Reposted by owlcoholik
owlcoholik
@owlcoholik.bsky.social
38 followers 130 following 36 posts
🏖️🦀🌈 18+, occasionally nsfw character design, furry art, and furry art accessories
🏖️🦀🌈 18+, occasionally nsfw character design, furry art, and furry art accessories
![1.
First of all, why do the people in a setting even need tails?
Humans don't have tails for a number of reasons, we don't chase prey so we don't need it to help us change direction like a rudder. We also don't climb trees so we don't need one for keeping hold of branches or for balance.
But in a world of megafauna, maybe you need a tail to help you turn fast to flee?
Or maybe a hunter needs a rudder to swim?
But most importantly!! It's fun & helps your people feel unique!
[IMG: A an anthro rat and sea lion, the rat is leaning over in a similar fashion to the sea lion who naturally stands horizontally like a T-rex. This shows how they both can use tails as counter balance.]
Think about why species in a setting might have tails and perhaps you will think of something that adds depth to your world…
For warmth, like a blanket! To increase visibility when foraging! For Combat!!!
[IMG Three tails, a big fluffy artic fox tail, a tall lemur tail, and a spiny draconic tail.]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:dschblen33uedupt77653s3c/bafkreiegbmosadicutp7555o3pszwcqzadaac62rfrgmlfvbhbsymt63ri)
![2.
Clothing is the main issue I see brought up when discussing tails & Furgonomics. many solutions can be found when looking at furry artwork, so look around! The only solution i'd say is not valid is…The belt under the tail.
[IMG: a tailed person from behind, their jeans are below the tail, you can see their butt cheeks.]
[IMG: Two illustrations of human femurs with tails, the spine points them downwards.]
A tail would sit far too low to comfortably wear trousers there, imagine wearing yours below the pelvis at your hips? Even with a belt that is far too risqué!
The best solutions all put the waistband above the tail and either have a hole for the tail or in the case of clothing like dresses and skirts allow the tail to sit freely beneath.
[IMG: Three different people with different garments. The first is labelled 'breech cloth', it's a Y shaped cut of fabric attached to the waist by a string. The second is labelled 'sarong', the feline figure from the side has a length of fabric around the belly with a length hanging down over their pubic area like a loin cloth. The third is the most like trousers/pants, the belt keeps shut a flap that goes over the base of the tail that overlaps with the tail hole.]
In my setting of Firnus different cultures have their own designs to fit environmental needs. The Gilter
braghe is a sleeveless trouser designed with modesty in mind. compare this to the rav breechcloth, made for wearing under robes. Or avoid the tail hole all together and beat the heat with the pantheran quarter sarong!](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:dschblen33uedupt77653s3c/bafkreigvw4oaaykipefzfrnkseakblmyexad5yay6n6jx4icfa2oqueht4)
![3.
So where else can tails be a problem…? CHAIRS.
[IMG: Two normal chairs, they have back rests but also gaps between that and the seat.]
most people are going to jump immediately to seats like these:
But i'm going to make my case as to why this would not be comfortable:
See this dog skeleton to the right? When a quadrupedal animal sits, they don't rest on their upper legs or put any pressure on their fragile tails, Instead they rest on their hocks & hind feet!
Why? Exactly as we discussed with trousers, tails wouldn't go out, they'd go down.
As part of the spine, if you wanted to sit back in a chair your spine would be vertical.
[IMG: A dog skeleton from the side.]
[IMG: A small concerned mustelid says: "Sitting on your tail would feel like bending your fingers backwards with your full body weight!"]
…So, I believe anthro species wouldn't want to put pressure on their tails by sitting on them… So we cut a hole out from the bottom and back of the chair, right?
Yes! and no. Yes because when you're world building you can do whatever works best for you! But no because I'm not satisfied with this answer and I'm driving this PNG!!!! So how do we fix this? Let's see why chairs even exist in the first place!
[IMG: a chair like the ones above with a half circle cut from the back of the seat.]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:dschblen33uedupt77653s3c/bafkreianu6sbyiac7i4mwqkbo56tbdb5j4zqv6h2j2tfagsz4sz6z6tgc4)
![4.
The earliest (known) chairs come from the 2nd dynasty of Egypt during the Thinite period. These chairs were as short at the seat as 10 inches! …But like, Why? as a status symbol! These caught on as nobility wished to copy kings, and then the common people copied nobility. They're also useful to keep your clothes clean and prevent you from resting on cold or wet ground.
[IMG: Two desert foxes, one on a chair is joyfully sitting upon a chair, covered in gold adornments like a pharaoh. He says: 'I'm sitting higher! So I'm better than you!' The other fox looks concerned, wears no gold as she kneels and says: 'Hm.']
But we don't need kings!!
If you want something for similar use without those connotations. Here's some options:
[IMG: Two people sitting on a bench and a large plush pillow as well as a rectangular cushion that's rolled up.]
Kneeling! While many cultures use
this to show reverence, few still
kneel for comfort.
Benches and stools! Before chairs
became affordable for the average
person simpler furnishings were
commonly used. These don't have
tricky tail holes to fumble around
with and can be as simple as a plank.
cushions! A thick pillow or rolled
rug would allow a person to sit
cross-legged without their tail
pressing down against a hard
surface.
Think about who needs chairs, where they'd be used, and the
answer will come naturally! Have fun world building!
#furgonomics #furry #fantasy #worldbuilding #tail #fantasywriting #furrywriter #firnus](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:dschblen33uedupt77653s3c/bafkreig3iicjr5ww3zxjckxar4vizs6ns6rdnprbqj645ydvpu2frzcyme)
