Lion turtle (species)


 * This article is about the species. For the creature met by Aang, see lion turtle.

The lion turtle is a chimeric hybrid of a lion and a turtle. It is the largest known animal in the world of Avatar, and the largest known specimen reached the size of an island. The creature is able to communicate telepathically and impart wisdom onto others.

History
The lion turtle species may be the oldest race of animals on Earth as the oldest specimen of this species is the oldest creature to live on Earth.

There was only one known specimen of this kind by the arrival of Sozin's Comet in 100 ASC. However, paintings of the creature located in Wan Shi Tong's Library depict a lion turtle, much smaller and with no plant life on its shell, being followed by two of its kind, showing that there were once more lion turtles than the one creature now remaining.

Anatomy


Most of the lion turtle's body is that of a turtle; however, its face and paws are a lion's. Lion turtles can attain a great age if they are not harmed, with the oldest one being the oldest known creature on Earth. If a lion turtle is allowed to age for many eras, it becomes as large as an island; its shell becomes covered with plant life and certain animal life. At a younger age, the lion turtle is not much bigger than a flying bison, with no plant or animal life covering it.

Connection
A lion turtle, as its name suggests, has the body of a giant turtle and the head and forelegs of a lion.

Trivia

 * According to "Avatar Extras", a lion turtle's heart equates to twelve of Appa's, who is already 10+ tons.
 * The lion turtle is one of the few animals that can understand human speech and is the only one that can speak human language. However, it does so telepathically.
 * While appearing in "person" only during the season three finale, the lion turtle was referenced several times:
 * It was seen in a scroll in Wan Shi Tong's Library.
 * A fountain at the Northern Air Temple had the shape of a lion turtle.
 * Piandao compared Sokka's courage and heart to a lion turtle.
 * Piandao's manor contained many lion turtle statues.
 * Admiral Chan's home had a lion turtle door knocker.
 * General Fong and General Sung both had pauldrons representing the head of a lion turtle as did one of Aang's battle "options".
 * Pilot - Lion Turtle statue.png.]] Statues of the lion turtle were seen in the background when Sokka was looking for clues in the courtyard.
 * A lion turtle appeared in the beginning of the unaired pilot as a statue behind Aang.
 * A giant turtle-like being with an island, or the entire world, growing from his shell is quite popular in several mythologies.
 * In Hindu mythology Vishnu has a turtle avatar (Kurma) who holds the entire world on its back. Moreover, Vishnu also has an avatar of a half-man, half-lion (Narasimha) who helps a pious little boy (Prahlad) destroy an evil king (the Buddha too is considered an avatar of Vishnu). In that sense, the lion turtle can be a reference to a god-like or buddha-like figure explaining to Aang how to defeat the Fire Lord.