Soaring High

These guys are Azhdarchid pterosaurs, and they were some of the strangest reptiles to ever exist. They were perfectly capable of flight, but their physiology suggests that they may have spent a significant portion of their lives hunting on the ground. 

The largest of them could reach over 5 metres tall while standing, and had a 10-metre wingspan. They varied greatly in body type, from the tall, spindly forms of Quetzalcoatlus and Arambourgiania (images 4 and 1-2 respectively) to the heavy brute strength of Hatzegopteryz, a species that may have used its head to bludgeon its prey (images 2 and 3).

There has never been another flying animal before or since to have reached such incredible sizes, nor any predator so intimidatingly tall. Well, not any that we know of yet.

All of these illustrations are by Mark Witton, a palaeontologist and artist who specialises in pterosaurs. This is his blog about palaeontology and the science of reconstructing extinct species. You can find out more about each of these images here, here and here.

I was thinking about it the other day I realized Zuko had the greatest connection with Sokka out of all the members of Team Avatar. It amazed me in “The Boiling Rock” episodes how well they worked together and what a great team they made. They were both skilled fighters without using bending; both being excellent swordsmen. They each became leaders of their respective lands, Zuko becoming Firelord and Sokka becoming Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.

When Tenzin said that Zuko and Sokka were part of the team that stopped the Red Lotus initially from abducting Korra, it made me think about how great it would of been to see them work together in their old age.