A New Theory of the Evolution of the Hissi

Researchy: Greetings! Thank you all for coming out all the way to Brightvale to hear my talk. So, today, we're going to be talking about Hissies. If you don't know what a Hissi is, just look at me since I am one. We all know and love Hissies, but do we really know where they came from? Not necessarily.

The current theory of how Hissies evolved is widely accepted but may or may not be true, having much of its bases in legend and anecdotes. This theory summarizes to this: that long ago, there was an island that had a large population of Cobralls, Wadjets, Magtiles, and other serpentine Petpets. However, a rogue blast of Faerie magic launched that island into the sky, resulting in the Petpets having to develop wings. We know that island today as the Darigan Citadel and many consider it to be the ancestral home of all Hissies. But, there's a major hole in that theory. Namely, that if the Darigan Citadel were where the Hissi as a species developed, wouldn't more Hissies look like the Darigan Hissi?

But they don't. In fact, most Hissies don't look anything close to what they would really need to develop in the Darigan Citadel. Due to its location, the Citadel has a very cold climate, making it almost hostile to ectotherms such as the Hissi. Very few reptilian Neopets live on it because of this, and if they do, they generally have fur.

But the Hissi doesn't look like this. It actually looks much like it evolved in a warmer climate, having smooth scales but virtually no protection against cold temperatures.

But what warmer climate would the Hissi have evolved in? We are assuming it evolved from some sort of serpentine Petpet, but which one would it be? We are now going to discuss many serpentine Petpets found in warm climates and what the Hissi would be like if it evolved from them.

Tyrannia

Tyrannia has a hot, humid climate ideal for reptilian Petpets to grow and thrive. It has two serpentine species, namely the Magtile and the Reptillior.

It's hard not to notice a Reptillior's huge fangs and gleaming red eyes, making it look very intimidating and aggressive. And you must admit that it does have many similarities to the Hissi, such as the shape of its eyes and the spots on its head. But, if Hissies evolved from Reptilliors, why don't they have huge fangs? If they evolved from Reptilliors, wouldn't more Hissies look like this?

But they don't, bringing us to our next Petpet.

The Magtile is often said to be a cross between a maggot and a Reptillior, but such a pairing is impossible and makes no sense genetically. This Petpet does look much more similar to the Hissi than the Reptillior, having the slitted pupils and small fangs we often associate with the Neopet. Geneticists are currently looking into whether this is a viable ancestor.

Mystery Island

Mystery Island used to have much more wildlife than it does now, most of it being driven out by the island's growing focus on tourism. However, the one serpentine species that still exists on the island has been driven into Geraptiku. And here it is.

The Quetzal, to be honest, looks like a cross between a Pteri and a Wadjet! Analyzing it, it has almost no relation to Hissies whatsoever. The closest Hissi match we have to it is the Faerie Hissi, which exhibits similar feathers and bright coloration.

Shenkuu

Shenkuu is rather cold and humid, but somehow a serpentine species has managed to exist there. Normally, we'd dismiss species like this, assuming them to be dragons and therefore more closely related to Draiks, but as analysis has shown this Petpet to be very closely related to the Hissi, we must take it into account when trying to piece together an evolutionary history. If it were related to the Hissi, the closest match to it would be the Maraquan Hissi, as both are adapted to be aquatic.

The Lost Desert

The Lost Desert is just about the warmest place in Neopia apart from Moltara, and exhibits remarkable reptilian diversity. There are two species of serpentine Petpet that can be found there, both of which have some quite interesting implications in relation to the evolution of the Hissi.

The Wadjet has a quite interesting history, being worshipped by ancient royals of Sakhmet and playing an important role in Brucey B's adventure, but neither of those things are relevant to the Hissi's evolution. At first glance, the Wadjet looks more like strange jewelry than a Neopet, but under closer examination, it appears that its characteristic bumps have remarkable similarity to the bases of the Hissi's wings. However, it seems that this species concurrently evolved with the Hissi, as there is no relation between them whatsoever other than some vague similarities that suggest an ancient common ancestor.

The Erisim looks almost exactly like the Hissi, having the same slitted eyes, smug expression, belly scales designed for climbing, and wing-like hands as the Neopet. However, it appears that like the Wadjet, this species concurrently evolved with the Hissi, having only vague relations to it.

However, despite not forming an evolutionary history of the Hissi, these observations raise an important question. If these serpentine Petpets and the Hissi have an ancient common ancestor, then what would that ancestor be? For this question, we turn to looking at various serpentine creatures that existed long before the Hissi, possibly as long as Neopia itself...

The Snowager

This is possibly Neopia's most infamous serpentine resident, breathing ice, terrifying young Neopets, and frustrating avatar hunters since the Month of Celebrating, Y2. However, it obviously has no relation to the Hissi whatsoever, because it makes no sense that a Neopet adapted to warm climates would have sprung from a creature made entirely of ice.

The Snake Dragon

Research into the ancient history of Neopia has uncovered a curious creature known only as the Snake Dragon. This vague image, laden with the gradient fills of Neopia's past, is the only record we have that it ever existed. Looking at it, we see all the features of the Hissi. The serpentine body. The slitted pupils. The flared nostrils. The fangs. The forked tongue. But, our only record of it is that it was in the Gallery of Evil at some point. Because of this, we have no way of knowing whether it was an actual creature or just a legend. However, if it ever did exist, it probably would be the ancient ancestor of all Hissies and other serpentine creatures in Neopia, based on the fact that it seems to have existed at least as early as Y2, probably earlier. We have no way of knowing where this creature originated, but a vague image of a creature quite similar to it has been found, supposedly from either Kreludor or the Space Station.

If this creature is the same species as the Snake Dragon and it does exist, it is possible that the Hissi's ancient ancestor is an extraneopian creature. What would this mean for the theory of the Hissi and Neopia as a whole? If one Neopet originated from outside the world, does this mean that Aishas came from the mysterious Aliens that we only know as peddling gross food items? Does this potentially mean that no Neopets are truly Neopian? All we can do is wait and see to determine the true history of these creatures we've grown to love so much.