| “ | The thirty-thousand-foot level has been reached time after time with no discomfort beyond cold and asthma. What does this prove? A visitor might descend upon this planet a thousand times and never see a tiger. Yet tigers exist, and if he chanced to come down into a jungle he might be devoured. There are jungles of the upper air, and there are worse things than tigers which inhabit them. |
” |
— Mr. Joyce-Armstrong, "The Horror of the Heights" (1913).
| ||
| Atmospheric Predator | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Illustrated by Henry Reuterdahl | |||
| Naming | |||
| Binomen | N/A | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Amorphous | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Non-Sapient | ||
| Aggressivity | Very High | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Place of origin | Earth | ||
| Habitat | Atmosphere | ||
| Diet | Carnivorous | ||
| Locomotion | Floating | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | The Horror of the Heights | ||
| Created by | Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | ||
This is an unknown species of atmospheric predators which dwell high above the clouds, circa 30,000 feet (~ 9 km) up in the atmosphere.
Biology[]
Their partially amorphous bodies seem to be made from a gelatinous substance, which is nevertheless much more solid than that which constitutes the gaseous air-snakes. Their bulk is supported by three large buoyancy bladders projecting from the upper side of their bodies, and they are capable of moving swiftly and at great speed by altering their body shape, projecting pseudopods forwards and backwards.
These predators can attain sizes estimated as hundreds of square feet, and their coloration fluctuates from light mauve to dark purple, seemingly at will. Two circular plates located on either side of the animal's body appear to serve as eyes, and they have a sharp beaked mouth, reminiscent of a bird or cephalopod.
These beasts are carnivorous and presumably prey upon the other inhabitants of the "air-jungle", such as the jellyfish creatures. Additionally, they have been known to opportunistically attack airplanes to devour the pilots; and have been responsible for some mysterious occurrences, such as planes falling down to Earth with the pilot's body either decapitated or nowhere to be found at all.
Appearances[]
- "The Horror of the Heights", by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1913)
Gallery[]
