Turtle duck

The turtle duck is a creature that lives in ponds throughout the world. It has an inclination for the warm weather of the Fire Nation, though it also can be found in the ponds of Ba Sing Se and Republic City Park.

History
As a child, Zuko and his mother sat around the pond in the Fire Nation Royal Palace feeding turtle ducks. When Zuko imitated how Azula fed turtle ducks, by throwing a loaf of bread at a turtle duckling, the mother turtle duck swam out toward him and bit his leg. Ursa removed the mother from Zuko's leg and placed it back in the water, where it and the turtle ducklings swam away.

Years later, during the Hundred Year War when he returned home, Zuko sat by the same pond and fed bread to the turtle ducks, until Azula approached and they quickly fled.

Anatomy
The turtle duck has the head, neck, and tail of a duck, but the body, shell, and legs of a turtle. Its neck, tail, and most of its head are light brown or beige in color. A dark brown stripe runs from its bill back over its head. Its shell is dark green and its scaly underside is light green or off white.

Behavior
The turtle duck tends to be calm and gentle, however, if one is provoked, or a mother's baby is endangered, it will attack the offender by pecking them with its sharp beak. The turtle ducks also flee from anything perceived as a threat.

Connection
As the name implies, this animal is a cross between a duck and a turtle. Duck is an umbrella term for the common water fowl, which includes geese and swans. Turtles are ancient reptiles that have been around since the Triassic period, and there are two to three hundred species of turtles in existence today. The combination of two aquatic animals makes it a great swimmer.