Floatbeast
Floatbeasts are a category of Glowfauna that include species that float or fly via Glow. They might have body parts that look like wings, but none have wings that would work without the help of Glow. Notably, floatbeasts do not possess dragon wings, though some of them might have components that look similar.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Floatbeasts are very light with simple, streamlined anatomy. Most floatbeasts are small to medium sized, with only a few notable exceptions.
Floatbeasts have a proportionately high amount of edylium in their bodies and tend to have much more advanced celestial nexuses than other Glowbeasts. Interestingly, the majority of floatbeasts do not have celestial cores.
There are three subclasses of floatbeast, defined by the altitude that they prefer to frequent. Floatbeasts within the same subclass tend to have similar anatomical characteristics.
Cloud Class
Preferred Altitude: Anywhere 10,000 feet and higher
Cloud class floatbeasts are the least understood class, as many species never ever land! These creatures are quite small and spend their entire lives soaring thousands of feet from the ground. They are so light that even when they die, there is no guarantee that they will fall to the surface.
There are a few species of Median class floatbeast that will reach Cloud class altitudes, but they are not considered to be Cloud class because they do not spend the majority of their time at this height.
Median Class
Preferred Altitude: Between 1,000 and 10,000 feet
The most common class of floatbeast is the Median class. It is also the most diverse class and contains herbivores, scavengers, and predators. These animals spend the majority of their lives in the air, but do land on the ground from time to time. All species of Sky Ray are Median class floatbeasts.
Hover Class
Preferred Altitude: 1,000 feet and below
The second most common class of floatbeast is the Hover class. Hover class floatbeasts are often slow moving and less intelligent than Median-class beasts. Some Hover class species float just barely above the ground, and many of them have semi-grounded lives and only float for part of the time. Hover class floatbeasts are very diverse and participate in many ecological niches. Most carnivorous Hover class floatbeasts are ambush predators, and certain species are dangerous to people.
Ecology and Habitats
Varieties of floatbeast exist all over the world. There are migratory species and species that prefer to stay in one location. There are species that spend part of their lives on the ground and species that never land, even after death. The different habitats that floatbeasts can exist in are just as diverse as the animals themselves.
Floatbeasts play an important role in the health of the biosphere. They are especially important to the edylium cycle. Almost every ecosystem has some type of floatbeast in it.
Symbiotic and Parasitic Species
Floatflora has a critical relationship with floatbeasts, especially Cloud class beasts. They will filter-feed floatflora from the air and spread their seeds via their feces.
Interesting, I guess if they never land, they most likely could not support themselves on the ground either.