naturalhistoryofthefantastic: A preview of the centaur anatomy. “The centaur’s lower-hal

naturalhistoryofthefantastic:A preview of the centaur anatomy. “The centaur’s lower-half houses a complex multi-stage digestive system designed to extract nutrients from tough prairie grasses. Centaur bones are relatively thin in order to make room for their leg-length esophaguses, and as such they must be wary of falls or injury to their lower “horse” halves.“  - A Natural History of the FantasticA simple diagram of the centaur’s remarkable foot. Since centaurs cannot easily stoop their upper body to reach low lying plants they rely on a peculuiar method of ingestion to eat while on the move. Centaurs graze through grasping mouths on the base of their four hooves. These toothed orifices are attached to a length of esophagus-like tissue that runs the length of the centaur’s limbs. The process appears to be automatic, and centaurs continue to graze even while they sleep.Think of it like a foot-anus with teeth. Centaur are already wildly impractical creatures, and it got worse when I tried thinking though how they’d eat. Having them bend their human faces down to graze was the stupidest looking thing I could imagine (not to mention impractical biologically). So I went with something a little more unusual, but potentially more elegant.Remember, I’m having to sort of work backwards from concepts that don’t make a lot of sense scientifically and explain how they work in fun/believable ways. The fun part was imagining a whole lineage of feet eating pseudo-centaur in their evolutionary line.     THIS BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!Over 3 years in the making, this 120-page artbook bestiary includes the anatomy, behavior, and origins of over 20 amazing fantasy creatures. Each interconnected through a series of recorded histories, myths, and first-hand encounters that stress the value of exploration and curiosity in the face of superstition. -- source link

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