Tsuchinoko

Designation
 Classification
 Average length
 Skin colour
 Eye colour
 Homeworld
 Diet

*"SNAKE! SNAAAAAAKE!!"*

**Tsuchinoko** are small reptiles native to Hirasaka. They may grow to between 30 centimetres to 1.5 meters in length, and appear similar to Tiandian snakes, though with a central girth much wider than the head or tail. They are commonly used as food, though due to their extremely strong venom are hazardous to eat without the complex process of draining their poison.

## Biology

Tsuchinoko have a pair of relatively long solenoglyphous (hollow) fangs that are used to inject venom from glands located towards the rear of the neck, at the point where its body bulges to the sides. Each of the two fangs is at the front of the mouth on a short maxillary bone that can rotate back and forth. When not in use, the fangs fold back against the roof of the mouth and are enclosed in a membranous sheath. The left and right fangs can be rotated together or independently. During a strike, the mouth can open nearly 180° and the maxilla rotates forward, erecting the fangs as late as possible so that the fangs do not become damaged, as they are brittle. The jaws close upon impact and the muscular sheaths encapsulating the venom glands contract, injecting the venom through the venom ducts as the fangs penetrate the target. This action is very fast; in defensive strikes, it will be more a stab than a bite. Tsuchinoko use this mechanism primarily for immobilization and digestion of prey. Secondarily, it is used for self-defence. Tsuchinoko produce venom at an extremely rapid rate, and are also able to contract the muscular sheaths to release venom prematurely. The blood of the animal contains a chemical that counteracts the venom, but either may be used to create anti-venoms.

Movement involves gliding on the ground directly forward, using muscles on the belly to propel itself. These muscles are strong enough to allow Tsuchinoko to jump up to 2 meters, which they use in hunting prey and escaping.

## Food

Tsuchinoko is widely considered both a snack food and a delicacy on Hirasaka and elsewhere in Yamatai, depending on the method of preparation. The typically consumed Tsuchinoko are small juveniles which have yet to produce lethal toxins, and are simply prepared steamed, fried or otherwise, often served on skewers by street vendors.

Adult or wild-caught Tsuchinoko are considered more flavourful and lean due to their age and level of activity. Wild Tsuchinoko are caught by baiting it with meat and catching it in a bag when it leaps. Preparation involves draining the reptile of venom by removing the fangs by hand, then hanging the body by the tail to allow the toxins to drain for around three days. At the same time, whatever remnant toxins soak into the flesh and mix with the animal's blood, neutralising it. This meat is then prepared as a delicacy, often involving alcohol.

An even more higher-valued dish involves freshly-prepared, raw Tsuchinoko, said to be one of the highest-level delicacies in Yamataian society. Preparation involves carefully cutting apart a freshly-slain animal to remove the flesh without piercing the venom sacs or ducts, serving the raw meat in the animal's blood. Deaths due to Tsuchinoko Sashimi are disturbingly common, though numbers have fallen in recent years due to a rare Empire-wide crackdown by the Teikoku Gikai.

Genetically-modified Tsuchinoko without toxins also exist on the market, though do not carry the same high price of "true" Tsuchinoko, their flesh and blood tasting differently. This type is commonly used to produce artificially-flavoured fillets and minced meat for home consumption.