With Ootuku lizards, the tail is both a status symbol and a weapon. Some tribes keep the tails of females bit off to keep them low in social standing.
With a fully grown tail, they can use it to fight, like a whip. An Ootuku can exert enough force with the tail-whip action to easily break ribs or even kill.
When females mature, they grow a tail fan and K'uu'te, (pronounced K-oo-tə) or fur stripe. This fur can be nearly any color and if they have a tail long enough, their tail fan will match its color. Oana's white K'uu'te is rare among the Ootuku. The fan is typically kept folded along the tail and can be displayed at will or involuntarily depending on mood/feelings.
notes
*Like most earth lizards, their tails regrow easily.
**The section of the tail beyond the tail fan is boneless, consisting of thick, leathery skin. This is the "tip" of the whip and where contact is made when used as such.

Oana is a character in my book Searching Arcania

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