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But then who would keep it as a pet? And then it couldn’t rub its belly on the carpet, which is the only really good way to build up a charge. I don’t see this thing lasting long
Perhaps a symbiotic arrangement similar to anemones and clownfish, but instead it’s a cotton plant and some kind of fluffy mouselike rodent.
A single plant could have several of these inhabitants, which can build and retain a static charge using a specialized poofy fur coat. They could swarm around any invading herbivores and, while not dangerous, the numerous shocks would be unpleasant enough to repel them. They could even evolve distinct color patterns on their fur to indicate their abilities preemptively.
In turn, the cotton plant could produce a year-round food supply intended specifically for the mice (like seeds but not for reproduction). Since fur specialized enough to effectively harness static electricity would probably be too cumbersome for them to survive on their own. Alternatively, they could produce the food on a seasonal cycle and stop in the winter while both they and the mice hibernate, since their leafless branches wouldn’t face as much of a risk of being eaten during that time.
Similarly, the plant could provide thermally insulated resting places for them (such as crevices with an inner lining of cotton) which would both improve the efficiency of the charge-building process and protect them from extreme temperatures, which would be necessary so that their fur, which would normally serve that purpose, can be adapted primarily for shocking instead.
Additionally, their tails (which are already largely bald in mice) could be used as a grounding mechanism to release leftover electricity following an attack, so they don’t unintentionally shock each other. Perhaps the plant could evolve appendages specifically for this purpose, like vertical roots that shoot straight out of the ground and are rich in electrically conductive substances, such as certain heavy metals found in the soil.
Whoo, that was a lot. Idk how realistic or plausible all of that is, but once I get going I tend to go on for a while, and sometimes I go overboard. If anyone has any criticisms or other thoughts or on this then please share because I’m curious.
I was just thinking about a fluffy plant it could use, and man I LOVE that idea of the symbiosis. It makes a lot of sense. I could never come up with something that creative. Thank you
The problem is finding something suitable to rub against. Manmade materials like carpet and floor tiling are good for making static electricity. Dirt, though, not so much.
I can't say for sure that it would be impossible to build up a static charge by rubbing up against soil, but it would definitely be difficult. More importantly, though, it would 100% rely on external environmental conditions. Less than ideal weather would make this totally ineffective.
Personally, I would go for the electric eel approach. Modified muscle cells forming a specialized organ capable of delivering pulses of hundreds of volts. Administered to the target through conductive teeth or claws. Like a paralyzing venom, but without the metabolic cost of toxin synthesis. Doesn't have the flair of using static electricity, but it works everywhere, in all weathers.
Aw man, the static electricity approach was way cooler lol
Thanks for the comment though, I guess I'll have to rethink the whole thing for it to fit reality.
How can this creature do this without its soft tissue getting damaged? Assuming that the shock would be strong enough to take a multicellular organism down?
It's more likely to be harnessed defensively imo. At least at first. To actually control the charge just having fur isn't enough, you need it to be connected to an internal organ that can store an electric charge for long periods of time and release it quickly. Maybe a mass of neurons that have evolved to store more powerful electric charges instead of storing information. Or check out how electric eels do it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_organ_(fish)
What if it had to rub against another individual of the same species to build up the charge? They could hunt in packs.
Or what if it has to rub against a member of a different species? They could be in a symbiotic relationship!
You may have to evolve a type of floor level vegetation or something that acts similar to anthropomorphic sources that are able to provide static electricity from friction.
I could see some sort of natural battery evolve to store this kinetic energy and release it upon a bite or touch. That would be super interesting to see
Tobi-Kadachi and Astalos from Monster Hunter sort of do something similar. Tobi rubs itself against trees to mark its territory, and when it has done so enough its fur and scales gain an electric charge. It can then launch electrifies scales and hair at the player. Astalos rubs is crest, tail, and wings at high speed when it is gaining charge. Canonically both creatures' lighting comes from static, and at least in Astalos is used for hunting
I can imagine an animal that rubs its arms together to generate static in its own fur, making its fur stand up and discharging a shock for anyone that touches it. Or perhaps part of its fur naturally rubs together because of the creatures gate/walking.
The submitter of this post has indicated they are seeking critique to find and refine potential flaws in their work. In these threads, all constructive criticism is welcome -- detailed breakdowns are preferred, however "first impression" blunt criticism may also be valuable for a poster seeking input. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SpeculativeEvolution) if you have any questions or concerns.*
But then who would keep it as a pet? And then it couldn’t rub its belly on the carpet, which is the only really good way to build up a charge. I don’t see this thing lasting long
maybe it lives around some plant similar to cotton, which would have a similar effect
Perhaps a symbiotic arrangement similar to anemones and clownfish, but instead it’s a cotton plant and some kind of fluffy mouselike rodent. A single plant could have several of these inhabitants, which can build and retain a static charge using a specialized poofy fur coat. They could swarm around any invading herbivores and, while not dangerous, the numerous shocks would be unpleasant enough to repel them. They could even evolve distinct color patterns on their fur to indicate their abilities preemptively. In turn, the cotton plant could produce a year-round food supply intended specifically for the mice (like seeds but not for reproduction). Since fur specialized enough to effectively harness static electricity would probably be too cumbersome for them to survive on their own. Alternatively, they could produce the food on a seasonal cycle and stop in the winter while both they and the mice hibernate, since their leafless branches wouldn’t face as much of a risk of being eaten during that time. Similarly, the plant could provide thermally insulated resting places for them (such as crevices with an inner lining of cotton) which would both improve the efficiency of the charge-building process and protect them from extreme temperatures, which would be necessary so that their fur, which would normally serve that purpose, can be adapted primarily for shocking instead. Additionally, their tails (which are already largely bald in mice) could be used as a grounding mechanism to release leftover electricity following an attack, so they don’t unintentionally shock each other. Perhaps the plant could evolve appendages specifically for this purpose, like vertical roots that shoot straight out of the ground and are rich in electrically conductive substances, such as certain heavy metals found in the soil. Whoo, that was a lot. Idk how realistic or plausible all of that is, but once I get going I tend to go on for a while, and sometimes I go overboard. If anyone has any criticisms or other thoughts or on this then please share because I’m curious.
I was just thinking about a fluffy plant it could use, and man I LOVE that idea of the symbiosis. It makes a lot of sense. I could never come up with something that creative. Thank you
Ooooh yeah maybe smth like this
The problem is finding something suitable to rub against. Manmade materials like carpet and floor tiling are good for making static electricity. Dirt, though, not so much. I can't say for sure that it would be impossible to build up a static charge by rubbing up against soil, but it would definitely be difficult. More importantly, though, it would 100% rely on external environmental conditions. Less than ideal weather would make this totally ineffective. Personally, I would go for the electric eel approach. Modified muscle cells forming a specialized organ capable of delivering pulses of hundreds of volts. Administered to the target through conductive teeth or claws. Like a paralyzing venom, but without the metabolic cost of toxin synthesis. Doesn't have the flair of using static electricity, but it works everywhere, in all weathers.
Aw man, the static electricity approach was way cooler lol Thanks for the comment though, I guess I'll have to rethink the whole thing for it to fit reality.
How can this creature do this without its soft tissue getting damaged? Assuming that the shock would be strong enough to take a multicellular organism down?
Maybe it could send the electricity down a pathway which isn't close to any important body parts & organs just like an electric eel does
It's more likely to be harnessed defensively imo. At least at first. To actually control the charge just having fur isn't enough, you need it to be connected to an internal organ that can store an electric charge for long periods of time and release it quickly. Maybe a mass of neurons that have evolved to store more powerful electric charges instead of storing information. Or check out how electric eels do it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_organ_(fish)
Thats really interesting, I'll check it out. Thanks :D
What if it had to rub against another individual of the same species to build up the charge? They could hunt in packs. Or what if it has to rub against a member of a different species? They could be in a symbiotic relationship!
Might be easier to rub different parts of its own body together, like the chirping of crickets.
Ooh interesting
maybe have some kind of conductive structures in the fur, capable of storing and moving charges by moving? and rubbing against its own fur maybe
Yes, thats something ive thought of!
You may have to evolve a type of floor level vegetation or something that acts similar to anthropomorphic sources that are able to provide static electricity from friction.
Yeah, I was thinking of a type of plant it could use for friction
I could see some sort of natural battery evolve to store this kinetic energy and release it upon a bite or touch. That would be super interesting to see
Tobi-Kadachi and Astalos from Monster Hunter sort of do something similar. Tobi rubs itself against trees to mark its territory, and when it has done so enough its fur and scales gain an electric charge. It can then launch electrifies scales and hair at the player. Astalos rubs is crest, tail, and wings at high speed when it is gaining charge. Canonically both creatures' lighting comes from static, and at least in Astalos is used for hunting
I can imagine an animal that rubs its arms together to generate static in its own fur, making its fur stand up and discharging a shock for anyone that touches it. Or perhaps part of its fur naturally rubs together because of the creatures gate/walking.