Sky Shark

Basic Information

Anatomy

"Shark" better describes their hunting habits than their physiology. They look like oversized hawks with long talons and beaks and several other traits, but they have a perpendicular tail like shark. Their propulsion when using the tail to dive is immense at 120 feet in 6 seconds, but can be doubled if Sky Sharks only dives. Many naturalists believe them to be magical creatures. Their wingspan is 15 feet and their feathers are surprisingly heavy. Their 6 inch talons curl into their furry paws. Their beaks hook into powerful piercers, perfect for rending helpless food. When necessary, they also can use their elongated fangs to pin down food.

Genetics and Reproduction

Not much is known of their reproduction. They've been seen to cross vast open distances of ocean and land without stopping every five years. Naturalists believe this to be their breeding season, though none have found where they land and actually breed.
One naturalist found a rocky crag somewhere near Gold Coast in Sefir Daeg. Inside a seaside cliff he found a nest of eggs, but only three. He sketched them and immediately left. It is known the eggs to be light blue with black and brown spots. A thin, yellow line circles its center. The nests are made of straw and soft reeds.
Gestation is guessed to be about 4 months with the fledgling phase being another 3 years and full-grown after 5.

Growth Rate & Stages

Fledgling stage is about 3 years. In this time, the sky shark flies without a tail, that coming in at the end of this stage. It cannot navigate well, but flies with its mother to extraordinary heights. The cloud giants' wandering cities often see these fledglings clumsy fly up to them and then back down again. Around the 2 year mark the fledgling begins distancing itself from its mother, venturing out to claim territory or honing its hunting skills. It's during this phase that the fledglings are commonly killed as they get brazen or fight with other sky sharks.
After 3 years they are considered full grown, as their tails develop and their last flying lesson with their mothers occurs. During this time they roam free, far and wide. They prefer the arid environments or the sea. Swamps, jungles, and the like are not their territory.

Ecology and Habitats

The sky shark's lair is the sky. Whatever dirigible or high-flying mage must keep in mind is that sky sharks, although sparse, are very territorial of their places. They screech down and protect it, and are known to rip apart anything that gets too close. Their range is estimated to be about 50 cubic miles. Their elevation is between 1,000 and 10,000 feet.
Their sleeping nests have been spotted on inaccessible crags and clefts. Some have been spotted closer to the ground, but they never stay long. They may land to rest their wings, but even on land they remain formidable. Farmer's in Sefir Daeg complain their buffalo get snatched in the jaws of an older or lazy sky shark. The only truly safe place from them is underground.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Although humanoids can be on their menus, most sky sharks prefer predating juicier targets such as gazelle and bears. Certain large tuna also catch their eye if the tuna braves the surface. Sailors off the coast of Iffanti saw a large sky shark snatch a whale calf as it surfaced for air. The thing carried it back to land and when investigated, the carcass scurried with several scavengers, though the bones shared some markings similar to the sharp beak of a sky shark.

Biological Cycle

Sky sharks aren't known to shed, though some samples suggest they perhaps lose their fangs periodically. Indeed, these fangs lose their sharpness and become jagged, more for sawing then piercing, which is not their purpose.
As they grow older, naturalists believe them to pale in their colors and grow white in the face. Cataracts have been seen in white-faced sky sharks after they've fallen to the ground. They seem to keep flying to their last breaths, keeping watch over their skies and crags till their very last moment of life.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

True to their shark naming, they can smell blood in a 10 mile radius. Not only that, they can differentiate between "wild" and "civil" blood: they can smell if an animal has been killed, potential food, or if a monster or humanoid were killed.
Their sight is closely linked to their smell. It has been theorized their smell behaves like faerie fire and outlines the bleeding creatures. Sky sharks can see prey 20 feet away as if it was 3 feet away.
They can hear scurrying of a field mouse 100 feet away and someone crying in pain over 5 miles away. This extreme hearing lends to their incredible hunting toolkit.

Conservation Status

The Sky Shark is not under any protection or conservation. They are solitary and few, but they are not in any danger of extinction.