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Thermodynamically, the wings are more like bat wings than penguin feet. Countercurrent heat exchanges therefore cannot be the sole solution.

Keep in mind that plents don't have to be smooth and bare-skinned. The Gryphler, for example, is a phlyer (descendant of the Quone Phlyer) but is covered in fuzz. Hairlike structures are surely not that hard to evolve, judging by the fiber coatings on pterosaurs* and feathery fuzz on various dinosaurs, kiwis (birds), and various bird nestlings.There's even a species of frog with temporary hairlike structures, though it's not like mammal fur or bird feathers. The fact it exists elsewhere in a phlyer suggests the lineage has the potential to grow hairy structures, too.

If you wanted to maximize (a particular conception of) plausibility, you could make a note the fuzziness is homologous to that of gryphlers, but has some structural differences on close inspection that attest to its convergent manifestation.

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According to this source:
"The average winter temperature is -34° C (-30° F), but the average summer temperature is 3-12° C (37-54° F) which enables this biome to sustain life."
For something small with large wings, it might be cold, even in summer. Being able to fold its wings over itself in some way would help, although if it typically does this "in the wild", the vertical portrayal of its wings risks being unrealistic.

Here are some links that could help you figure out winter adaptations for something with batlike wings:

General sourceGeneral source.

Non-migratory bat

Bats that are migratory, but but capable of brief hibernation.

Migratory species from similar habitats (although these migrate over long ranges).


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*A quick check shows there's been recent (and debated) research suggesting pterosaurs' pycnofibers are, in fact, feathers, even though pterosaurs are only distantly related to birds, but that's probably more precision than is needed here. Not every evolutionary innovation here will need three research paper citations.

Good point, bats actually use their wings to cool off since flight heats their bodies up so much.

QUOTE (colddigger @ Oct 22 2022, 07:08 PM)

Good point, bats actually use their wings to cool off since flight heats their bodies up so much.

They do: I did check that out. Still, bats do wrap their wings around themselves when cold, and bats are generally hairy, particularly in cold environments.

I'd suggest having them migrate further south at least.

Gryphler's fuzz is technically an option, but plents urinate through their skin which makes it not the most ideal choice when other options are available.

For the wings and heat, during flight the large torso muscles should be able to create enough heat to keep them warm during flight.

And during rest if the membrane is retracted against a supporting bone it would decrease surface area to volume ratio, so that would help.

QUOTE (colddigger @ Oct 23 2022, 04:44 PM)

For the wings and heat, during flight the large torso muscles should be able to create enough heat to keep them warm during flight. And during rest if the membrane is retracted against a supporting bone it would decrease surface area to volume ratio, so that would help.

Retracted? Like a telescope? Don't you mean folded over?

As an alternative that requires no art edits, what about storing sugars from photosynthesis in the wings? This should make an effective natural antifreeze and make it taste more like its name.

Weird. Cotton Candy Phlyers' ancestors have always been heteotherms. Bats are also heterotherms, although it's unclear how similar these are to bats.

I used the summer temperatures of the Canadian tundra as a proxy. The average summer temperatures are 37-54° F, and the freezing point of water (and point where frostbite/frostnip is a risk) is 32°F, making it likely they'll get a few days (and especially nights) in summer at the freezing point, at least for a few hours. Given these are fairly small, have no insulation, and have big wings, once outside temperatures hit 32°F, it would likely be at particular risk offrostbite/frostnip.

Wood frogs survive beingpartially frozen because their bodies are flooded with sugar (glucose), but their blood sugar concentration is 450 times greater than that of a human's. Apparently, they survive this partly because ttheir metabolism has essentially shut down. Unless these similarly go into suspended animation, which might not be practical or plausible, having wings extremely high in sugar probably wouldn't work.

Antifreeze proteins would surely be better. However, if you're going for antifreeze sugars in its wings, using the antifrezeze-sugar of the Upis beetle, xylomannan, could work. It doesn't prevent freezing, but slows ice growth, allowing fluids surrounding cells to freeze in a controlled way without harming the insides of the cells. Xylomannan plus cryoprotectant compounds in the wings, especially the wing tips, should allow it to get frostnip occasionally for a few hours in polar summer nights and just shrug it off.

If they fold their wings, or wrap their wings around themselves, huddle together in groups at night (at least when it's particularly cold), and use xylomannan and cryoprotectant compounds in the wings, it should be sufficient to endure a few freezing-temperature days in summer. It would help them to have some ability to regenerate frostbitten wingtips, but, of course, organisms don't have to be perfectly adapted to the difficulties of their environment to survive.

definitely true, plenty of animals and plants that normally should be able to survive in an area can be taken out by unusually cold events, even if it's something that may just happen every couple of years for a few days.

"their body's" (Their bodies')
"They have developed the ability to store this sugar as antifreeze" (Since there are multiple kinds of antifreeze compounds, it would help to specify it's an antifreeze sugar compound, and, ideally, to specify what kind of antifreeze sugar.
"Strategists" (Strategies)

Someone else please give a second review of this submission

Review

Art:
Present: y
Clear: y
Gen #: y
All limbs: y
Reasonable: y
Realistic additions:

Name:
Binomial: y
Creator: y

Ancestor:
Listed: y
Changes:
External: Smaller, Different colors
Internal: Can eat different foods
Behavior: Migrating, Additional nest building, Basking
Realistic: y
New Genus Needed: n

Habitat:
Type: 1 (Subpolar
Flavor: 2 (Mixed Scrub, Herbaceous)
Connected: yes
Wildcard: no

Size:
Same as Ancestor: n
Within Range: yes
Exception: n

Support:
Same: y
Does it fit: y
Reasonable:

Diet:
Same: no
Transition: yes
Reasonable:

Respiration:
Same: y
Fit habitat: y
Reasonable: y

Thermoregulation:
Same: y
Fit Habitat: y
Reasonable changes:

Reproduction::
Same: y
Fit Habitat: y
Reasonable:

Description:
Length: y
Capitalized Correctly:
Replace/Spit: Split

Opinion: Approved

Agreed