for years until the unwanted searcher has left and given up.






      share|improve this answer












      The Tayan is always growing upwards to match ground level



      Leaving any undigestable items behind.



      Say that in this environment the ground is slowly rising (sand, big rainstorms, dirt storms, dirt volcano, etc), so this plant creature has to always stay at surface level. Instead of moving upwards, it grows upwards to match. It will have a third compartment at the bottom that will compress extra material (metal bits, very hard to digest material, your gun) into as tightly as it can. It then uses a concrete-like or Amber sap-like substance to seal and solidify the unwanted material. New tissue has been prepared by the plant, and it grows a new bottom of the stomach. The old third compartment's nutrients are cut off by the plant, so it can save resources. This also gives the plant stability as it now was a solid pad to be on top of.



      This also provides other story opportunities, such as finding fossilized things under these plants or people hiding things in acid proof boxes to hide them and make them unobtainable for years until the unwanted searcher has left and given up.







      share|improve this answer












      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer










      answered Sep 2 at 23:10









      Grant Davis

      60935




      60935











      • Hey, good answer. This question may seem stupid, but how does my drawing look. Is it a realistic anatomy for a creature to have?
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 2 at 23:18










      • Robert Paul have you ever seen an ammonite or belanite fossil cross section? The series of chambers gradually growing larger represents phases of the animals life most of the soft parts lived only in the last opened chamber the others are walled off except for a small connecting tissue that allowed gas transfer for buoyancy. It's not too dissimilar to the idea @RobertPaul has had, you could even include the idea of growth chambers if you like.
        – Sarriesfan
        Sep 3 at 16:26










      • @Sarriefsan: Anytihng else
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 17:51










      • Excellent idea, also the animal kingdom already encloses extraneous bodies in PEARLS. You can also have people feeding Tayans the same way we put grains of sand on seashells to induce the creation of pearls.
        – Gustavo Almeida
        Sep 11 at 21:53










      • And then it can put the pearls in the top mouth part to attract animals and people. Animals and locals being afraid of prescious stones or shiny objects could be added as subtle foreshadowing and help entangle all of the world building elements together.
        – Grant Davis
        Sep 11 at 22:07
















      • Hey, good answer. This question may seem stupid, but how does my drawing look. Is it a realistic anatomy for a creature to have?
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 2 at 23:18










      • Robert Paul have you ever seen an ammonite or belanite fossil cross section? The series of chambers gradually growing larger represents phases of the animals life most of the soft parts lived only in the last opened chamber the others are walled off except for a small connecting tissue that allowed gas transfer for buoyancy. It's not too dissimilar to the idea @RobertPaul has had, you could even include the idea of growth chambers if you like.
        – Sarriesfan
        Sep 3 at 16:26










      • @Sarriefsan: Anytihng else
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 17:51










      • Excellent idea, also the animal kingdom already encloses extraneous bodies in PEARLS. You can also have people feeding Tayans the same way we put grains of sand on seashells to induce the creation of pearls.
        – Gustavo Almeida
        Sep 11 at 21:53










      • And then it can put the pearls in the top mouth part to attract animals and people. Animals and locals being afraid of prescious stones or shiny objects could be added as subtle foreshadowing and help entangle all of the world building elements together.
        – Grant Davis
        Sep 11 at 22:07















      Hey, good answer. This question may seem stupid, but how does my drawing look. Is it a realistic anatomy for a creature to have?
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 2 at 23:18




      Hey, good answer. This question may seem stupid, but how does my drawing look. Is it a realistic anatomy for a creature to have?
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 2 at 23:18












      Robert Paul have you ever seen an ammonite or belanite fossil cross section? The series of chambers gradually growing larger represents phases of the animals life most of the soft parts lived only in the last opened chamber the others are walled off except for a small connecting tissue that allowed gas transfer for buoyancy. It's not too dissimilar to the idea @RobertPaul has had, you could even include the idea of growth chambers if you like.
      – Sarriesfan
      Sep 3 at 16:26




      Robert Paul have you ever seen an ammonite or belanite fossil cross section? The series of chambers gradually growing larger represents phases of the animals life most of the soft parts lived only in the last opened chamber the others are walled off except for a small connecting tissue that allowed gas transfer for buoyancy. It's not too dissimilar to the idea @RobertPaul has had, you could even include the idea of growth chambers if you like.
      – Sarriesfan
      Sep 3 at 16:26












      @Sarriefsan: Anytihng else
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 17:51




      @Sarriefsan: Anytihng else
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 17:51












      Excellent idea, also the animal kingdom already encloses extraneous bodies in PEARLS. You can also have people feeding Tayans the same way we put grains of sand on seashells to induce the creation of pearls.
      – Gustavo Almeida
      Sep 11 at 21:53




      Excellent idea, also the animal kingdom already encloses extraneous bodies in PEARLS. You can also have people feeding Tayans the same way we put grains of sand on seashells to induce the creation of pearls.
      – Gustavo Almeida
      Sep 11 at 21:53












      And then it can put the pearls in the top mouth part to attract animals and people. Animals and locals being afraid of prescious stones or shiny objects could be added as subtle foreshadowing and help entangle all of the world building elements together.
      – Grant Davis
      Sep 11 at 22:07




      And then it can put the pearls in the top mouth part to attract animals and people. Animals and locals being afraid of prescious stones or shiny objects could be added as subtle foreshadowing and help entangle all of the world building elements together.
      – Grant Davis
      Sep 11 at 22:07










      up vote
      5
      down vote













      Firstly, the Tayan has evolved over millions of years just like any other creature. Over most of that period there were few (no?) metallic fusion-powered items in the environment, so it is unlikely that it would have developed any natural strategy to allow it to deal with such a thing. But it quite possibly has evolved to cope with hard/impossible to digest things. From its life-style it is more than likely that the odd rock would fall into its maw, or it would eat a creature with large indigestible fangs/armor etc. One strategy to survive this would be for it to produce a thick coating over the indigestible item, in the same way that an oyster produces a pearl. Sure, it is stuck with this thing in its stomach, but it is also growing over time so the waste items won't necessarily fill its stomach (in fact they could be used as an aid to digestion by helping grind softer items like bones to a powder - a bit like an ostrich that stores stones in its gizzard).



      Secondly, there is a bigger issue. Your Tayan is very large, but presumably started its life much smaller - would have eaten rodents as a child and only as an adult can eat things the size of a human. To achieve this it must have some way to remove material (dirt, rocks) that used to be where its body now is. I can imagine two options that don't require it to spit stuff up out of its maw: either it produces an extraordinarily corrosive elucidate on its outer body, so the rock/soil etc. is dissolved and washes away in solution with ground-water; or it has massive muscles that allow it to push dirt outwards and allow it to infill the space. (Or maybe a combination of both strategies). In the latter case, the ground around the Tayan would eventually start to bulge upwards a bit. Seeenter image description here sketch above...






      share|improve this answer






















      • Good answer, but Slight Nitpick. “Sketch Above” Also, what’s the red circle shape inside the Tayan
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 3:19











      • Oh, so the Tayan grows kinda like a popcorn kernel
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 3:59






      • 1




        Why would the ground bulge up? Trees push roots through the ground and the ground is flat at the base of them. The only bulging is from surface roots.
        – Daniel
        Sep 5 at 23:08






      • 1




        It's just as likely that the soil is compressed around the body over time. It's a good point though. Actual roots reduce soil mass by absorbing nutrients so they don't have to push away the entire soil mass. This thing though doesn't absorb soil nutrients, it actually expels stuff into the soil making the ground around it more dense.
        – Daniel
        Sep 5 at 23:19






      • 2




        Usually soil is fairly in-compressible. Also, unless the animal has a very different biochemistry from that of carbon-based species we are familiar there will be very little reduction in soil mass by absorption of nutrients. Only a tiny fraction of a plants mass comes from the ground - more than 95% consists Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen (that it gets from water and air). Animals are similar in composition. The roots of trees grow by displacing soil (not compressing it) which is why the ground tends to bulge upwards around a large tree. I believe a buried 'animal' would be similar.
        – Penguino
        Sep 5 at 23:31














      up vote
      5
      down vote













      Firstly, the Tayan has evolved over millions of years just like any other creature. Over most of that period there were few (no?) metallic fusion-powered items in the environment, so it is unlikely that it would have developed any natural strategy to allow it to deal with such a thing. But it quite possibly has evolved to cope with hard/impossible to digest things. From its life-style it is more than likely that the odd rock would fall into its maw, or it would eat a creature with large indigestible fangs/armor etc. One strategy to survive this would be for it to produce a thick coating over the indigestible item, in the same way that an oyster produces a pearl. Sure, it is stuck with this thing in its stomach, but it is also growing over time so the waste items won't necessarily fill its stomach (in fact they could be used as an aid to digestion by helping grind softer items like bones to a powder - a bit like an ostrich that stores stones in its gizzard).



      Secondly, there is a bigger issue. Your Tayan is very large, but presumably started its life much smaller - would have eaten rodents as a child and only as an adult can eat things the size of a human. To achieve this it must have some way to remove material (dirt, rocks) that used to be where its body now is. I can imagine two options that don't require it to spit stuff up out of its maw: either it produces an extraordinarily corrosive elucidate on its outer body, so the rock/soil etc. is dissolved and washes away in solution with ground-water; or it has massive muscles that allow it to push dirt outwards and allow it to infill the space. (Or maybe a combination of both strategies). In the latter case, the ground around the Tayan would eventually start to bulge upwards a bit. Seeenter image description here sketch above...






      share|improve this answer






















      • Good answer, but Slight Nitpick. “Sketch Above” Also, what’s the red circle shape inside the Tayan
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 3:19











      • Oh, so the Tayan grows kinda like a popcorn kernel
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 3:59






      • 1




        Why would the ground bulge up? Trees push roots through the ground and the ground is flat at the base of them. The only bulging is from surface roots.
        – Daniel
        Sep 5 at 23:08






      • 1




        It's just as likely that the soil is compressed around the body over time. It's a good point though. Actual roots reduce soil mass by absorbing nutrients so they don't have to push away the entire soil mass. This thing though doesn't absorb soil nutrients, it actually expels stuff into the soil making the ground around it more dense.
        – Daniel
        Sep 5 at 23:19






      • 2




        Usually soil is fairly in-compressible. Also, unless the animal has a very different biochemistry from that of carbon-based species we are familiar there will be very little reduction in soil mass by absorption of nutrients. Only a tiny fraction of a plants mass comes from the ground - more than 95% consists Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen (that it gets from water and air). Animals are similar in composition. The roots of trees grow by displacing soil (not compressing it) which is why the ground tends to bulge upwards around a large tree. I believe a buried 'animal' would be similar.
        – Penguino
        Sep 5 at 23:31












      up vote
      5
      down vote










      up vote
      5
      down vote









      Firstly, the Tayan has evolved over millions of years just like any other creature. Over most of that period there were few (no?) metallic fusion-powered items in the environment, so it is unlikely that it would have developed any natural strategy to allow it to deal with such a thing. But it quite possibly has evolved to cope with hard/impossible to digest things. From its life-style it is more than likely that the odd rock would fall into its maw, or it would eat a creature with large indigestible fangs/armor etc. One strategy to survive this would be for it to produce a thick coating over the indigestible item, in the same way that an oyster produces a pearl. Sure, it is stuck with this thing in its stomach, but it is also growing over time so the waste items won't necessarily fill its stomach (in fact they could be used as an aid to digestion by helping grind softer items like bones to a powder - a bit like an ostrich that stores stones in its gizzard).



      Secondly, there is a bigger issue. Your Tayan is very large, but presumably started its life much smaller - would have eaten rodents as a child and only as an adult can eat things the size of a human. To achieve this it must have some way to remove material (dirt, rocks) that used to be where its body now is. I can imagine two options that don't require it to spit stuff up out of its maw: either it produces an extraordinarily corrosive elucidate on its outer body, so the rock/soil etc. is dissolved and washes away in solution with ground-water; or it has massive muscles that allow it to push dirt outwards and allow it to infill the space. (Or maybe a combination of both strategies). In the latter case, the ground around the Tayan would eventually start to bulge upwards a bit. Seeenter image description here sketch above...






      share|improve this answer














      Firstly, the Tayan has evolved over millions of years just like any other creature. Over most of that period there were few (no?) metallic fusion-powered items in the environment, so it is unlikely that it would have developed any natural strategy to allow it to deal with such a thing. But it quite possibly has evolved to cope with hard/impossible to digest things. From its life-style it is more than likely that the odd rock would fall into its maw, or it would eat a creature with large indigestible fangs/armor etc. One strategy to survive this would be for it to produce a thick coating over the indigestible item, in the same way that an oyster produces a pearl. Sure, it is stuck with this thing in its stomach, but it is also growing over time so the waste items won't necessarily fill its stomach (in fact they could be used as an aid to digestion by helping grind softer items like bones to a powder - a bit like an ostrich that stores stones in its gizzard).



      Secondly, there is a bigger issue. Your Tayan is very large, but presumably started its life much smaller - would have eaten rodents as a child and only as an adult can eat things the size of a human. To achieve this it must have some way to remove material (dirt, rocks) that used to be where its body now is. I can imagine two options that don't require it to spit stuff up out of its maw: either it produces an extraordinarily corrosive elucidate on its outer body, so the rock/soil etc. is dissolved and washes away in solution with ground-water; or it has massive muscles that allow it to push dirt outwards and allow it to infill the space. (Or maybe a combination of both strategies). In the latter case, the ground around the Tayan would eventually start to bulge upwards a bit. Seeenter image description here sketch above...







      share|improve this answer














      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer








      edited Sep 3 at 4:16

























      answered Sep 3 at 2:51









      Penguino

      2214




      2214











      • Good answer, but Slight Nitpick. “Sketch Above” Also, what’s the red circle shape inside the Tayan
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 3:19











      • Oh, so the Tayan grows kinda like a popcorn kernel
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 3:59






      • 1




        Why would the ground bulge up? Trees push roots through the ground and the ground is flat at the base of them. The only bulging is from surface roots.
        – Daniel
        Sep 5 at 23:08






      • 1




        It's just as likely that the soil is compressed around the body over time. It's a good point though. Actual roots reduce soil mass by absorbing nutrients so they don't have to push away the entire soil mass. This thing though doesn't absorb soil nutrients, it actually expels stuff into the soil making the ground around it more dense.
        – Daniel
        Sep 5 at 23:19






      • 2




        Usually soil is fairly in-compressible. Also, unless the animal has a very different biochemistry from that of carbon-based species we are familiar there will be very little reduction in soil mass by absorption of nutrients. Only a tiny fraction of a plants mass comes from the ground - more than 95% consists Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen (that it gets from water and air). Animals are similar in composition. The roots of trees grow by displacing soil (not compressing it) which is why the ground tends to bulge upwards around a large tree. I believe a buried 'animal' would be similar.
        – Penguino
        Sep 5 at 23:31
















      • Good answer, but Slight Nitpick. “Sketch Above” Also, what’s the red circle shape inside the Tayan
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 3:19











      • Oh, so the Tayan grows kinda like a popcorn kernel
        – Robert Paul
        Sep 3 at 3:59






      • 1




        Why would the ground bulge up? Trees push roots through the ground and the ground is flat at the base of them. The only bulging is from surface roots.
        – Daniel
        Sep 5 at 23:08






      • 1




        It's just as likely that the soil is compressed around the body over time. It's a good point though. Actual roots reduce soil mass by absorbing nutrients so they don't have to push away the entire soil mass. This thing though doesn't absorb soil nutrients, it actually expels stuff into the soil making the ground around it more dense.
        – Daniel
        Sep 5 at 23:19






      • 2




        Usually soil is fairly in-compressible. Also, unless the animal has a very different biochemistry from that of carbon-based species we are familiar there will be very little reduction in soil mass by absorption of nutrients. Only a tiny fraction of a plants mass comes from the ground - more than 95% consists Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen (that it gets from water and air). Animals are similar in composition. The roots of trees grow by displacing soil (not compressing it) which is why the ground tends to bulge upwards around a large tree. I believe a buried 'animal' would be similar.
        – Penguino
        Sep 5 at 23:31















      Good answer, but Slight Nitpick. “Sketch Above” Also, what’s the red circle shape inside the Tayan
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 3:19





      Good answer, but Slight Nitpick. “Sketch Above” Also, what’s the red circle shape inside the Tayan
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 3:19













      Oh, so the Tayan grows kinda like a popcorn kernel
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 3:59




      Oh, so the Tayan grows kinda like a popcorn kernel
      – Robert Paul
      Sep 3 at 3:59




      1




      1




      Why would the ground bulge up? Trees push roots through the ground and the ground is flat at the base of them. The only bulging is from surface roots.
      – Daniel
      Sep 5 at 23:08




      Why would the ground bulge up? Trees push roots through the ground and the ground is flat at the base of them. The only bulging is from surface roots.
      – Daniel
      Sep 5 at 23:08




      1




      1




      It's just as likely that the soil is compressed around the body over time. It's a good point though. Actual roots reduce soil mass by absorbing nutrients so they don't have to push away the entire soil mass. This thing though doesn't absorb soil nutrients, it actually expels stuff into the soil making the ground around it more dense.
      – Daniel
      Sep 5 at 23:19




      It's just as likely that the soil is compressed around the body over time. It's a good point though. Actual roots reduce soil mass by absorbing nutrients so they don't have to push away the entire soil mass. This thing though doesn't absorb soil nutrients, it actually expels stuff into the soil making the ground around it more dense.
      – Daniel
      Sep 5 at 23:19




      2




      2




      Usually soil is fairly in-compressible. Also, unless the animal has a very different biochemistry from that of carbon-based species we are familiar there will be very little reduction in soil mass by absorption of nutrients. Only a tiny fraction of a plants mass comes from the ground - more than 95% consists Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen (that it gets from water and air). Animals are similar in composition. The roots of trees grow by displacing soil (not compressing it) which is why the ground tends to bulge upwards around a large tree. I believe a buried 'animal' would be similar.
      – Penguino
      Sep 5 at 23:31




      Usually soil is fairly in-compressible. Also, unless the animal has a very different biochemistry from that of carbon-based species we are familiar there will be very little reduction in soil mass by absorption of nutrients. Only a tiny fraction of a plants mass comes from the ground - more than 95% consists Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen (that it gets from water and air). Animals are similar in composition. The roots of trees grow by displacing soil (not compressing it) which is why the ground tends to bulge upwards around a large tree. I believe a buried 'animal' would be similar.
      – Penguino
      Sep 5 at 23:31










      up vote
      4
      down vote













      This is going to be a bit gross, so bear with me. Have you ever gotten something embedded under your skin?



      Your body rejects inert matter when it's foreign. If you have something embedded in your skin, a cyst will form around it, full of pus formed by leukocytes trying to protect you from this foreign thing. The cells of your body will slowly work to bring the cyst to the surface, where it becomes a boil. When you lance and drain the boil, you have to make sure whatever foreign matter was causing the problem is also removed, so that the process doesn't just begin again.



      I'd combine this process with the way oysters make pearls, or how ambergris is thought to be produced by whales. Your tayan coats inert matter that it's ingested with something to make it less irritating while also having an organ which connects its stomach and skin. This organ specifically forms cysts around the object and slowly moves the object out through the tayan's skin. Since the tayan is constantly increasing its outer surface area as it grows, it never runs out of places on its skin to have a new boil, and it just pushes old "pearls" out of the way, the same way tree roots push through the ground or the way Penguino describes in his answer.



      This could be the weakness your hero uses to try and escape the tayan?



      Bonus points if people risk their lives trying to dig around tayans for treasure.






      share|improve this answer
























        up vote
        4
        down vote













        This is going to be a bit gross, so bear with me. Have you ever gotten something embedded under your skin?



        Your body rejects inert matter when it's foreign. If you have something embedded in your skin, a cyst will form around it, full of pus formed by leukocytes trying to protect you from this foreign thing. The cells of your body will slowly work to bring the cyst to the surface, where it becomes a boil. When you lance and drain the boil, you have to make sure whatever foreign matter was causing the problem is also removed, so that the process doesn't just begin again.



        I'd combine this process with the way oysters make pearls, or how ambergris is thought to be produced by whales. Your tayan coats inert matter that it's ingested with something to make it less irritating while also having an organ which connects its stomach and skin. This organ specifically forms cysts around the object and slowly moves the object out through the tayan's skin. Since the tayan is constantly increasing its outer surface area as it grows, it never runs out of places on its skin to have a new boil, and it just pushes old "pearls" out of the way, the same way tree roots push through the ground or the way Penguino describes in his answer.



        This could be the weakness your hero uses to try and escape the tayan?



        Bonus points if people risk their lives trying to dig around tayans for treasure.






        share|improve this answer






















          up vote
          4
          down vote










          up vote
          4
          down vote









          This is going to be a bit gross, so bear with me. Have you ever gotten something embedded under your skin?



          Your body rejects inert matter when it's foreign. If you have something embedded in your skin, a cyst will form around it, full of pus formed by leukocytes trying to protect you from this foreign thing. The cells of your body will slowly work to bring the cyst to the surface, where it becomes a boil. When you lance and drain the boil, you have to make sure whatever foreign matter was causing the problem is also removed, so that the process doesn't just begin again.



          I'd combine this process with the way oysters make pearls, or how ambergris is thought to be produced by whales. Your tayan coats inert matter that it's ingested with something to make it less irritating while also having an organ which connects its stomach and skin. This organ specifically forms cysts around the object and slowly moves the object out through the tayan's skin. Since the tayan is constantly increasing its outer surface area as it grows, it never runs out of places on its skin to have a new boil, and it just pushes old "pearls" out of the way, the same way tree roots push through the ground or the way Penguino describes in his answer.



          This could be the weakness your hero uses to try and escape the tayan?



          Bonus points if people risk their lives trying to dig around tayans for treasure.






          share|improve this answer












          This is going to be a bit gross, so bear with me. Have you ever gotten something embedded under your skin?



          Your body rejects inert matter when it's foreign. If you have something embedded in your skin, a cyst will form around it, full of pus formed by leukocytes trying to protect you from this foreign thing. The cells of your body will slowly work to bring the cyst to the surface, where it becomes a boil. When you lance and drain the boil, you have to make sure whatever foreign matter was causing the problem is also removed, so that the process doesn't just begin again.



          I'd combine this process with the way oysters make pearls, or how ambergris is thought to be produced by whales. Your tayan coats inert matter that it's ingested with something to make it less irritating while also having an organ which connects its stomach and skin. This organ specifically forms cysts around the object and slowly moves the object out through the tayan's skin. Since the tayan is constantly increasing its outer surface area as it grows, it never runs out of places on its skin to have a new boil, and it just pushes old "pearls" out of the way, the same way tree roots push through the ground or the way Penguino describes in his answer.



          This could be the weakness your hero uses to try and escape the tayan?



          Bonus points if people risk their lives trying to dig around tayans for treasure.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered Sep 10 at 4:34









          Jaycie Beveri

          2,9192731




          2,9192731




















              up vote
              2
              down vote













              Here's an idea: the Tayan has some kind of organ that grinds all waste material into a watery paste. (The weapon would not be dissolved. Instead, it would be ground into a fine, powdery substance that would just end up mixed into the paste). This watery paste is taken to another organ on the outside of the creature. This organ is littered with trillions of microscopic pores that leak out this "waste paste" into the sand around it.






              share|improve this answer




















              • Hey, I’m trying to make sure my creature is realistic. Is their anything about the Tayan’s anatomy thy is unrealistic? Thanks
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:38






              • 2




                The Tayan does seem to be realistic. However, it does seem a little bit too similar to the Sarlacc from Star Wars.
                – The Weasel Sagas
                Sep 3 at 2:42










              • Ok, so what should I change? Just asking for advice
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:46







              • 2




                The outward appearance of the creature that is shown in the sketch is what is causing this problem. Search "Sarlacc Anatomy" on Google images and you will find this looks almost a lawsuit level of similar to it. You don't have to really make any changes to how you described it or anything. Just give the creature a new visual design and it'll be fine.
                – The Weasel Sagas
                Sep 3 at 3:04






              • 2




                Dude, I just remembered, I saw that image on a jpeg years ago. That’s what i subconsciously based this creature on the Sarlaac anatomy photo
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 3:11














              up vote
              2
              down vote













              Here's an idea: the Tayan has some kind of organ that grinds all waste material into a watery paste. (The weapon would not be dissolved. Instead, it would be ground into a fine, powdery substance that would just end up mixed into the paste). This watery paste is taken to another organ on the outside of the creature. This organ is littered with trillions of microscopic pores that leak out this "waste paste" into the sand around it.






              share|improve this answer




















              • Hey, I’m trying to make sure my creature is realistic. Is their anything about the Tayan’s anatomy thy is unrealistic? Thanks
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:38






              • 2




                The Tayan does seem to be realistic. However, it does seem a little bit too similar to the Sarlacc from Star Wars.
                – The Weasel Sagas
                Sep 3 at 2:42










              • Ok, so what should I change? Just asking for advice
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:46







              • 2




                The outward appearance of the creature that is shown in the sketch is what is causing this problem. Search "Sarlacc Anatomy" on Google images and you will find this looks almost a lawsuit level of similar to it. You don't have to really make any changes to how you described it or anything. Just give the creature a new visual design and it'll be fine.
                – The Weasel Sagas
                Sep 3 at 3:04






              • 2




                Dude, I just remembered, I saw that image on a jpeg years ago. That’s what i subconsciously based this creature on the Sarlaac anatomy photo
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 3:11












              up vote
              2
              down vote










              up vote
              2
              down vote









              Here's an idea: the Tayan has some kind of organ that grinds all waste material into a watery paste. (The weapon would not be dissolved. Instead, it would be ground into a fine, powdery substance that would just end up mixed into the paste). This watery paste is taken to another organ on the outside of the creature. This organ is littered with trillions of microscopic pores that leak out this "waste paste" into the sand around it.






              share|improve this answer












              Here's an idea: the Tayan has some kind of organ that grinds all waste material into a watery paste. (The weapon would not be dissolved. Instead, it would be ground into a fine, powdery substance that would just end up mixed into the paste). This watery paste is taken to another organ on the outside of the creature. This organ is littered with trillions of microscopic pores that leak out this "waste paste" into the sand around it.







              share|improve this answer












              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer










              answered Sep 3 at 2:22









              The Weasel Sagas

              64415




              64415











              • Hey, I’m trying to make sure my creature is realistic. Is their anything about the Tayan’s anatomy thy is unrealistic? Thanks
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:38






              • 2




                The Tayan does seem to be realistic. However, it does seem a little bit too similar to the Sarlacc from Star Wars.
                – The Weasel Sagas
                Sep 3 at 2:42










              • Ok, so what should I change? Just asking for advice
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:46







              • 2




                The outward appearance of the creature that is shown in the sketch is what is causing this problem. Search "Sarlacc Anatomy" on Google images and you will find this looks almost a lawsuit level of similar to it. You don't have to really make any changes to how you described it or anything. Just give the creature a new visual design and it'll be fine.
                – The Weasel Sagas
                Sep 3 at 3:04






              • 2




                Dude, I just remembered, I saw that image on a jpeg years ago. That’s what i subconsciously based this creature on the Sarlaac anatomy photo
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 3:11
















              • Hey, I’m trying to make sure my creature is realistic. Is their anything about the Tayan’s anatomy thy is unrealistic? Thanks
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:38






              • 2




                The Tayan does seem to be realistic. However, it does seem a little bit too similar to the Sarlacc from Star Wars.
                – The Weasel Sagas
                Sep 3 at 2:42










              • Ok, so what should I change? Just asking for advice
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:46







              • 2




                The outward appearance of the creature that is shown in the sketch is what is causing this problem. Search "Sarlacc Anatomy" on Google images and you will find this looks almost a lawsuit level of similar to it. You don't have to really make any changes to how you described it or anything. Just give the creature a new visual design and it'll be fine.
                – The Weasel Sagas
                Sep 3 at 3:04






              • 2




                Dude, I just remembered, I saw that image on a jpeg years ago. That’s what i subconsciously based this creature on the Sarlaac anatomy photo
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 3:11















              Hey, I’m trying to make sure my creature is realistic. Is their anything about the Tayan’s anatomy thy is unrealistic? Thanks
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 2:38




              Hey, I’m trying to make sure my creature is realistic. Is their anything about the Tayan’s anatomy thy is unrealistic? Thanks
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 2:38




              2




              2




              The Tayan does seem to be realistic. However, it does seem a little bit too similar to the Sarlacc from Star Wars.
              – The Weasel Sagas
              Sep 3 at 2:42




              The Tayan does seem to be realistic. However, it does seem a little bit too similar to the Sarlacc from Star Wars.
              – The Weasel Sagas
              Sep 3 at 2:42












              Ok, so what should I change? Just asking for advice
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 2:46





              Ok, so what should I change? Just asking for advice
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 2:46





              2




              2




              The outward appearance of the creature that is shown in the sketch is what is causing this problem. Search "Sarlacc Anatomy" on Google images and you will find this looks almost a lawsuit level of similar to it. You don't have to really make any changes to how you described it or anything. Just give the creature a new visual design and it'll be fine.
              – The Weasel Sagas
              Sep 3 at 3:04




              The outward appearance of the creature that is shown in the sketch is what is causing this problem. Search "Sarlacc Anatomy" on Google images and you will find this looks almost a lawsuit level of similar to it. You don't have to really make any changes to how you described it or anything. Just give the creature a new visual design and it'll be fine.
              – The Weasel Sagas
              Sep 3 at 3:04




              2




              2




              Dude, I just remembered, I saw that image on a jpeg years ago. That’s what i subconsciously based this creature on the Sarlaac anatomy photo
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 3:11




              Dude, I just remembered, I saw that image on a jpeg years ago. That’s what i subconsciously based this creature on the Sarlaac anatomy photo
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 3:11










              up vote
              2
              down vote



              +50










              What are the tentacles for?



              Shouldn't they be like nose hairs which stop foreign objects getting into your plant? So anything large the tentacles regard as too hard would be pushed aside which would also stop rocks falling in or tree branches etc.



              There should be an opening of some sort which can close as what happens when it rains? Your plant would fill up with water and drown.



              It would be worth checking out sea anemone for a real world example that is similar to your plant.



              edit



              It has two stomachs, how do they relate to each other. Cows have four I think, though not sure how they process food. I'd think the larger one does the breaking down and then the soup is passed to the next one for actual digestion.
              For excretion, it could sweat out unwanted compounds such as calcium which then has an affect of creating a crust between it and the soil which acts as a protective barrier. It would likely need to exude something to protect it from being eaten by worms, moles, rabbits whatever.



              I assume the tentacles etc are really tough because you wouldn't want someone with a knife falling in and being able to slash the inside of the Tayan.
              How does it stop a person stretching their arms and legs out and wedging in the throat or top of the stomach? Does the surface inside prevent this, is the victim paralysed in some way, is the victim restrained by the tentacles or passed to some other set of tentacles further down?






              share|improve this answer






















              • It’s not a plant, it’s an animal. Also, it’s mouth can close, their a muscular flap over it
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:32










              • Also, I intended for the tentacles to be used to grip and drag beings down into its gullet
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:33










              • Also, I’m asking for help with my creature design. Is their anything else wrong with it’s anatomy?
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:33











              • Hey, is their anything else unrealistic with it’s Anatomy? I’m trying to make this creature as realistic as possible
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:04










              • I figured the tentacles were for dragging prey down like the sarlac on Tatooine in Star Wars but they can be used to sift through junk too.
                – Daniel
                Sep 3 at 2:37














              up vote
              2
              down vote



              +50










              What are the tentacles for?



              Shouldn't they be like nose hairs which stop foreign objects getting into your plant? So anything large the tentacles regard as too hard would be pushed aside which would also stop rocks falling in or tree branches etc.



              There should be an opening of some sort which can close as what happens when it rains? Your plant would fill up with water and drown.



              It would be worth checking out sea anemone for a real world example that is similar to your plant.



              edit



              It has two stomachs, how do they relate to each other. Cows have four I think, though not sure how they process food. I'd think the larger one does the breaking down and then the soup is passed to the next one for actual digestion.
              For excretion, it could sweat out unwanted compounds such as calcium which then has an affect of creating a crust between it and the soil which acts as a protective barrier. It would likely need to exude something to protect it from being eaten by worms, moles, rabbits whatever.



              I assume the tentacles etc are really tough because you wouldn't want someone with a knife falling in and being able to slash the inside of the Tayan.
              How does it stop a person stretching their arms and legs out and wedging in the throat or top of the stomach? Does the surface inside prevent this, is the victim paralysed in some way, is the victim restrained by the tentacles or passed to some other set of tentacles further down?






              share|improve this answer






















              • It’s not a plant, it’s an animal. Also, it’s mouth can close, their a muscular flap over it
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:32










              • Also, I intended for the tentacles to be used to grip and drag beings down into its gullet
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:33










              • Also, I’m asking for help with my creature design. Is their anything else wrong with it’s anatomy?
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:33











              • Hey, is their anything else unrealistic with it’s Anatomy? I’m trying to make this creature as realistic as possible
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:04










              • I figured the tentacles were for dragging prey down like the sarlac on Tatooine in Star Wars but they can be used to sift through junk too.
                – Daniel
                Sep 3 at 2:37












              up vote
              2
              down vote



              +50







              up vote
              2
              down vote



              +50




              +50




              What are the tentacles for?



              Shouldn't they be like nose hairs which stop foreign objects getting into your plant? So anything large the tentacles regard as too hard would be pushed aside which would also stop rocks falling in or tree branches etc.



              There should be an opening of some sort which can close as what happens when it rains? Your plant would fill up with water and drown.



              It would be worth checking out sea anemone for a real world example that is similar to your plant.



              edit



              It has two stomachs, how do they relate to each other. Cows have four I think, though not sure how they process food. I'd think the larger one does the breaking down and then the soup is passed to the next one for actual digestion.
              For excretion, it could sweat out unwanted compounds such as calcium which then has an affect of creating a crust between it and the soil which acts as a protective barrier. It would likely need to exude something to protect it from being eaten by worms, moles, rabbits whatever.



              I assume the tentacles etc are really tough because you wouldn't want someone with a knife falling in and being able to slash the inside of the Tayan.
              How does it stop a person stretching their arms and legs out and wedging in the throat or top of the stomach? Does the surface inside prevent this, is the victim paralysed in some way, is the victim restrained by the tentacles or passed to some other set of tentacles further down?






              share|improve this answer














              What are the tentacles for?



              Shouldn't they be like nose hairs which stop foreign objects getting into your plant? So anything large the tentacles regard as too hard would be pushed aside which would also stop rocks falling in or tree branches etc.



              There should be an opening of some sort which can close as what happens when it rains? Your plant would fill up with water and drown.



              It would be worth checking out sea anemone for a real world example that is similar to your plant.



              edit



              It has two stomachs, how do they relate to each other. Cows have four I think, though not sure how they process food. I'd think the larger one does the breaking down and then the soup is passed to the next one for actual digestion.
              For excretion, it could sweat out unwanted compounds such as calcium which then has an affect of creating a crust between it and the soil which acts as a protective barrier. It would likely need to exude something to protect it from being eaten by worms, moles, rabbits whatever.



              I assume the tentacles etc are really tough because you wouldn't want someone with a knife falling in and being able to slash the inside of the Tayan.
              How does it stop a person stretching their arms and legs out and wedging in the throat or top of the stomach? Does the surface inside prevent this, is the victim paralysed in some way, is the victim restrained by the tentacles or passed to some other set of tentacles further down?







              share|improve this answer














              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer








              edited Sep 3 at 2:51

























              answered Sep 3 at 0:25









              Daniel

              3005




              3005











              • It’s not a plant, it’s an animal. Also, it’s mouth can close, their a muscular flap over it
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:32










              • Also, I intended for the tentacles to be used to grip and drag beings down into its gullet
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:33










              • Also, I’m asking for help with my creature design. Is their anything else wrong with it’s anatomy?
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:33











              • Hey, is their anything else unrealistic with it’s Anatomy? I’m trying to make this creature as realistic as possible
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:04










              • I figured the tentacles were for dragging prey down like the sarlac on Tatooine in Star Wars but they can be used to sift through junk too.
                – Daniel
                Sep 3 at 2:37
















              • It’s not a plant, it’s an animal. Also, it’s mouth can close, their a muscular flap over it
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:32










              • Also, I intended for the tentacles to be used to grip and drag beings down into its gullet
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:33










              • Also, I’m asking for help with my creature design. Is their anything else wrong with it’s anatomy?
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 0:33











              • Hey, is their anything else unrealistic with it’s Anatomy? I’m trying to make this creature as realistic as possible
                – Robert Paul
                Sep 3 at 2:04










              • I figured the tentacles were for dragging prey down like the sarlac on Tatooine in Star Wars but they can be used to sift through junk too.
                – Daniel
                Sep 3 at 2:37















              It’s not a plant, it’s an animal. Also, it’s mouth can close, their a muscular flap over it
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 0:32




              It’s not a plant, it’s an animal. Also, it’s mouth can close, their a muscular flap over it
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 0:32












              Also, I intended for the tentacles to be used to grip and drag beings down into its gullet
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 0:33




              Also, I intended for the tentacles to be used to grip and drag beings down into its gullet
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 0:33












              Also, I’m asking for help with my creature design. Is their anything else wrong with it’s anatomy?
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 0:33





              Also, I’m asking for help with my creature design. Is their anything else wrong with it’s anatomy?
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 0:33













              Hey, is their anything else unrealistic with it’s Anatomy? I’m trying to make this creature as realistic as possible
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 2:04




              Hey, is their anything else unrealistic with it’s Anatomy? I’m trying to make this creature as realistic as possible
              – Robert Paul
              Sep 3 at 2:04












              I figured the tentacles were for dragging prey down like the sarlac on Tatooine in Star Wars but they can be used to sift through junk too.
              – Daniel
              Sep 3 at 2:37




              I figured the tentacles were for dragging prey down like the sarlac on Tatooine in Star Wars but they can be used to sift through junk too.
              – Daniel
              Sep 3 at 2:37










              up vote
              1
              down vote













              This seems pretty simple, there's a lot of good answers here you could combine together to handle objects of various sizes, cysts could be used for medium size for example.



              Overall, just mimic a lung. Lungs have almost all the same problems you're contemplating it seems? The biggest difference is no diaphragm to handle large obstructions, but if the stomach wall is musclebound then it's all the same.



              Small indigestible pieces would be handled the same way a lung does, with cilia. Just bundle up a glob and move it with tiny tentacles to the top of the mouth and out the sides.






              share|improve this answer
























                up vote
                1
                down vote













                This seems pretty simple, there's a lot of good answers here you could combine together to handle objects of various sizes, cysts could be used for medium size for example.



                Overall, just mimic a lung. Lungs have almost all the same problems you're contemplating it seems? The biggest difference is no diaphragm to handle large obstructions, but if the stomach wall is musclebound then it's all the same.



                Small indigestible pieces would be handled the same way a lung does, with cilia. Just bundle up a glob and move it with tiny tentacles to the top of the mouth and out the sides.






                share|improve this answer






















                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote









                  This seems pretty simple, there's a lot of good answers here you could combine together to handle objects of various sizes, cysts could be used for medium size for example.



                  Overall, just mimic a lung. Lungs have almost all the same problems you're contemplating it seems? The biggest difference is no diaphragm to handle large obstructions, but if the stomach wall is musclebound then it's all the same.



                  Small indigestible pieces would be handled the same way a lung does, with cilia. Just bundle up a glob and move it with tiny tentacles to the top of the mouth and out the sides.






                  share|improve this answer












                  This seems pretty simple, there's a lot of good answers here you could combine together to handle objects of various sizes, cysts could be used for medium size for example.



                  Overall, just mimic a lung. Lungs have almost all the same problems you're contemplating it seems? The biggest difference is no diaphragm to handle large obstructions, but if the stomach wall is musclebound then it's all the same.



                  Small indigestible pieces would be handled the same way a lung does, with cilia. Just bundle up a glob and move it with tiny tentacles to the top of the mouth and out the sides.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered Sep 11 at 20:38









                  Black

                  2,6351727




                  2,6351727



























                       

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