Some creatures' appendages tend to have a life of their own when separated from their main body. One such example are the limbs of cephalopods. As long as it is kept hydrated and supplied with soluble food, they can persist quote a long time. Strangely enough, one could even consider using such an animated object as a tool in combat. Odd, and yet effective in some situations.
Tentacular Whips' durability decays over time, but can only be restored by "feeding" them. If their durability reaches 0, they cannot be repaired.