Cloud Flipper

"You may recognize Cloud Flippers as those cute little winged creatures to see flying around in droves off the edges of your isle. These this little buggers may be adorable, they are also delicious. Simply take a long net and go flipper catching. Not only is will it be a fantastic bonding activity with friends or family, but afterwards you can enjoy some savory smoked flipper over a camp fire."

— Meegren's Naturalist Cook Book

Basic Information

Anatomy

The cloud flipper is a type of flying salamander with large fluffy wings that allow it to fly and live in the clouds. They have long, smooth, pudgy bodies with four stubby legs. They fly using large wings what are cotton line and resemble clouds. They have a large mouth that lacks teeth, but has a long sticky tongue that can catch smell prey.
Their coloration tends to be pale with white wings in order to blend in with the clouds, though some can have patches of color, such as the Gold Painted Cloud Flipper, which is recognizable for it's golden yellow patches on it's skin.
Males and females are nearly identical, but males tend to have larger, fluffier tail fins.

Habitat

The Cloud flipper lives in the thick cloud layer between the floating isles and the surface of the planet, and are one of many species with the ability to 'swim' in the clouds. They are able to do this with specially adapted wings that give them buoyancy against the clouds. The condensation in the clouds allows the it to remain hydrated and moist with out weighing down it's wings.
They have high endurance and can spend days souring through the clouds before needing to land. Cloud flippers will land on the undersides of the isles, clinging onto the rock with their tiny claws, which lock up and allow them to sleep with out falling off.

Genetics and Reproduction

When mating season arrives, the female in heat will cling to an island and perform a mating call, which she does by clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth loudly. She will mate with several males, but only keep the sperm of one. She will fly to a pond on the and island and she will lay her eggs in the water somewhere safe.
The adults do not stick around to raise the young, so after laying her eggs, the mother will fly off and return to her usual routine.

Growth Rate & Stages

Cloud flippers spend their first years of life as aquatic tadpoles who feed off of lake and pond plankton, as well as larvae of insects. At 2 years old they will will begin their metamorphosis into adult cloud flippers, growing leggs and the wings they would soon use to fly.
When they emerge from the water they will rest on a dry rock or shore and spend some time vigorously flapping their wings and tail fin to get the water out and dry them. Once they are nice and dry, they can finally take off and fly away, beginning their adult lives.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Cloud Flippers eat mostly flying insects. They have a strong sense of smell they use to hunt them down in the foggy clouds, and the can precisely grab them out of the air and eat them.

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by IbbyWondrous

Type

Fauna

Scientific Name

Ambystoma nubenatantis

Lifespan

6-8 Years

Average Weight

12 lbs

Average Length

18 inches

Domestication

Cloud Flippers are difficult to domesticate or keep as pets as they need conditions that are very hard to replicate. They require wide open spaces and the moisture from clouds, and without specific types of magic, it hard to recreate that environment.

Uses, Byproducts & Exploitation

Cloud flipper are primarily caught and cooked for their meat. People use nets to scoop them out of the air as the fly. A butterfly net can catch one of two at a time, but big fishing Sky Sails emply big nets that can catch entire schools of cloud flipper. The squishy body contains a tasty meat, described as being fishy with a sweet, honey-like flavor. Fried cloud flipper is a common dish in the Fantasme.
Their wings, while technically edible, aren't particularly appetizing, lacking flavor or nutritional value, and having the dry texture of cotton balls. However they can be used as stuffing for pillows, beds, or plush dolls. As well, the wings make a good ingredient for Potions, like the Bottled Cloud potion which allows people to float weightlessly for a short amount of time.