- "Acquiring is what we call it when we absorb a sample of the animal's DNA. The DNA is the stuff inside the cells that sort of serves like a how-to manual for making the animal. When you acquire, you have to think hard about the animal, focusing on it and blocking everything else out. Then the animal kind of goes limp, like it's in a trance."
- ―Rachel
To acquire is to gain the DNA of an animal or living creature through physical contact.
Before morphing an animal, one must make physical contact with the animal and acquire its DNA. Acquiring is accomplished by touching the animal and concentrating on the creature. It does not appear that acquiring DNA can occur passively. When one acquires DNA from an animal, the animal commonly enters a type of trance state where they are docile and sedated, although there have been exceptions, such as when Tobias attempted to acquire a dolphin and was constantly dragged underwater as it kept swimming while he acquired it. Another exception occurred when Marco acquired David's pet king cobra, Spawn, who constantly thrashed and tried to escape while Marco held him.
Inconsistencies[]
- While the books state that you need to concentrate on the animal in order to acquire it, in The Hidden, an ant and a cape buffalo, both non-sentient animals, are able to acquire other animals and humans.