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basilvalentine · 3 years

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A Guide to Writing Ectothermic Cardassians

First, a few disclaimers. I am not a veterinarian or a biologist, and my understanding of all of this is purely based on reading around. If I make a mistake, please correct me. Secondly, this post is written with the assumption that Cardassians are ectotherms. If that’s not your personal head-canon, that is totally valid, but this specific post is about Cardassians as ectothermic lizards.

We should also talk about terminology. I will be using the word ectotherm (not ‘exotherm’ - the first part of that word is Greek ektós ‘outside, external’, like in ‘ectoplasm’, not the prefix ex ‘from’, like in ‘exorcist’ - ‘exothermic’ refers to a process that is accompanied by the release of heat, like an explosion). Sometimes the term ‘cold-blooded’ is used, but it is fairly imprecise, so I’m going to go with ectothermy.

Let’s talk thermoregulation.

There are two pairs of words we should look at: endotherm and ectotherm, and homeotherm and poikilotherm. An endotherm maintains its body internally through its metabolism. An ectotherm does not. A homeotherm’s body temperature remains stable whatever the external influence. A poikilotherm’s internal temperature varies. Humans and endothermic homeotherm - we have a stable internal temperature, and it does normally not fluctuate. Even if you go outside in the freezing cold, you will still have the same core temperature. Even in extreme cold, humans can be outside if they’re well bundled up, because our bodies work to keep warm. Generally, these pair up like so: ectotherms – poikilotherms, endotherms – homeotherms. That being said, there are ectotherms who are essentially homeotherms, as they live in places with barely any temperature fluctuation, meaning that even if they can’t regulate their own body temperature, it’s already regulated around them. However, for reasons I will explain later, I think we can say with some certainty that Cardassians are poikilotherms. From now on, I’m going to take the poikilothermy for granted and just refer to them as ectotherms.

What does the cold and heat do to ectotherms?

Often when we talk about ectotherms, we imagine that they have a target core temperature, and they are constantly fighting to maintain it. That’s not the case. Ectotherms are a much broader spectrum of healthy core temperatures, depending on what they’re up to. Let’s for instance compare iguanas and humans. If a human’s core temperature drops below 35 centigrades (95.0 degrees Fahrenheit), that’s hypothermia. If it’s over 37.5 centigrades (99.5 degrees F), you’re either hyperthermic (overheating) or you’ve got a fever (they’re different things, as hyperthermia is externally caused). By contrast, the Galapagos marine iguana’s normal temperature ranges between 24 and 37 degrees depending on the time of day (Butler et al. 2002). Other lizards will have even broader normal ranges.

As a rule of thumb, lower temperatures bring ectotherms down, higher temperatures pick them up. Warmer temperatures will make Cardassians more alert, their heart will beat faster, their breathing will pick up. By contrast, colder temperatures will make them calmer, even sluggish, their heart-rate and breathing will slow down. This will often be associated with the time of day. At night, it gets colder - the ectotherm gets sleepy. Then, it will warm up in the morning, and be very active while it’s warm.

Long-time exposure to temperatures that are too cold or too hot are naturally not good for anyone, even Cardassians. If they’re stuck somewhere which is always towards the top of their comfort range or even above it, the Cardassian in question might end up feeling agitated and jittery, which will take a toll. If they’re somewhere too cold, they’ll not have much energy, and their immune system will become impaired (so when Garak complains that it is too cold on DS9, not only is it physically uncomfortable - it makes him feel slow and unfocused, and he’s probably perpetually nursing a cold). If a Cardassian gets really cold, they’ll go into what is essentially a coma. Veterinarians used to (and some may still) use hypothermia as a form of anaesthetic when operating on ectotherms, but studies have shown that even in severe hypothermia, ectotherms can still feel pain, so it’s not seen as humane anymore. This is why I imagine that Cardassian military surgeons will use hypothermia as anaesthetic, because… it’s the kind of thing the Cardassian military would do.

What does ectothermy mean for Cardassian physiology and behaviour?

The differences between ectotherms and endotherms are profound, going down to a cellular level, so it’s not a surprise that there are going to be some big differences in how Cardassians look, function and behave. Here are some of them.

Cardassians don’t shiver. Shivering when you’re cold is a way to regulate your own body heat by generating heat through the shivering. Ectotherms are not able to generate heat on their own. There are some niche cases where ectotherms shiver, such as some gravid pythons shivering to incubate the eggs, but it is a very small minority.

Cardassians don’t sweat. Sweating is, again, a way for your body to regulate heat. Your body secretes fluids, which then evaporates, which in turn cools you. Cardassians won’t do this, as they don’t regulate their own body-heat.

Cardassians bask. If you can’t rely on your body to fix the heat, you get it elsewhere! This is why I said that Cardassians are poikilotherms. Also, there is canon on Cardassians basking:

[Image description: screencap from the episode ‘For the Cause’. Garak and Tora Ziyal are lying on stone benches on either side of some hot rocks.]

Here, it is something that is done for pleasure (and considering how cold DS9 is, I can’t blame them). However, it’s likely that Cardassians also heat up, whether through basking under a heat-lamp or through some other means, in the morning to wake up properly. ‘Don’t talk to me before I’ve had my bask.’

Cardassians won’t always feel the same temperature. Garak’s skin will not always feel the same. Keep in mind that our understanding of what is warm and cold, when we use our hands, depends on our own temperature. I have poor circulation, and every time I bake I’m surprised at how warm 37 centigrades, which is the definition of lukewarm, is. Garak will not feel cold, though he might feel cool (and isn’t he cool?) Also, after a night of sleeping beside a human he’ll be warmer.

Cardassians will use clothing to help maintain a comfortable temperature. Cardassians love layers, and it’s not just a fashion thing. You warm up under your heat lamp, then you put on your suits and jumpers and long-johns and whatnot, and head out into the world. You will still be losing heat, but you’ll lose it slower than if you went out in a summer dress. (Just like humans, Cardassians can also keep warm by moving. Leatherback sea turtles can maintain a core temperature of 22 centigrades (77 F) in water that’s only 8 centigrades (42 F).) Just as wearing clothes will slow heat loss, it will also mean you’ll heat up slower if you’re already wearing clothes. As a result, wearing layers can be used to avoid heating up too fast or too much. Basically, Cardassians are drinks in thermos flasks, and their clothes help them trap heat or keep it away from them.

Cardassians don’t get fevers. Instead, they develop what is called ‘behavioural fever’. When the immune system notices an infection, rather than telling the body to raise the temperature, it sends a signal to the ectotherm blaring ‘you need to get warmer!’ It’s not a rational thought, but an instinct – I imagine it as an urge that they can’t explain. (We know this happens because we’ve observed reptiles who are ill seeking out the warmest spot possible.) The aim is essentially to create the conditions of a fever like in an endotherm but by external means.

Cardassians need less food than endotherms. Much of the energy endotherms extract from their food is used to maintain body temperature. Ectotherms don’t do that, so they need less food. This might mean that Cardassians eat fewer meals and/or that they eat less food per sitting.

Cardassians change colour. This might be my favourite thing about ectotherms, and Cardassians as ectotherms. Ever noticed that the colour of the Cardassian makeup varies a lot? Sometimes they’re pink, something they’re greyish, sometimes they’re just plain grey.

[Image description: Four photos of Garak. In each he has a different skin-tone, ranging from pinkish to grey.]

Some ectotherms, such as iguanas, change colour to help with thermoregulation. As any goth who’s endured summer can tell you, darker colours soak up more heat. This can be handy if you’re an ectotherm. If they want to raise their body temperature and there’s light, they will grow darker, thus absorbing the heat faster. If they’re feeling too warm, they will grow pale, slowing down the rate of absorption. (This, of course, is not a conscious thing, but something that happens on a physiological level.) This is not to say that these colours are uniform across all Cardassians – one individual’s skin-tone when trying to heat up might be closer to another individual’s skin-tone when they’re comfortable – but an individual’s skin will not always look the same.

This is just the bare bones, of course. A lot of the good sources on ectothermy out there are either written by veterinarians or people who keep reptiles as pets, but that will only give you the physical side of things. How are these things different for an intelligent, technologically advanced society? How much of the natural rhythm of the day’s temperature fluctuations is maintained in a society with insulation and climate control? How are instincts such as the need to get somewhere warmer when you’re ill conceptualised? In what ways is Cardassian society different, considering things like how down-time is understood, when meals are taken etc.? I think there’s a lot of interesting world-building potential here, and I’d love to see more of it.

Sources/resources (without links because Tumblr sucks)

Anapsid .org [an absolute treasure-trove on reptiles, especially the sections labelled ‘Health’ and ‘Behavior’]

Butler, PJ. et al. (2002), “The relationship between heart rate and rate of oxygen consumption in Galapagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) at two different temperatures” in Journal of Experimental Biology 205 (13), pp. 1917—1924 DOI 10.1242/jeb.205.13.1917

Lizard101, “Do iguanas change color like chameleons?”

Petcoach, “Causes of Iguana Color Changes”

Trekcore, DS9 screencaps

#don’t talk to me before I’ve had my bask..#i. need a mug #reference #DS9

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basilvalentine · 3 years

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@conceptadecency @lovemelizards is this the post you were looking for?

So, a while back I was discussing names and what characters are called with @capitalist-cheburashka, and joked about going through all the episodes and finding who calls who what when and how often. Obviously, that's a ridiculous amount of work, but I just so happened to need to kill an hour or two of time and so did a much more limited version. I randomly selected one episode per season of Deep Space Nine (I might try and do the same with the other series later), went through the transcripts via Chakoteya, and recorded what main cast characters called each other. The only circumstance I added was whether a character was being talked to or talked about.

I ignored pronouns, and 'the' (i.e. 'Major' and 'The Major' were just recorded as Major), and condensed ranks (i.e. Sisko is promoted from Commander to Captain, so I considered those the same thing). The episodes I ended up looking at are were "Babel", "Playing God", "House of Quark" (which ended up being a bad one since so much is just Quark and Klingons talking), "Broken Link", "Trials and Tribble-ations" (in which a few characters take up false ranks, also lumped in), "The Sound of Her Voice", and "Chimera". I used the same naming conventions as Chakoteya. Characters are listed in alphabetical order.

Disclaimer that these are bad data because of the very limited sample size, almost entire ignoring of circumstances, and the very high likelihood of me missing references (particularly things like 'sir' or nicknames like 'old man' because they weren't capitalized in the transcripts). Ezri also gets a very, very short stick, being mentioned only once.

Bashir calls:

Dax "Jadzia" (x1) when talking to her and "Lieutenant Dax" (x1) or "Dax" (x1) when talking about her.

Kira "Major" (x1) when talking to her.

O'Brien "Chief" (x9), "Miles" (x2), or "Miles Edward O'Brien" (x1) when talking to him and "Mister O'Brien" (x1) or "O'Brien" (x2) when talking about him.

Odo "Odo" (x3) when talking about him.

Sisko "Sir" (x5), "Sisko" (x1), or "Commander/Captain" (x6) when talking to him.

Worf "Worf" (x1) when talking to him.

Dax calls:

Bashir "Julian" (x2) when talking about him.

Kira "Kira" (x2) when talking to her and "Major Kira" (x1) when talking about her.

O'Brien "O'Brien" (x1) or "Chief" (x6) when talking to him.

Odo "Odo" (x1) when talking about him.

Quark "Quark" (x1) when talking to him.

Sisko "Benjamin" (x14), "Sir" (x2), or "Captain" (x2) when talking to him and "Captain" (x1) when talking about him.

Worf "Worf" (x1) when talking about him.

Kira calls:

Bashir "Bashir" (x1) or "Doctor Bashir" (x2) when talking about him.

O'Brien "Chief" (x8) when talking to him and "O'Brien" (x1) when talking about him.

Odo "Odo" (x4) when talking to him and "Odo" (x3) or "Constable" (x1) when talking about him.

Quark "Quark" (x2) when talking to him.

Sisko "Commander" (x7), "Sisko" (x1), or "Sir" (x1) when talking to him.

O'Brien calls:

Bashir "Doctor" (x1) when talking to him and "Julian" (x1) when talking about him.

Dax "Lieutenant" (x1) when talking to her.

Kira "Major" (x4) when talking to her and "Major Kira" (x1) when talking about her.

Odo "Odo" (x2) when talking to him and "Odo" (x1) when talking about him.

Quark "Quark" (x1) when talking to him.

Sisko "Sir" (x13), "Sisko" (x1), "Commander/Captain" (x5), or "Captain Sisko" (x1) when talking to him.

Worf "Worf" (x1) when talking to him.

Odo calls:

Bashir "Doctor" (x6) when talking to him and "Doctor Bashir" (x2) when talking about him.

Ezri "Counselor" (x1) when talking to her.

Kira "Major/Colonel" (x5) or "Nerys" (x4) when talking to her and "Major Kira" (x1), "Nerys" (x1), or "Kira" (x3) when talking about her.

O'Brien "Chief" (x3) or "Miles" (x1) when talking to him and "O'Brien" (x1) or "Chief" (x1) when talking about him.

Quark "Quark" (x10) when talking to him and "Quark" (x1) when talking about him.

Sisko "Sisko" (x4), "Captain" (x2), or "Sir" (x4) when talking to him and "Sisko" (x2) or "Captain Sisko" (x1) when talking about him.

Worf "Worf" (x1), "Mister Worf" (x1) when talking to him and "Mister Worf" (x1) when talking about him.

Quark calls:

Bashir "Bashir" (x1) when talking about him.

Dax "Lieutenant Dax" (x1) or "Lieutenant" (x1) when talking to her.

Kira "Major Kira" (x1) when talking to her and "Major Kira" (x2), "Major" (x2), or "Kira" (x1) when talking about her.

O'Brien "O'Brien" (x1) when talking to him.

Odo "Constable" (x3) or "Odo" (x9) when talking to him and "Constable" (x1) or "Odo" (x5) when talking about him.

Sisko "Commander" (x1) when talking to him and "Sisko" (x1) when talking about him.

Sisko calls:

Bashir "Doctor" (x11) when talking to him and "Doctor Bashir" (x5), "Bashir" (x1), or "Doctor" (x1) when talking about him.

Dax "Dax" (x7), "Lieutenant/Commander" (x5), or "Old man" (x2) when talking to her and "Old man" (x1) or "Dax" (x4) when talking about her.

Kira "Major Kira" (x1), "Kira" (x1), or "Major" (x8) when talking to her and "Major Kira" (x2) when talking about her.

O'Brien "Chief" (x13), "Mister O'Brien" (x5), or "O'Brien" (x2) when talking to him and "Chief" (x2), "Mister O'Brien" (x2), "O'Brien" (x1), or "Chief O'Brien" (x2) when talking about him.

Odo "Constable" (x8) or "Odo" (x2) when talking to him and "Odo" (x6), "Constable" (x1), or "Constable Odo" (x1) when talking about him.

Quark "Quark" (x1) when talking to him.

Worf "Mister Worf" (x5) or "Commander" (x1) when talking to him.

Worf calls:

Bashir "Doctor Bashir" (x1) when talking about him.

Dax "Dax" (x1) when talking about her.

Odo "Odo" (x2) when talking about him.

Sisko "Captain" (x2), "Sir" (x6), or "Captain Sisko" (x1) when talking to him and "Captain Sisko" when talking about him.

And a few random observations are that O'Brien gets talked to a lot (often people asking him to fix things), Odo is the only person I recorded calling Kira 'Nerys', Worf spends a lot more time talking about others than talking to them, and Quark is the only character to only ever be referred to by one name. I also noted that in "Chimera", when everyone was introducing themselves to Laas, they all used their first names, which just seemed a touch odd.

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