Lion turtle (species)


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

The lion turtle is a chimerical hybrid of a lion and a turtle and is the largest known animal in the World of Avatar, the largest known specimen reaching the size of an island.

History
The lion turtle is an ancient species and possibly the oldest on Earth. The only specimen known to be alive is known as the oldest living thing on the planet.

At the time when Sozin's comet returned in 100 ASC there was only one known member of the species to be alive. However, paintings in Wan Shi Tongs Library depict a much smaller lion turtle without vegetation growing on its shell being followed by two other’s. This shows there were once more lion turtles than the one known to survive today.

Anatomy


Most of the lion turtle's body is that of a turtle; however, it has the face and paws of a lion. It has webbed feet, and its finger joints are made of soft tissue that is the same as a real-life crab's joint cover. Its rheum is not sticky or soft, and its pupil is slightly blurry, as if it has a cataract. 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
The 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 Appas", who was more than ten 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 before appearing:
 * It was seen in a scroll in Wan Shi Tong's Library.
 * A fountain at the Northern Air Temple was in the shape of a lion turtle.
 * Piandao compared Sokka's courage and heart to those of 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".
 * Aang and Sokka hid behind a Lion Turtle statue outside the Earth Kingdom royal palace while coming up with a plan to enter the party.
 * Statues of the lion turtle were seen in the background when Sokka was looking for clues in the courtyard.
 * Images of the lion turtle have also been observed in Republic City.
 * The Satomobile used by the Triple Threat Triad sported a golden lion turtle as a hood ornament.
 * A lion turtle fountain stands next to the pool in Hiroshi Sato's mansion.
 * 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 its shell is quite popular in several mythologies.
 * In Hindu mythology Vishnu's second avatar is a giant turtle (Kurma) who holds the entire world on its back. Moreover, Vishnu's fourth avatar is 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.