If humans could transplant animal characteristics onto their bodies, what would be some interesting ones to choose? I've already used: wings, horns, scales, gills, & feathers. As a side note: Anyone know an interesting animal that lacks a gag reflex? The best one I found so far was the horse but it won't work for the situation.
Eyes would be cool. Specifically the eyes of a bird. Amphibians take in oxygen through their skin. That could be interesting. Sonar, like the way bats/marine life communicate. Going with the bird thing, their built-in directional system consisting of using magnetic north and a substance in their brains to instinctually know which direction to go. Those are just what came to mind. Sorry if none of it is helpful.
Webbed fingers. A prehensile monkey tail. Lobster claws (lobsters are also immortal, FYI). Poison skin. Poison bite. Bat wings. Tusks. Claws. Fangs. I'm done.
Fur could be appealing if they live in a colder area. Being able to regenerate limbs like salamanders and such would be interesting. Any type of heightened senses, as well.
I guess I should have mentioned, the traits need to be things people can readily notice about someone. I like the tail thing. Not sure why I hadn't thought of it. Skin like an amphibian might be workable also. Fur ... yes I can do so much with interesting fur.
Goo-shooters (Velvet worm), long bristles on limbs (spiders and insects), chitin carapace (many arthropods), STONE EYES (trilobites).
That whole snake bite thing would come in handy. I could give you a top ten list of who I'd bite first.
Humm, strange I also have a concept like this. Tiger stripes, implanted fangs, forked tongue and heat pits. Those are heat pits shown^
I'd separate it into form and function characteristics. Some people just want it for the aesthetics, others want enhanced abilities. For the more dramatic the change, there'd also be a tradeoff. Some ideas: A fashionista or model who takes horsehair as a characteristic, using it to enhance her beauty An assassin who has the eyes of an eagle A football player who takes on the characteristics of a bull; with horns and enhanced speed and strength A man who takes the singing instincts of a bird, using beautiful songs to attract females A thief who takes the characteristics of a monkey, allowing him to climb to insane heights and on pretty much anything while being totally silent A skydiver who takes the characteristics of a flying squirrel A government of a nation with extremely low birth rates imbues its citizens with the reproductive instincts of rabbits to fix the problem I'm in class right now so this is all I can think of right now! This is actually kind of fun
I dress fly - for my walks to shop corner. 'Buzz buzz,' I say, 'shop-keeper, give me real Nigerian, a sweet guinness, and the green rizla. Walking back, wings thump on my back. I lift off, patrol beach ways a while, buzz between bikinis, licking ice-creams. People say I'm a nuisance fly. 'Only ordinary,' I say, 'fly me.'
I'd like the ability to climb anything the way a monkey does and run really fast (but on two feet, not four ...I'm thinking ostrich .)
Prehensile nose, like a coatamundi Quills (being able to shoot quills is a myth. Quills are driven in by a whack of a tail, etc.) Head that rotates like a owl (also, nearly silent flight... unique digestion features, eyesight, etc) Kinkajous have feet that turn backwards, in order to run backwards along tree limbs. Laugh like a hyena (literally. If you do this, please do your research on how/when/why they "laugh". I promise, it's not what you think.) Also, hyena teeth/jaws (5th strongest bite). Stripes like a zebra. Rock climb like a mountain goat. (hooves...?) Horns/antlers of varying description (google Kudu. That's a cool one.) Hair like a variations of Tamarin and Marmoset monkey Tounge like a monotor lizard... pick your species Certain species of possum (not to be confused with Opossum) have uniquly formed hands/feet used to knock on tree bark, listening for grubs. (Was a zookeeper)
You know that thing where dogs smell each others rear ends to learn more about each other? That deserves a chapter.
I like talons ... or better yet. Someone with a single talon they can use to open up those pain in the ass plastic packages.
Lungs for fire/ice capabilities Poisonous skin animal-like ears, eel's ability to produce electricity.
Yea, I think I'm gonna need to skip the gag gag. I was going to mention a woman with a horse mane was only using it as a display to men that she lacked a gag reflex. Since I specifically mention that horses are extinct in my story I don't think it would make sense.