Sima

Sima
A pet Sima resting within a little nook made for it.
Scientific classification
Species:	Sima
Binomial name
Pulchra Filum

The Sima {Sigh mah} [Pulchra Filum]] is a Mongonoid species, which was brought to Sparkalia by the Mongons. Due to their similarity to worms and snakes in shape, they are often referred to as Mongon worms, or even sometimes snakes, though the latter is less common. They are long creatures, relatively thin for their length. Despite their wormlike appearance, they are in fact vertebrates, possessing a centrally located and extremely flexible spine.

The Sima are versatile radiation feeding creatures. Like all Mongonoids, they consume only water and radiation, often mixed with water. Due to their very high surface area to mass ratio, they are one of the few Mongonoid species that are able to effectively survive off of passively absorbing radiation in a standard Domain environment.

A versatile creature, they can be found almost anywhere in the Glowing Coast, and sometimes are even found in the sea. However, like many Mongonoids species, they are fairly sensitive to water based pollution, which combined with a lack of an energy source in most water, prevents them from expanding outwards.

Etymology

The word “Sima” comes from the Mongon word that means a rope, chord, or other such similar things. The name was given due to the long and thin shape of the Sima.

History

The Sima were created by Atol/Tao upon the planet of Mongo, making them both an Atol/Tao’ic and a Mongonoid species. They were introduced to Sparkalia in the latter half of the 1300s when the Mongons arrived and founded the Domain. Released into the freshly irradiated rivers, streams, and other flowing areas of water in what would become the glowing coast, the small creatures would quickly grow in number. Now they are found in droves all over the Domain, on both the land and in the water.

Habitat

Nature

While the Sima can live on both land and in the water, they prefer to live in shallow waters over deeper waters or dry land, mostly due to their generally small size. They require water that is unpolluted, except for by irradiation, in order to thrive. While some live along the seacoast, and they can drink seawater, most prefer to live on riverbanks and within swamps. These places offer more and better places to shelter and rest within.

They generally live within shallow burrows, barely deeper than they are. They use their snout to push mud out of the way when burrowing. Once the burrow is made, they wedge themselves within it, using their flexibility to turn about on themselves. Often their burrows go just below the waterline, and they then use their snouts to breathe, while the water helps to conceal them.

Pets

The other popular habitat for them is in the rooms of children. Both species are fairly small, and the lesser ones are even easier to take care of. Since they can often survive off of passive radiation, the risk of accidentally starving one is lower. They ate fairly low maintenance, and are generally considered harmless, even to children, especially in the case of the lesser Sima.

Their hairs can also be easily dyed, making them easy to be made to stand out, though their natural bright orange color is fairly unique. Combined with their relative docility towards Mongons, and their silky fur, they are especially popular as pets with female Mongons, though mostly among Sweoloth in particular, with the Dóceoloth not appreciating them much, and the Aureoloth rarely bothering with minor pets.

Biology

Physiology

Sima are split into two species, greater and lesser Sima. When born, Lesser Sima are just 6 inches long, while the Greater Sima are about 9 inches long, and both are very thin. Most Lesser Sima grow to around 1 foot long, though some even reach a yard long. However, these are considered very long. The Greater Sima grow much larger, reaching up to two yards long often, though more commonly being between 4 and 5 feet long. Sima require air to breathe, and use their proboscis like nose to drink it, though they also can breathe through nasal slots on the top of their head, which are located between their snout and eyes. When in the water and swimming forward they often use the slots to breathe. When simply resting in the water they often hang down, using their snout like a snorkel.

Their spines are centrally located, and extremely flexible, able to bend in any direction. This gives them an extreme level of flexibility, and makes it harder for other creatures to break spines. However, it also slightly complicates their organs, though since they only consume liquid the consequences are limited. Their Theote and Drenc are forced to wrap around them, which is why they have a fatter looking forward body section. Pregnant Sima look more even.

To fight, the Sima only have their Dels, relatively protected spine, ability to wrap around objects, and ability to grapple with their proboscis. The latter is primarily used against each other, while the rest are used when conflicts with other creatures arrive, during which they generally try to escape first.

Their Dels is covered in short but soft hair, which covers their entire body. While naturally not colors such as pink, their hair takes dye well, and thus it is often dyed. In nature, their fur is generally an orangish color.

Life Cycle and Span

Sima are born in groups of around 6 for lesser Sima and 12 for Greater Sima, with the mother giving live birth after 6 months of pregnancy in both cases. From the moment they are born Sima are independent, and the mother will leave them after making sure they survive their first few minutes.

Sima spend around a year growing to their adult size, which is around the time they are able to reproduce. Once this is achieved, the Sima will seek out mates. Unlike some Mongonoids, the Sima have no care in their mate past reproduction, and males will try to mate with as many females as possible, with larger males often forcibly pushing smaller males away, using their proboscis like snout to grapple them.

Like many other Mongonoids, the Sima have no natural date of death. However, due to their relatively small size, and relative lack of offensive capabilities, they often fall easy prey to native twisted carnivores, being consumed in droves.

Consumption

Sima, like all other Mongonoids, require both water and radiation in order to survive. Like other Mongonoids, they are capable of filtering out seawater in order to drink it, and often consume radiation within their water. However, their smaller size, especially when it comes to the Lesser Sima, allows them to often survive just by absorbing radiation, rather than actively consuming it. They use their proboscis like snout in order to drink up the water. If water is too polluted they become unable to drink it. Unlike many other Mongonoids, the Sima lack Bōsmas, and thus in turn cannot produce Lēomena. However, Sima young are able to function independently from the moment of birth, unlike the young of species such as Mongons, and thus they have no need for either of those things.