Hairy Sky Phlyer

The hairy sky phlyer split from its ancestor. It is named for its integument; convergent with the unrelated gryphler, it has produced an indumentum of trichomes derived from skin cells. Unlike the unicellular trichomes of the gryphler, the hairy sky phlyer's trichomes are multicellular and branching. They die after forming, leaving behind their cellulose cell walls. The trichomes are transparent, allowing light to pass through for photosynthesis, but they appear white due to subsurface scattering. They insulate its wing muscles so that they may remain warm enough to function. It is considerably larger than its ancestor, using its broad bill to catch large amounts of flying organisms. It mainly flies around the equator, where the constant humidity and storms encourage large amounts of aeroplankton production. It may soar close to the sea, allowing it to feed on mistswarmers and thus bring new nutrients from the ocean to the sky was well.

The hairy sky phlyer no longer nests and it can sleep on the wing, so it usually only lands to mate. It lands in the ocean and takes off by flapping against the water. The reason it was able to make this innovation is because, as a plent, it gives live birth through its mouth. Its babies are born very well developed, albeit small, and will spend a few minutes to an hour inside their mother's mouth to gather their bearings. They will then leap out and begin to soar on their own. If they don't leave, their mother will push them out with her tongue so that she may eat again. The hairy sky phlyer offers no parental care.

Although the hairy sky phlyer gets some of its energy from photosynthesis, it does not consume most of the sugar it produces. Instead, it stores massive amounts of sugar to use as antifreeze to prevent its wings from freezing and breaking off in the cold atmosphere. All four wings are used in soaring, though the lower pair may rest at an angle. As the skeletal portion of the wing is woody, it holds itself up while still being able to be bent to flap, making it cost less energy to soar than it would for, say, a skysnapper or a flying sauceback.

The hairy sky phlyer's legs have been reduced to only their woody nails, which resemble hooves protruding directly from its torso and serve to guard its underside in the event of a crash. Crashes are usually fatal, but when they aren't, it's because the nails held it off the ground just enough to prevent its abdomen from being torn open as it slid across the ground.

In order to urinate through its integument, the hairy sky phlyer has a patch on its underbelly where all liquid waste is sweated out and removed over time by shedding or by incidental bathing while in water. This causes the trichomes on its underside to be discolored. Its trichomes often remain in the sky after shedding, contributing some nitrogenous compounds and cellulose fiber to the aeroplankton population.