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dragon-dna

Nov 10, 2015

Kappa

Nomenclature

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Clade: Testudinata

Order: Testudines

Family: Chalum

Genus: Kawa

Species: Wappa

General Overview:

A form of intelligent turtle, kappas are amphibious reptiles with primate-like features, including opposable thumbs on webbed hands. Their body is capable of bipedal movement despite its cumbersome back shell. The Kappa’s entire body is covered in light green scales, excluding the head cavity, chest, and genitals. The head is similar in nature to that of a primate, but with a prominent beak which protrudes from the head in a manner similar to a snapping turtle.

The most noticeable feature of a kappa, however, is the dent in its head through which the creature carries water. Many members of Order testudines can absorb oxygen through various parts of the body, and those in the Chalum family can absorb their oxygen through the uncovered skin on top of their head. Despite its natural specialization for water, the part does still allow the Kappa to move on land - so long as the water stays on the head. Scientists theorize that this indicates Kappas are an evolved form of sea-turtles that adapted to breathing only water, but are now making the transition back from to land.

Rob Wilf

Respiratory system:

Lungs are already ill-favoured in many turtles. Their large skeletal plates restrict diaphragm movement, making respiration challenging. Many species, including sea turtles, have compensated for this fact by developing secondary respiratory characteristics in the mouth, anus, and in certain species anywhere in the skin. Kappas have developed specialized dents in their heads, with a thick lining that resembles gills, to serve much the same purpose; absorbing oxygen in the water directly without the use of lungs.

These dents on the top of the creature’s head are referred to as Chalum bowels.Kappas dependence on these bowels seem to suggest that they are descents of deep sea turtles who became completely reliant on these constructs to breathe. However, as our deep-sea archeology is still leagues away, no current fossil records support this. The Kappa’s dependence on bowels for respiration led to scientists at one point believing that the lungs of a kappa are simply vestigial and indeed lack airways. However, recent autopsies have revealed neurons growing on the lung tissue. Scientists hypothesize that as the species evolved to be more intelligent, they simply lacked the cranial capacity to grow their primary brains and instead resorted to using the vestigial tissue for a conduit. In Layman’s terms, the lungs and brains of kappas have switched places.

Rob Wilf

Behavior:

Kappas are generally seen as mischievous spirits, often stirring up trouble. However, they have also been noted as extremely concerned with manners, making them extremely finicky creatures. Kappas are often blamed for drownings; while trying to wrestle humans, after the human has drowned the Kappa will drink their victim's blood, eat the liver, and many believe they may go for the victim’s soul. Besides humans, Kappas will also target important livestock and drown them, though if a Kappa is caught doing so they will apologize either verbally or in written terms; this is mostly due to their extreme vulnerability on land.

If one finds themselves confronted by a Kappa there are a small handful of ways that one could escape. Bowing very deeply as to spill the water out of its head bowl, as Kappas see politeness as the utmost importance, then re-filling the head bowel with water indebts the Kappa to the human. Another manner of escape is to go for the Kappa’s arms; they are very easily breakable due to weak tendons - just keep in mind that Kappas are very good at wrestling.

Although Kappas may seem quite malevolent in their nature, like any species, some individuals are worse than others. Various Kappas can be quite curious about human civilization and culture, some can be befriended through gifts and offerings of eggplant, soybeans, buckwheat noodles, or human children. In some areas it is common practice to eat cucumbers before entering bodies of water so the Kappa of that area will let you pass without harm, but in others it is suggested not. If the Kappa is pleased by the offering it may help irrigate farmers land, bring fresh fish which is a sign of good luck, help with illnesses, or bone setting.

To this day there are festivals to appease and please the Kappas, these take place during the equinoxes when the Kappas migrated.

Olivia Moffat

Diet/Hunting:

Kappas have a great love or vulnerability for cucumbers. Many festivals involving Kappas have cucumber sacrifices. People who go on Kappa hunting trips in Japan use cucumbers as fishing bait. Kappas will also eat other vegetables like eggplants. Vegetables are not the only things they eat however, as their diet is omnivorous. They have been known to eat people, specifically small children.

With a body similar to turtles, the Kappa’s webbed hands and feet give the them a predisposition to swimming. The Kappa spends most of its time in the water. Attacks can be expected to occur beside rivers or streams due to the good hunting conditions for the Kappas. Like a turtle, the Kappa also has a very powerful jaw, which is also great for hunting. These traits are good for aquatic hunts, but on land they are not as fast. The attack on a human would consist of dragging down underwater until the victim is fully drowned.

Bella G

Life Cycle:

Although there are few references in mythology or popular culture as to how kappas procreate, it appears likely that kappas are oviparous meaning their young hatch from eggs. Given the creature’s similarity to certain semi-aquatic turtles, these eggs resemble riverbed stones and kappas hatch among them.

Kappas spend their lives in and around their home river. They tend to outlive the people studying them so it is difficult to gauge their age but scientist estimate they have life spans ranging from 250 years to over 1,000 years. kappas are unchallenged in their body of water. On land kappas run the risk of being tricked out of their freedom, but are still formidable.

Although this apparently means that a kappa can live for centuries, it is unclear whether the kappa is actually immortal. Stories exist of kappas being defeated through battles of wit, where they are forced to spill the water out of the dish in the top of their skulls. This defeat includes the creature going into stasis until the dish is filled again. This type of defeat may also include death, but it is unclear whether or not this is always the case. Kappas can also lose limbs without harm, and are extremely hard to kill.

Thea A-L

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