Pandoran Fauna

Pandoran Fauna is the animal world of Pandora.

Pandora's amazing but dangerous inhabitants continue to amaze scientists and delight humans. For example, the slinger is an incredible animal that can literally lose its mind chasing its prey, the medusa, a giant creature that floats under the clouds like a balloon, and the thanator, a dangerous land predator.

The bones of Pandoran animals are a composite that contains natural carbon fiber. Many fauna have adapted to life in a dense atmosphere with the help of a highly efficient respiratory system, which functions as a forced engine; The air enters through one hole and leaves through another.

Like Earth pre-Anthropocene, Pandora is home to a wide variety of species, from single-celled organisms to the intelligent Na'vi. One researcher noted that some of Pandora's animals, reminiscent of extinct land species, serve as a "window into our biological past." We are surprised by both the familiar features: the existence of herds, the presence of predators and herbivores, the structure of the food chain, and the strange ones: the tsaheylu between animals and the Na'vi, the composite skeletons and the widespread luminescence. Since almost all flora and fauna have disappeared from the face of the Earth, we are fascinated by deadly claws, chitinous shells, sharp teeth and poisonous stings.

Scientists who were lucky enough to go to Pandora consider the highlight of their careers to be able to observe this fauna with their own eyes, and for all other humans, the idea of the existence of such animals inspires hope for the future.

Common Features

With all the diversity of the animal world of Pandora, it is possible to identify common features in the structure of many species of creatures.

Giantism

Pandora has low gravity, so the upper threshold for the size of terrestrial animals is higher than on Earth, and even the most gigantic creatures retain agility and mobility despite their more than respectable dimensions. The hammerhead titanothere can very quickly turn around and flee from the predator it sees, and the six-ton ​​thanator is capable of running fast and jumping high.

However, gigantism is not a necessary characteristic of the Pandoran fauna. A large number of relatively low species are present on the planet, such as viperwolves, prolemuris and tapirus.

Six Limbs

Most land animals have six legs, such as the hexapede. Two pairs of front legs are located along the chest and one pair behind, supporting the pelvis. The hexapede can be explained by Pandora's greater speed of movement and air density. Animals resist the wind when they walk or run by clinging to a support with an extra pair of legs.

Rare exceptions to the general structural scheme are associated with exceptional adaptation to flight (banshees) or with an arboreal lifestyle (prolemuris). It can also be assumed that the ancestors of the Na'vi lost their third pair of limbs in the second way.

Chitin Armor

Most of Pandora's large creatures are covered in chitinous armor that protects their bodies from damage. In especially large animals, such as the titanothere, this armor is so strong that it can withstand a bullet from a GAU-90.

Four Claws

Animals, including flying and hoofed species, have four claws on their limbs.

Two Pairs of Eyes

Most Pandora animals have four eyes: the main pair is primarily the organ of vision and the second, smaller pair captures infrared radiation.

Respiratory system

Pandora animals do not have nostrils in the usual earthly sense: they are replaced by special spiracles located in the chest area and providing the shortest access of oxygen to the lungs.

At least in some species, including the banshee, the entry of air into the lungs is controlled by a special cartilaginous valve, and the lung functions like a bellows: air enters the front and leaves the lungs behind, through gills. openings in the back of the sternum, so that in flight, banshees breathe not by inhaling and exhaling, but by continuous inhalation, like birds on Earth. On land, thanks to the valve mentioned above, the animal can switch to the breathing method of land animals: inhale-exhale. However, because of the direct respiratory access via the valve, there is no way for their bodies to warm the air or cool it, which makes this breathing adaptation only suitable for warm or hot climates. This would make many Pandoran animals highly vulnerable to colder or glacial conditions.

Since the head is not directly involved in breathing, a special muscular tube leading from the lungs is used to supply air to the vocal cords: by pumping air into it, animals can produce quite loud sounds.

Queue

On the head of all known Pandora vertebrates they have “Kuru”, two cartilaginous processes that begin at the temples and end in a small extension with nerve endings. Like the Na'vi braid, these processes contain nerve fibers and allow animals to bond with each other. In particular, a direhorse herd is described as moving more synchronously if the animals within it exchange neural signals more actively using processes.

The duration of the processes can vary greatly, which probably affects the sociality of a particular animal; for example, in Sturmbeests and Stingbats, the processes are quite short (these species probably depend on vocal, visual and olfactory signals to interact with their relatives), while in banshees and direhorses they extend beyond the neck.

Although the vast majority of animals have two neural tails, there are two known exceptions: the prolemurs and the Na'vi, only have a single neural tail.

Skin

Unlike Earth animals, which have a diverse array of skin layering such as scales and fur, most if not all Pandoran animals have smooth skin lacking any kind of outer layer protection, with the exception of armor. This is due to the fact that given the exponentially higher greenhouse composition in Pandora's biosphere, the global average temperature would already be significantly hotter than even Earth in it's dying state. Given the much higher temperature worldwide, Pandoran animals do not need insulation to regulate body temperature and are also most likely cold-blooded.

Carbon Fiber

The bones in these animals are reinforced with carbon fiber, which strengthens their skeletons and reduces the likelihood of fractures.

Vertebrates

Terrestrial creatures

Name	Image	Description
Arrow Deer (Na'vi: Winzaw)		A fast herbivore from the Upper Plains. Appearances: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
Austrapede		A flightless Pandoran bird that looks like a cross between an ostrich and a pink flamingo.
Bladehead		A huge animal with powerful dorsal armor and a plow-shaped head.
Bone Helm Rhino		A rather aggressive herbivore with an armored head that fiercely defends its territory.
Boulderlands Thanator		A subspecies of thanator found in the Great Roots of the Clouded Forest.
Chameleon Crawler		A Clouded Forest predator, capable of blending into its surroundings.
Chelydra		A camian turtle-like creature that appears in Avatar: Reckoning.
Cloaked Panther		Predator of the Upper Plains, it is capable of making long sliding jumps thanks to the membrane between its legs.
Crested Porcuboar		An animal covered with many thorns, found in the territory of the Anurai clan.
Direhorse		Similar to horses, with very long necks and small heads. They are approximately the size of an elephant.
Dodiapede		An omnivorous predatory bird-like creature that roams of packs of four to six. It tends to preys on small animals.
Echo Stalker		The Echo Stalker is practically blind, but it has the ability to echolocate, to find prey even in thick fog.
Fan Moose		A large herbivore with enormous antlers, similar to elk.
Fanged Mongrel		A ferocious saber-toothed predator, often hunting in pairs.
Feathered Grasslands Thanator		A subspecies of the thanador found in the Stone Warriors.
Flat Headed Capra		A mountain animal with a flattened head and enormous neck. Used as a mount.
Flat-Tailed Viperwolf		Subspecies of viperwolf with a broad, flat tail that lives in swamps.
Great Austrapede		A relative of the Austrapede and a bird-like Pandoran creature.
Grody Grueller		A mountain predator with large claws on the front legs and a flat tail.
Hammerhead Titanothere		A large Pandorian herbivore, approximately eleven meters (36 ft) long, which is almost twice the size of a land elephant.
Heartlands Arrow Deer		Arrow Deer subspecies
Heartlands Bladehead		Subspecies of Bladehead
Heartlands Colossus		Subspecies of the Soundblast Colossus
Heartlands Cloaked Panther		Subspecies of the Cloaked Panther.
Heartlands Direhorse		A subspecies of the direhorse
Hexapede		Some of the most beautiful and fragile creatures on Pandora.
Highland Lizard		An reptilian creature appearing in Avatar: Reckoning. It is similar to the Sharptooth Lizard.
Kentrocapra		Herbivorous creatures living in mountainous regions of Pandora.
Kinglor Wetlands Thanator		A subspecies of the thanator in Kinglor Forest.
Leucomelas Viperwolf		A subspecies of viperwolf with a white and gray coloration and the ability to emit static flashes.
Meer Deer		A cautious herbivore of the Clouded Forest, whose fat is valued for its medicinal properties.
Pachyderm		Similar to pachyderm animals.
Pandora Crocodile		A crocodile-like creature.
Petrified Forest Thanator		A subspecies of the thanator found in A Fool's Retreat.
Platebacked Lizard		An insectivorous lizard-like creature.
Prolemuris		Arboreal animal similar to a monkey: its forelimbs are fused up to the elbow.
Red Crested Climber		A relative of the Dodiapede, found in the mountainous regions of Pandora.
Saber Hog		Creatures with brown skin and orange chitinous armor covering their backside. They have notably massive lower canines, which earn them their name.
Sailfin Goliath		A giant beast found in the Clouded Forest.
Sharptooth Lizard		A swamp predator that spits poison at its enemies.
Self Exploding Spider		Insect like a spider.
Slinger		It is one of the strangest and most dangerous creatures discovered so far on Pandora.
Snake		A snake-like creature native to the lands of the Anurai clan.
Soundblast Colossus		A huge animal from the Upper Plains.
Spiny Capra		A shy mountain herbivore raised as a pet by the Rey'tanu clan.
Steervane		Similar to a cross between a hexapede and a sturmbeest, with the latter's distinctive head-shape, but a slimmer body and two protruding yellow crests branching off of the sides of its head.
Sturmbeast		A large buffalo-like herbivore.
Scarab Crawler		A gregarious predator from the Kinglor Forest, protecting its own back with a flat, tail-like shell.
Stone Rapids Scarab Crawler		Subspecies of the Scarab Crawler
Stilted Hexapede		Subspecies of the hexaped that lives in the swamps, it is distinguished by its green color and its long legs.
Tapirus		Is a docile, herbivorous tapir-like creature.
Thanator		A dangerous predator native to the forests of Pandora.
Viperwolf		A carnivore similar to a six-legged hyena or wolf
Wasp Viperwolf		A subspecies of the viperwolf with black and yellow colors and camouflage abilities.
Wetland Viperlizard		N/A
Whipfang Crawler		A dangerous predator of the Clouded Forest that spits poison.
White Moss Forest Thanator		A subspecies of thanator found in the Bayun Pines of the Clouded Forest.
Wind Scorpion		A bug-like creature
Yoten		A lizard-like animal that can quickly move away from a threat.
Zakru		A giant creature from the Upper Plains.

Flying creatures

Name	Image	Description
Coronis		a bird-like creatures found in the Kinglor Forest and the Upper Plains.
Dorado Verde		The smallest species of gull-like banshee, found on the islands in the waters of Pandora.
Forest Banshee		A small species of banshee, it nests in small groups. It is the favorite prey of the Great Leonopteryx.
Goliath Bat		An Anurai bat, possibly a relative of the Tetrapteron.
Great Leonopteryx		Pandora's largest flying predator, kept alone or in pairs. Sacred animal in Na'vi mythology.
Great Western Tetrapteron		A large species of tetrapteron from the Western Frontier.
Heartlands Stormglider		A subspecies of the Stormglider
Heartlands Ikran		A subspecies of the Ikran
Lamp Lizard		A lizard-like forest creature. Able to inflate and float in the air.
Luna Tetrapteron		A species of tetrapteron found in swamps.
Mountain Banshee		They are large aerial predators and nest in numerous colonies in predominantly mountainous areas. Used by the Na'vi as a mount.
Pandora Vulture		A flying creature similar to a vulture.
Stingbat		A small predator that lives in packs similar to a bat. Characterized by an extremely low level of intelligence.
Stormglider		The largest flying predator in the Western Frontier, armed with a poisonous tail.
Tetrapteron		Medium-sized semi-aquatic animal that lives in numerous flocks.

Aquatic creatures

Name	Image	Description
Akula		A ferocious and relatively little-known aquatic predator related to the nalutsa.
Angel Sperm		Marine fish with long fins that look like wings.
Buoyfish		A freshwater fish with a pair of bubbles that allow it to float in the water column.
Chandelier		a gelatinous organism of the oceans of Pandora
Charybdis	N/A	It is yet to be seen.
Crocodile		An aquatic creature similar to the crocodile.
Dinicthoid		Carnivorous fish that lives in rivers and lives in numerous schools.
Flat Skate Fish		Flat sea fish with a double tail.
Hammerbrow Fish		Sea fish with a hammer-shaped head.
Ilu		A relatively harmless aquatic animal that feeds mainly on fish. The Na'vi of the ocean ride on them.
Moonroll		Flat-bodied freshwater fish.
Mudcrawler Fish		Freshwater fish that can move to land for a short time.
Nalutsa		A formidable predator that lives mainly in the shelf zone of the Pandora oceans.
Octofin Fish		Freshwater fish with a flattened body and four pairs of fins.
Rockbeak Fish		Small aquatic creatures with bodies shaped like elongated spheres.
Pincer Fish		Sea fish with unusual growths on its head that look like horns.
Skimwing		A flying marine predator similar to a Terran flying fish. Used by Metkayina as a war mount.
Squid		Squid is a mollusc that lives in the reefs of Pandora. It has a similar appearance as Terran squids.
Starbeak		Slow swimming marine fish with shiny fins.
Spade Wing		Marine fish with a flattened body and powerful front fins, similar to a stingray.
Snapper		An amphibian creature resembling a giant turtle.
Syringil		Fish with large triangular fins and long tail.
Turtapede		An amphibian animal that resembles a cross between a turtle and a starfish.
Tulkun		A large, intelligent marine species native to the oceans. The Metkayina clan views them as brothers.

Invertebrate creatures

Name	Image	Description
Atlas Beetle		A hard-shelled insect, similar to the Atlas beetle insect.
Arachnoid		A large scorpion-like insect with a poisonous sting that lives mainly in forests. The Na'vi use arachnoid venom during Uniltaron.
Bladewing Moth		Bladewing moths are relatives of the kinglor.
Cerebellis Scapularis		A small aquatic arthropod that lives in symbiosis with the sagittaria.
Creepy Crawler		A Pandoran insect that resembles a centipede or even the extinct Arthropleura due to its immense size.
Crescent Wing		An insect that can be found flying in swarms in the Upper Plains and Kinglor Forest.
Cuirass Crab		Similar in appearance to a Terran horseshoe crab.
Fan Lizard		Small nocturnal creature, flies using an unrolling bioluminescent membrane.
Flutterflower		Flutterflowers are flying insects they have fine, delicate wings, enabling it to glide elegantly through the air with minimal effort.
Flying Lily		An insect that can can be found flying in swarms in the Upper Plains, usually near water.
Hellfire Wasp		A large flying insect with a double sting that gathers in large swarms.
Horned Teylu		Large insects, coated in bright, fluffy fur.
Kinglor		A species of large moth prized by the RDA for its incredibly durable silk.
Kaleidoscope Butterfly		Predominantly found in caves and dark places across the Western Frontier, Kaleidoscope Butterflies are known for their distinctive, eye-catching bioluminescent wings.
Lantern Beetle		Quadrupedal insects that have evolved from hexapods.
Mantis	N/A	A large insect that lives in symbiosis with the mantis orchid.
Moonscarab		An insect with moon shaped wings.
Reef Tick		A multi-segmented underwater insect-like creature
Ripper Wasp		Ripper wasps are dangerous insects that actively attack anything they consider a threat to their hive.
Shimmyfly		A butterfly-like insect with large, beautiful bioluminescent wings.
Shroud		The shroud bug is like a mix of a beetle and a dragonfly with a large egg sac on its back.
Sky Leech		Sky Leeches are airborne insects living at high altitudes.
Sporedancers		A flying insect similar to a butterfly.
Stagfly Ant		A tiny but durable flying insect that lives in hives. It has two pairs of feet for scurrying around its hive, and two pairs of wings, enabling it to fly in search of fruits to eat.
Teylu		They resemble centipedes, while the soft and nutritious teylu are one of the Na'vi's main food sources.
Tiger Cricket		An insect that can be found in the Upper Plains.
Trickster Mantis		A colorful insect that can easily be mistaken for a flower due to its vivid patterns and peculiar curved form.
Unknown Bug		A bug that appeared briefly in Avatar: The Next Shadow
Veilswarm		Bird-like creatures that travel in large swarms, flying in a constant, unbreaking formation.

Other invertebrate

Name	Image	Description
Anemonoid		Colonial aquatic animal, similar in lifestyle to terrestrial polyps.
Coronet Snail		A small gastropod, abundant in temperate regions with plenty of moss to feed on.
Glow Worm		A special type of worm whose body contains a psychotropic alkaloid; used during Uniltron.
Gill Mantle		A gelatinous marine animal that has entered into a symbiotic relationship with the Na'vi and provides them with breathing underwater.
Kite Manta		Graceful invertebrates that gently cruise through the air thanks to their extremely light bodies.
Medusa		A huge aerial animal with long hunting tentacles, which lives in the Hallelujah Mountains area.
Sagittaria		A squid-like creature that lives in fresh water and shoots down insects with precisely aimed jets of water.

Microorganisms

Name	Image	Description
Manducus Taurus		Generalized microneuroparasite
Navileria Orberum		Generalized microneuroparasite
Pandorica Simbiotii		Generalized microneuroparasite
Velocivirus		A virus of unknown origin that entered Pandora, probably via RDA spaceships.
Water Cleaning Colony		A colonial species of bacteria that lives in Pandora's waters and destroys harmful chemicals.

Creatures mentioned & not used

Mentioned in the original 1995 script, but were not included in the Avatar franchise.

Name	Image	Description
Harpetooth	N/A	The harpetooth is a creature mentioned in Avatar: Reckoning. The harpetooth is a swift and fearsome hunter.
Manticore		A predatory beast, analogous to a thanator, but with claw-like forelimbs, like those of a praying mantis, and a poisonous stinger.
Moonwraiths	N/A	A type of insect whose swarms take on the appearance of a banshee in flight.
Pandoran otter		An aquatic creature resembling Terran otters that resides in reefs.
Slinth		A relative of the slinger, a more agile and agile predator.
Spidery Creature		Spidery Creature
Wolf Tick		A titanothere parasite, about a foot long.