Turtle tails

[neatoman]

So with the return of the Turtles' tails in the Usagi crossover one-shot, what do you think of them? I mean, I don't think there's any real species of turtle that lacks tails and the idea that it might look too phallic doesn't seem to be a problem for any other media featuring anthropomorphic animals, just saying.

[ProphetofGanja]

I like seeing the Turtles with their tails, but I also don't really notice their absence in the IDW series. I'm cool either way I guess.

[Candy Kappa]

I prefer the Turtles with tails.

[DestronMirage22]

Definitely with tails. They're mutated turtles, why wouldn't they have tails?

[Andrew NDB]

Of course they should have tails. And that's where their hoo-ha comes out of. As is, with no tail, where would it come from? Just peek-a-boo out of their ass and bend upward, like the creature from The Abyss?

[IndigoErth]

I'm going to have to go rogue on this and say no. I just prefer without and leave it to mutation to have affected them all over to some extent rather than magically cherry pick one thing that remains unchanged. Though I understand other people's preference for it.

With many versions not including tails, the way I look at it... Even mammals, including us, start out with the cloaca in early development before the two systems divide (a few mammals keep it, plus occasional birth defects that didn't divide property), so mutate these guys into human-like or partly human (depending on version and personal preference) beings and who knows what mutation did to them. Without tails existing for many versions I've just shrugged it off as them possibly having just ended up as some wonky in between. And no, you don't have to like, share, or agree with my take on it. (*cough* Andrew. Or any pro-tail people who want to debate it.)

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

I'm going to have to go rogue on this and say no. I just prefer without and leave it to mutation to have affected them all over to some extent rather than magically cherry pick one thing that remains unchanged. Though I understand other people's preference for it.

With many versions not including tails, the way I look at it... Even mammals, including us, start out with the cloaca in early development before the two systems divide (a few mammals keep it, plus occasional birth defects that didn't divide property), so mutate these guys into human-like or partly human (depending on version and personal preference) beings and who knows what mutation did to them. Without tails existing for many versions I've just shrugged it off as them possibly having just ended up as some wonky in between. And no, you don't have to like, share, or agree with my take on it. (*cough* Andrew. Or any pro-tail people who want to debate it.)

So answer the question. Where are their ****s? You're saying they just retain the cloaca? All four of them just have this big maw back there, between the plastron and the carapace? How would they even know they're male, then? Sounds dodgy to me.

And with no tail, how do they go #2? Just... sploosh, right out the back of their shell? Gross. That can't be right.

[DisKosh]

Yes.

I could go on about how it makes sense that they'd have tails because they are turtles and turtles have tails but for me, it's because it's adorable.

No matter how friggin' built they are they always have these adorably tiny tails and that makes me happy.

[IndigoErth]

Oh Andrew, I knew I could count on you. My perspective alone - pretty sure designs that lack tails would suggest that whole arrangement would have to have changed and the normal cloaca system may therefor no longer even exist. (I understand that's probably too far fetched in your ideology.) My theory (or 'head canon' if you will, though I'm not fond of that term) is that their systems ended up divided, but still not quite human (mechanically speaking?), but that's as far as I tend to give thought to the set up and functioning of their junk or care to discuss. lol

And I guess the inevitable turn this topic of discussion was bound to take. Not happened for a while, I guess it was overdue.



And small little tails simply "because cute" kind of begs the same questions since it wouldn't support a "normal" set up, if someone (such as Andrew) wanted to get technical about it. Or we can just all like what we like and try not to give too much thought to it. (And stop blaming just "fangirls" for being the ones who want to discuss how their junk works. lol)

[Cryomancer]

[mrmaczaps]

I voted for tails because they look dang ridiculous without them...

[ProactiveMan]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

So answer the question. Where are their ****s? You're saying they just retain the cloaca? All four of them just have this big maw back there, between the plastron and the carapace? How would they even know they're male, then? Sounds dodgy to me.

And with no tail, how do they go #2? Just... sploosh, right out the back of their shell? Gross. That can't be right.

I’d never thought about that before. It’s like I’ve just taken my first step into a larger, grosser world. How do they poo when their shells tuck beneath their legs like they often do? I’m picturing an over-filled diaper scenario.

As far as the tails are concerned, based on their humanoid morphology and the absolute enormity of their quads, I’m guessing they must be hiding some impressive buttocks inside those shells. Would that mean that their tails protrude above the buttocks? If so, having them dangling out the bottom of the shells isn’t very realistic.

Edit: This also got me thinking about turtle junk and that lead me to wonder… when Raph retract into his shell in OOTS, what happens to his pants?

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by ProactiveMan

Edit: This also got me thinking about turtle junk and that lead me to wonder… when Raph retract into his shell in OOTS, what happens to his pants?

Like in that opening sequence and later all of them falling over the waterfall? I wondered the same thing. Where are the floppy, empty pant legs?? How are they fitting all those body parts in there?? Granted 2012 has made me wonder the same about the lack of space to cram their limbs into the abdominal cavity (and what cavity?) like a bunch of weirdos (do said limbs turn inside out?) but the big PD guys just take it to the extreme. After all, three of the four are even including bulky footwear, and most/all with knee pads, etc. (And why isn't there fanart x-rays of this? lol)

Mikey? Where'd your sneakers go?
Oh, wait... I think I left them next to my spleen.

(Alright I'm laughing too much at this. )

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ProactiveMan

I’d never thought about that before. It’s like I’ve just taken my first step into a larger, grosser world. How do they poo when their shells tuck beneath their legs like they often do? I’m picturing an over-filled diaper scenario.

In a world where we don't see their tails because their cartoon/movie company thinks dumb people will confuse it for a penis, the Turtle straddles the toilet, tail comes out, kind of curls up, and poo goes BOOM out of the anus. It's the only way. In IndigoErth's world, if I'm understanding it (and maybe I'm not), there's just some kind of multi-purpose hole between the bottom of their plastron and carapace, where the human pelvis would go... and the Turtles just need to kind of aim their backside at the toilet correctly and hope they don't get too much crap over either edge of their shell. Nasty business. Really nasty business.

In a world where they freely display their tails, all of that minus the "tail comes out" part. Because it's already out.

As far as the tails are concerned, based on their humanoid morphology and the absolute enormity of their quads, I’m guessing they must be hiding some impressive buttocks inside those shells. Would that mean that their tails protrude above the buttocks? If so, having them dangling out the bottom of the shells isn’t very realistic.

Red-earred slider tails are fairly long. Goes out past what could be construed as the "buttocks area."

[Cryomancer]

Clearly what needs to happen is

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by Cryomancer

Clearly what needs to happen is

http://i.imgur.com/jYDiXWV.png

Oh my effing god, that is flipping adorable.

Clan Hamato needs to be an adopted Scottish name right now.

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I(and maybe I'm not)

Yeah, you're not at all seeing what I envision. And I don't care to be drawing any diagrams, sorry. lol

[ProactiveMan]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Like in that opening sequence and later all of them falling over the waterfall? I wondered the same thing. Where are the floppy, empty pant legs?? How are they fitting all those body parts in there?? Granted 2012 has made me wonder the same about the lack of space to cram their limbs into the abdominal cavity (and what cavity?) like a bunch of weirdos (do said limbs turn inside out?) but the big PD guys just take it to the extreme. After all, three of the four are even including bulky footwear, and most/all with knee pads, etc. (And why isn't there fanart x-rays of this? lol)

Mikey? Where'd your sneakers go?
Oh, wait... I think I left them next to my spleen.

(Alright I'm laughing too much at this. )

Exactly - what a horror show. In the movie it makes a comedy 'pop' noise, like a cork coming out of an empty bottle, but can you imagine the sound it would make in real life?! The horrible squelching, crunching noise as his arms and legs dislocate from their sockets and suck into his body cavity, and the loud, prolonged sound of the gasses being forced out of his digestive system.

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Red-earred slider tails are fairly long. Goes out past what could be construed as the "buttocks area."

That's a good point - maybe it's just the tip of their tails. They definitely look better with tails.

[Candy Kappa]

Originally Posted by ProactiveMan

Edit: This also got me thinking about turtle junk and that lead me to wonder… when Raph retract into his shell in OOTS, what happens to his pants?

Looks like the pants are still there when he tucked in, the pants don't go over the carapace so they probably don't hinder any shell retraction. Although, how are they even able to do that when they don't have a functioning shell... Or the hulkish bodybuild, sea turtles can't retract their limbs due to too much muscle mass inside their bodies.

But, tucking in as they fall down the waterfall, is hands down the best part about PDOOTS, the sound effect, it's all funny. As long as you've not been emotionally and mentally drained from watching the rest of the movie.

[Shark_Blade]

I could go either way but if given the choice - no tail.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by ProactiveMan

Exactly - what a horror show. In the movie it makes a comedy 'pop' noise, like a cork coming out of an empty bottle, but can you imagine the sound it would make in real life?! The horrible squelching, crunching noise as his arms and legs dislocate from their sockets and suck into his body cavity, and the loud, prolonged sound of the gasses being forced out of his digestive system.

*dies laughing*

Only a matter of time when one of them gets stuck like that. Then what. lol


I really rather dislike when OotS and Nick did/do it. It's just so creepy and awkward to me... *cringe* Bugs me that it just doesn't work that way, and with their human proportions (or close) it shouldn't even be able to! You show me a turtle species that doesn't pull it's limbs in close to it's body (be it protected by shell or not) and instead sucks them into it's abdominal cavity like these shows/movies suggest... Esp with human proportions.. lol Wtf.

1990 did it well with just suggesting Mikey ducked his head down as viewed only from the back. (Every other iteration... I'd be just fine with it if we just stopped trying to do it.)