Great Leonopteryx Found
By Tyler Hawkinson
Facts About the Discovery
The leonopteryx is colored red and yellow, with black stripes and blue crests on the top of the head and under its lower jaw, though the crests can be green. The crest on its head is razor sharp and can be used to injure prey, or cut vegetation obstructing flight. The leonopteryx also has powerful talons for grasping prey and perching, twin tails for flight control, flow-through ventilation for high performance, and large hooked claws. The leonopteryx has powerful jaws which can open wide, capable of tearing a mountain banshee in half. Despite their superior binocular vision, they are unable to see directly above them, most likely due to the very pronounced brow ridges above their eyes.
The wingspan of the leonopteryx is more than 25 meters. Its wings are composed of individual finned members that can separate to act as a slotted airfoil, or overlap and seal to form a solid surface. When separated, they can rotate individually to induce or retard vortex formation. These finned members are not unlike the primary feathers of many terran birds. The fiber composite bones help the animal to achieve flight through the dense Pandoran atmosphere, as with other flying animals of Pandora. Unlike its smaller cousins, the banshees, its legs are not vestigial and are a key part of its anatomy, as they are used for grabbing prey while diving or to provide a stronger kick while taking off. The leonopteryx has four large golden eyes with black pupils. Two of its main eyes are in the front of the skull, and the two others are located near the rectangular antenna bases. Due to its size, the leonopteryx would not be a dense jungle hunter like banshees, but would have very little trouble on the plains or near cliffs or mountains, where it could feed on mid-sized animals or banshees
.