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. According to the spirits, at least a dozen lived during Avatar Wan's time and carried human cities on their backs.

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

During Avatar Wan's time, lion turtles had a close relationship with humans, as people built cities on the creatures' shells. The turtles roamed the Spirit Wilds, and bestowed the ability to bend onto every individual who ventured into the Spirit Wilds with them to collect food for their village. After they reemerged, they were supposed to return the ability to the creature, since the power of the element was not to be brought into the cities.

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 Tong's Library depict a much smaller lion turtle without vegetation growing on its shell being followed by two others. This shows there were once more lion turtles than the one known that survived to the end of the Hundred Year War.

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 are similar to 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, and 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

 * A lion turtle's heart equates to "twelve Appas", who weighed more than ten tons.
 * The lion turtle is one of the few animals that can understand human speech and is the only one that is known to be able to 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 a lion turtle were seen in the background when Sokka was looking for clues in the courtyard.
 * Images of a lion turtle have also been observed in Republic City.
 * A 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. 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.