We used an AI art making creator site to generate our finished image. Here is our final report on our Bloodwing.  Scroll down to see our interactive thinglink design. 

Bloodwing 

Introduction 

The Bloodwing animal, also known as Sanguis Cornu belongs to the Reptiles family. It is found on Planet X on the hot dry slopes of the Volcanic region known as Molten region (which gets its name from the hot molten lava that flows down its slopes).  It is recognisable by its distinctive blood red wings which are the colour of the red lava.  It is extremely rare and currently on the endangered list due to its food sources dying out and it has a very long and complicated reproductive process. 

Appearance

The Bloodwing is a reptile, but a very unique one. The adult can grow up to 25m! While most reptiles are cold blooded, the Bloodwing is warm blooded. This allows them to survive in the hot temperatures of the volcanic area. It also is covered with scales that protect their body from the heat during and their scales are made from copper which is absorbed through their egg shell when they are incubating in the volcanic ash. On the extremely rare occasion a diamond bloodwing creature is created through the diamond particles in the ash. The Bloodwing has huge eyes to allow it to see long distances during the day and at night to  hunt its prey. It can see a spider from 3 km above the ground. At night it also seeks nocturnal animals such as volcanic wolves that live in the same region. 

Adaptations

The Bloodwing has many other interesting features that allow it to survive. It has sharp claws that dig into the ground. It has large wings to allow it to glide and fly large distances due to the lack of gravity holding it down that folds away when it has landed. It can also use its wings as a shield for the young while they are small and vulnerable. The tail has a sharp pointed end that can be used for attack and defence particularly when hunting the volcanic wolf. Their hearing is one of their best adaptations. Their ears can sense eruptions coming from the vibrations beneath the earth. This allows them to hide or seek shelter during an eruption or even grab their young and fly to safety using their sharp claws. It has an air hole adapted to allow it to extract the pure oxygen from the air - this is used in their fire breathing adaptation explained below. The Bloodwing can also breathe fire when it hunts - it literally creates its own fire and “toasts”/cooks  its prey before eating it- just enough for a crispy meal. Bloodwings are adapted to be able to swim in lava flows also.

Habitat 

The Blood wing reptile lives in a very hostile environment, it has to adapt to survive earthquakes, high temperatures, lava and eruptions. The land is dry, dusty and hot - temperatures up to 50 degrees and in the rainy season on Planet X the storms bring torrential storms and rain and the rain is hot and toxic due to the eruptions exploding poisonous gas into the atmosphere. The rain evaporates  into steam as soon as it hits the ground. They make their den in caves and under rocky ledges in the mountains. They have to fly long distances to find fresh water to drink, and so they store water in their bloodstream to keep hydrated as they cannot drink the toxic water of the volcanic area.

 Reproduction/Life Cycle. 

The Bloodwing is endangered because there are few mating pairs left. Bloodwings mate for life so when its mate dies the bloodwing surviving will sacrifice itself by flying into the heart of the volcano and sets itself on fire like a phoenix.  It lays 3 eggs every 3 years. The female leaves the eggs to incubate in the heat of the ash from the volcano. Internally inside the egg the absorbed copper or diamond starts forming the scale armour  - these are red at birth but turn green with time as the copper is exposed to oxygen.  They take 9 months in the egg to fully develop before they hatch. This is when they are most vulnerable to other predators. Young Bloodwings need to learn to take care of themselves straight away and they must eat within 48 hours or they die. They can live potentially up to 50 years old but the diamond bloodwing can live up to 70 years. 

Nutrition

The Blood wing is a carnivore and apex predator  that means it actively hunts its prey. It uses its fire breathing to cook its food and its sharp claws to pull its prey apart before its sharp teeth crunch - bones and all. It needs to eat everyday to allow it to survive and can consume up to one tonne of food a day. Its long sticky tongue can also scoop up their dinner. Another unique adaptation is that the Bloodwing can use its fire to heat up local water streams and literally cook the fish and then eat them. There are few creatures that could eat the Bloodwing - but they are territorial and so if another pair of Bloodwings come into their area they will attack each other. 

Conclusion 

The Bloodwing is a fascinating unique creature from Planet X. It has adapted over time to live successfully in the harsh volcanic regions of this planet.