Aviophia (ay-vee-OH-fee-ah) are a genetic experiment by scientists attempting to create chimeras. As you can see, the results are quite stunning, if not exactly what the scientists were hoping for.

The bird has complete control over the entire body except the snake tail, which has a brain and a mind of its own. The snake is able to talk and is as intelligent as the bird. However, it does not use its mouth for eating, as its throat is not connected to the creature's digestive system. It is able to ingest things up to 20% wider than its own head, but the ingested item can only move about halfway down the snake's throat before it can go no farther.

Male and female Aviophia can be distinguished only by size -- females are larger than males -- and by plumage, depending on species. Females do not have breasts. Genitalia is in the form of a horizontal V-shaped vent which is analogous to the cloaca in both birds and snakes. Males possess a pair of hemipenes, which most of the time lie inverted inside the body. Only one is used at a time.

Body type of an individual Aviophia depends on the body type of the species of snake. For example, Colubrids such as the kingsnakes and red-bellied snake pictured here are quite slender, whereas many pythons and boas are muscular and many ground vipers are chubby. (Ball pythons are chubby. Any Aviophia with a ball python as its tail must be chubby.)

Aviophia have two strong toes on each foot, each ending in a curved talon. Each hand has two long fingers and a thumb, each with smaller, dull claws. The color swatches with each bird are in the shape of the left footprint.

Aviophia are an open species! That means that you can make as many as you want, for free, as long as you follow the guidelines set out here.

The only other rule when creating an Aviophia is that the bird and snake species must overlap in their natural territory. This means, for example, that you cannot combine a bald eagle (North America) with a Gaboon viper (Africa). You may only use real species. (You can use extinct bird or snake species, if you wish, but keep the range rule in mind.)