Characters and wildlife in Avatar

The Leonopteryx (Na'vi name: Toruk) is a species of airborne predatory animals native to Pandora. The fierce beauty and nobility of the leonopteryx gave the species a place in central Na'vi lore and culture. It is celebrated in dance, song, and with elaborate totems that symbolizes both the fear and respect accorde to the creature. The leonopteryx is considered crucial to the Na'vi sense of destiny and interconnectedness.

=Anatomy= Although Significantly larger, it is closely related to the banshee. The colour pattern on its body is of stripped scarlet, yellow and black, midnight blue with two crests on the head and lower jaw. The crest on its head is razor sharp and can be used to injure or disembowel prey, or cut vegetation obstructing its flight. It has a distensible jaw, a large brain cavity and its membranous wings are carbon fiber stretched taught over bone structure. It also has powerful talons for grasping prey and perching, Twin tail for flight control, flow-through ventilation for high performance. Wingspan is more than 25 meters.