Characters and wildlife in Avatar

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This article lists the indigenous people, fauna and flora, that are found on Pandora, in the 2009 James Cameron science fiction film Avatar.

Na'vi
Natives of Pandora. They are an indigenous sentient humanoid race who are considered primitive by human standards, yet are more physically capable than them. The Na'vi are tall, slender and nimble creatures with sparkling blue skin and a long tail, who stand nine feet, (three meters) tall. According to Entertainment Weekly, "Cameron gave the Na'vi feline features to make them more relatable." It is mentioned that their skeletal structure is composed of naturally occuring carbon-fiber. All Na'vi have long hair where the ends of each strand consists of nerve endings. This allows them to literally connect to plant and animal life-forms, establishing a mental bond with a creature. Prominent Na'vi include:


 * Neytiri – the princess of the Omaticaya clan, who is attracted to Jake because of his bravery. She is destined to follow her mother, Mo'at, as the Omaticaya shaman.
 * Eytucan – the Omaticaya clan leader, the husband of Mo'at and the father of Neytiri.
 * Mo'at – the Omaticaya shaman and wife of clan leader Eytucan. and mother of Neytiri.
 * Tsu'Tey – Eytucan's appointed heir to the chieftainship of the tribe, and Neytiri's betrothed, although she chooses Jake over him, much to his jealousy. He becomes the leader of the Omaticaya clan after Eytucan's death in the human attack on Hometree but is killed resisting the human attack on the Tree of Souls.
 * Jake – Originally a human but his soul is transplanted into his Na'vi avatar body and he is seen wearing the insignia of the Omaticaya clan leader, which suggests that he becomes the leader after the death of Tsu'Tey. He is in love with Neytiri.

Fauna

 * The Great Leonopteryx or 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 accorded to the creature. The leonopteryx is considered crucial to the Na'vi sense of destiny and interconnectedness.
 * The Banshee or ikran is a Microraptor-like airborn predator. Bonding with a banshee is a dangerous and required rite of passage for all would-be Na'vi warriors. A Banshee bonds with only one Na'vi in their lifetime. The Banshee choose their rider, by trying to kill them. To be considered a hunter in the Na'vi society, you have to fly on a Banshee.
 * Direhorse or pa’li is a horse-like creature with six legs, tough skin with no fur, long necks and small head, bold stripes, flexible carbon fiber armor over shoulders and along the back of the neck and head. . They are nectarivores.
 * The Hammerhead or angtsìk (agcìk) is a massive, grazing creature that travels in small herds or packs. It is moderately social, but also extremely territorial and hierarchical. When angered, a titanothere will lower its head and charge at the perceived threat. The sheer momentum and ferocity of this display is usually enough to send any Pandoran creature running for cover. Furthermore, they are extraordinarily resistant to conventional human weapons, making them extremely difficult for conventional human forces to fight even with heavy combat mecha When a herd of titanotheres arrive to join the final battle, they are critical in turning the ground battle against the humans, who are completely overwhelmed by the unstoppable stampede.
 * Thanator or palulukan is the most fearsome of all Pandoran land predators. Wide, armored tail can slam prey or defend against other thanators. Cartilaginous plates around its neck that can flare, possibly as a threat display but more likely as an echolocation or other sensory pinpointing system. The speed of its neck and jaw strike is as swift as a camera shutter.
 * The Viperwolf or nantang has six legs, opposable thumbs, and a lean, powerful torso. The viperwolf has evolved to travel swiftly over long distances in search of prey. The ratio of brain mass to body weight of the average adult viperwolf indicates a high order of mental processing, pattern recognition and communication skills.
 * Hexapedes or yerik are small, blue antelope like creatures. They are culturally significant to the Na'vi, much of their belongings are made from the yerik. When threatened a strange, yellow membrane will fan out from their horns as a threat display.
 * Prolemuris are blue furred lemur-like creatures. They are mostly harmless, and travel in large family groups.

Flora
Flora on Pandora is of a tropical type several times taller than that existing on Earth. Many plant and animals have bioluminescent properties.
 * The Tree of Souls is the center of Na'vi culture and religion. The Na'vi believe it allows them to communicate directly with Eywa, their mother goddess. It is a special tree with electrical connections acting like neurons. In appearance, it is similar to the Banyan tree with aerial roots, except that it is illuminated. The roots of the tree form a special network, with other trees and plants, which in turn are connected to each other, making it a gigantic, neural interconnection for life on Pandora. It is suspected to be able to preserve people's memories and experiences, and share it back with people connecting themselves to it. It is the temple for the Na'vis.
 * The Tree of Voices is the most important tree to the Na'vi after the Tree of Souls. Its appearance is similar but smaller and it too is illuminated. It allows the Na'vi to hear the voices of their ancestors and it is the location where Jake and Neytiri choose each other as mates. It is destroyed in the first human attack on the Na'vi.
 * The Hometrees or Kelutrel are great enough to house dozens of clan members. The tree is honeycombed with natural hollows and alcoves in which the Na'vi sleep, eat, weave, dance, and celebrate their connection to Eywa. Adult Hometree are more than 150 meters tall, roughly thirty meters in diameter In the movie there is specifically a Giant Hometree, standing roughly 460 meters tall, where the main clan live. A distinguishable feature of the movie landscape, the tree itself is central to the movie story arc. Like many sacred sites on Pandora, the Giant Hometree sits above a large deposit of unobtainium. It is destroyed by human rockets attack, which leads to the Na'vi clans' alliance against the humans.
 * Helicoradian This carnivorous plant has red spiral-leaved plants are up to 3-4m tall and when touched they curl and collapse into themselves instantly.In appearance and behavior it is similar to some species of tube worm.