Cross Species Communications - Monday (Snakes on the Syllabus!)

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

Good little students who reviewed the handwavy now regularly but still mysteriously delivered packets might expect to see a snake as this week's guest speaker. However, as the students enter they will notice Mary Poppins standing next to the biggest snake they possibly have ever seen. The front third of its body is standing upright, tall enough to be looking Mary Poppins in the eye and conversing with her.

It appears to be a cobra, those who are very familiar with snakes will recognize it as a King Cobra, also known as a Hamadryad.

Students who already speak Parseltongue and who listen into the conversation hear the two of them making plans to meet at the Zoo the next time Mary's birthday is on a full moon.

Once all the students are settled Mary and the Hamadryad both turn to gaze at the class. It is possibly a little off putting how alike those gazes are.

"I would like you all to meet my cousin. I'll thank you to be extra polite today." she says giving Schrodinger the eye if he's anywhere visable.

The Hamadryad bows his head to the class.

"Snakes,

(from Old English snaca, and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European base *snag- or *sneg-, "to crawl"), also known as ophidians, are cold-blooded legless reptiles closely related to lizards, which share the order Squamata. There are also several species of legless lizard which superficially resemble snakes, but are not otherwise related to them. A love of snakes is called ophiophilia, a fear of snakes is called ophidiophobia. A specialist in snakes is an ophiologist.

An old synonym for snake is serpent (which comes from Old French, and ultimately from *serp-,"to creep"); in modern usage this usually refers to a mythic or symbolic snake.

While snake visionis unremarkable (generally being best in arboreal species and worst inburrowing species), it is able to detect movement. Some snakes, likethe Asian vine snake, have binocular vision.In most snakes, the lens moves back and forth within the eyeball tofocus. In addition to their eyes, some snakes (pit vipers, pythons, andsome boas) have infrared-sensitive receptors in deep grooves between the nostril and eye which allow them to "see" the radiated heat.

A snake smells by using its forked tongue to collect airborne particles then passing them to the Jacobson's organ or the Vomeronasal organ in the mouthfor examination. The fork in the tongue gives the snake a sort ofdirectional sense of smell. The part of the body which is in directcontact with the surface of the ground is very sensitive to vibration,thus a snake is able to sense other animals approaching.

Snakes have no external ears, but they do have a bone called the quadrate under the skin on either side of the head which focuses sound into the cochlea.[2] Their sense of hearing is most sensitive to frequencies around 200–300 Hz." Mary explained pointing these things out on the Hamadryad where applicable.

"As a result Parseltongue is possibly the one of the most subtle languages known, even more so then many languages specifically developed by man to be so. The sounds that you are making to communicate with the snake may not be heard, but the expelling of breath can be tasted by the snake and the vibrations of the sounds felt. It is a rare case that the language is spoken by two parties that perceive it differently. And yet are able to understand eachother with little or no difficulty.

In some parts of the world, especially in India and Pakistan, snake charmingis a roadside show performed by a charmer. In this, the snake charmer carries a basket that contains a snake which he seemingly charms by playing tunes from his flute-like musical instrument, to which thesnake responds. However, snakes' sense of hearing is not very sensitiveto the range of the charmer's instrument, so they may not be able to hear the music at all. Researchers have pointed out that many of the sesnake charmers are good sleight-of-hand artists. The snake moves corresponding to the flute movement and the vibrations from the tapping of the charmer's foot which is not noticed by the public.

So do keep in mind that when you speak Parseltongue to a snake, they are not hearing you in the traditional sense."

[[ooc: Please wait for OCD OPEN!]

Comments

SIGN IN

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

You know the drill by now I'm sure.

Re: SIGN IN

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

Naomi Wildman

BEFORE AND DURING THE LECTURE

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

Most of which was ganked from Wikipedia.org

Re: BEFORE AND DURING THE LECTURE

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

Naomi was once again taking down a lot of notes, she was also going over board with them but this fact didn't seem to dawn on her.

Re: BEFORE AND DURING THE LECTURE

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn took many, many, many notes, which made it easier not to look at the cobra. She and snakes (http://www.buffyworld.com/buffy/season5/transcripts/86_tran.shtml) didn't exactly have the best history, after all.

Re: BEFORE AND DURING THE LECTURE

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

Walter eavesdropped shamelessly. Any conversation going on at the front of the classroom was fair game, in his opinion.

Re: BEFORE AND DURING THE LECTURE

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana took copious notes, having had first hand evidence of how helpful these classes can be. Jim stayed curled up in her lap and avoided looking at the hamadryad.

Re: BEFORE AND DURING THE LECTURE

[2-twin-devils-2.livejournal.com]

Kaoru couldn't really focus on taking notes...he kept stareing at the snake's mouth...

Re: BEFORE AND DURING THE LECTURE

[narglette.livejournal.com]

Luna at least seemed to listen to the lecture.

Well, as much as she ever seemed to do anything.

Whatever she may have appeared to be doing, Luna was taking note of everything said, and every instruction given.

Re: BEFORE AND DURING THE LECTURE

[stykera]

Stark took a few notes while wondering just how big the very large snake was and if Mary Poppins had actually meant "cousin" when she said it.

Re: BEFORE AND DURING THE LECTURE

[notajar]

Door takes notes with interest. No, that's not her thinking how useful it might be to have such creatures below London, to send messages in places the rats can't reach or wouldn't go. That'd be some other girl.

BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

Chat with the Hamadryad.

Re: BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

Naomi went over to Hamadryad //Hello, how are you today?// she asked.

Re: BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn swallowed audibly, probably especially to the hamadryad. //Do you miss having ears?//

Re: BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[walter-n-wires.livejournal.com]

Walter slowly bowed his head to the big honkin' snake hamadryad.

//Good day. Thank you for coming to talk to us.//

Today seemed to be a good day to go with "outwardly fastidious and well-mannered."

Re: BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River looked at the snake curiously. //Hello. What does it feel like to shed skin?//

Re: BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana left Panther!Jim dozing by her chair when she went to talk to the hamadryad. //Hello. I am honored to meet you.//

Re: BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[2-twin-devils-2.livejournal.com]

Dear god. A giant snake. Kaoru was pretty freaked out. Not only was he intimidated by the sheer magnitude of the snake, but he kept imagining getting eatten by that big..mouth...with the unhinging jaw...

//Hello. I'm// Kaoru. //How's it going?// He smiled pleasantly, very much on-edge.

Re: BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[narglette.livejournal.com]

Luna blinked as she considered just what she ought to say. 'Know any basilisks?' was definitely out.

Instead, she went with, //Namaste, cousin of Professor Poppins.//

Re: BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[stykera]

Stark nodded to the snake.

//Hello. I'm//"Stark"//It's good to meet you.//

Re: BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[notajar]

//Good afternoon// Door says, or.. hisses, sort of. //Thank you for coming to our class.//

Re: BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

Cedric slowly made his way up to the snake.

//Hello.// Might as well start easy.

Re: BIG HONKIN SNAKE

[bruiser-in-pink.livejournal.com]

Molly smiled at the cobra. //Hello again. Are you having a nice visit?//

MARY

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

She's available after class.

OOC

[spit-spot.livejournal.com]

To hold the other threads up.

Re: OOC

[narglette.livejournal.com]

I know using 'Namaste' is pretentious and eye-rollingly overly new age but I couldn't remember what time of day the class is held.