Gatleon

The gatleon are one of the few flying mega-fauna that exists in the world. Despite their large size, gatleons don't ravage the countryside for food as some rumors claim. Instead, they process plankton, redback shrimp, and krill out of ocean waters.
The massive creatures do this by implementing a scooping action, similar to some birds, where they fly down and strain water through a special set of gill-filters. These filters dredge out their food from the water, letting the water flow out their filter-slits.
Despite feeding in the ocean, gatleons prefer to fly over dry or arid climates. This is in part due to a gelatin coating they secrete on their skin. It is a natural moisturizer and sunscreen. Though this coating is renewed twice a year when it 'molts'. Unlike birds, a gatleon molting requires a sand scrub, where they travel to a wide arid region - preferably with loose sand - and 'skim' the sand.

"I never got to hitch a ride on one, as they are hard to talk to - halfling voices just don't carry to their big heads when they are flying. I did have a lovely talk with one in the Nasrin desert. Getting near them during their sand bath is... gritty, but what ends up in your pockets is great on a baked tuber!" - Dee Brightmoon, in More to See than the Sea

Basic Information

Anatomy

Gatleons bear a strong resemblance to the ocean-going manta rays as if the two species share a common ancestor. They have a flat, kite-shaped body, two front mandibles, and one or two whiplike tails. Gatleons are much larger than mantas, having a wingspan of 134 ft 9 in (41.07 m) and a body length of 155 ft 3 in (47.32 m). Their tails can reach up to 44 ft 6 in (13.56 m). Overall they weigh in at 128840 - 130440 lb ( 58440 - 59160 kg ).

While the bottom of the animals is always a cloud or cream-white, the top is in various colors from shades of blue, gray, green-brown or chestnut. Two long rows of white spots running from head to base of the tail are not uncommon.

Flight

Gatleon flight is a combination of momentum with lifting force. When in water, a gatleon uses its bulk and its streamlined physique to achieve speeds close to 22 mph ( 35.4 kph ), which then allows them to break the surface of the water and take flight. At that point, they sustain flight through a combination of powerful wing motions, gliding and a multitude of interior bladders.

Over the desert sands, the gatleon skim the sandy surface, and even slightly beneath it. However, they do lose velocity. When over the desert, a gatleon uses a series of blowholes along the bottom of its torso. It expels a steady gust of air from its interior bladders to give itself enough lift and forward momentum that it can haul itself to its cruising height by wing power.

Most domesticated gatleons fly at a cruising height of 3000 feet ( 914 m ). Non-domesticated ones have been seen to reach heights up to 15,000 feet. Gatleons have a flight range between 8,000 to 12,000 miles ( 12875 km to 19312 km ) before they need to rest.

Ecology and Habitats

Gatleons are found only along the A'qadia coastline. They are native to the waters off Binaket for centuries.

Additional Information

Domestication

Being so large, the animal has few - if any - natural predators. Gatleons can be domesticated if raised from a pup. Attempts to domesticate adults rarely, if ever, work. Domesticated gatleons are fitted with a specialized 'saddle'. The saddle is an enclosed compartment that can be used to carry passengers, cargo, or both. It's also reinforced to handle being submerged for short periods if the animal needs to feed on a long trip.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

When they skim the sand, the coating is removed from their skin and the abrasion causes a new coating to form. The old coating mixes with the sand and crystalizes, resulting in a spice-like residue called Obith spice. Once refined this spice is used in a wide collection of recipes.