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The hooks do break. They're just not inside the body where they can cause the most damage.

Coolsteph and dorite, what ideas would you suggest for instead of a opal skeleton?

It could be that the the hooks are made only partly of biogenic silica, or the hooks are brittle and shatter easily, but it can regrow them and it probably won't shatter more than a few hooks at once. Having "bones" of pure biogenic silica is probably a bad idea. I checked, and Venus's flower baskets do have organic compounds in the lattice. Although Venus's flower baskets are tough, despite their substantial, glasslike silica components, what works for a stationary Venus's flower basket may not work for a moving, flying organism.

A more easily-achievable approximation of the idea is an Eartheater-descendant which hitches a ride on flying organisms (e.g., large Spardis) and is tough enough to not instantly die if it should fall off and hit the ground or water, or even something capable of parachuting or gliding somewhat for a softer landing on water or a soft substrate (e.g., sand). Admittedly, the physics considerations of flight might be different at especially small sizes, and I believe Spardis don't have fur or feathers to hold onto.

EDIT: I see I was "ninja'd" while making this post.

Here is the full plan.

QUOTE (Coolsteph @ Mar 22 2023, 09:20 AM)

It could be that the the hooks are made only partly of biogenic silica, or the hooks are brittle and shatter easily, but it can regrow them and it probably won't shatter more than a few hooks at once. Having "bones" of pure biogenic silica is probably a bad idea. I checked, and Venus's flower baskets do have organic compounds in the lattice. Although Venus's flower baskets are tough, despite their substantial, glasslike silica components, what works for a stationary Venus's flower basket may not work for a moving, flying organism. A more easily-achievable approximation of the idea is an Eartheater-descendant which hitches a ride on flying organisms (e.g., large Spardis) and is tough enough to not instantly die if it should fall off and hit the ground or water, or even something capable of parachuting or gliding somewhat for a softer landing on water or a soft substrate (e.g., sand). Admittedly, the physics considerations of flight might be different at especially small sizes, and I believe Spardis don't have fur or feathers to hold onto.

Is there a better material to possibly replace opal?

Before thinking about the particulars of what its bones should be made of and what configuration it should have, it's useful to know exactly what your endpoint is.

When you say you want to make it fly, are you looking for powered flight, like a bird or bat or insect, or just anything that would let it gain altitude? Or are you looking for gliding? The design of the Generation 24 sketch seems most similar to that of a “flying” frog (it actually glides). Flying frogs similarly have relatively thick, short struts from their limbs with webbing between them. The Generation 23 sketch suggests a planned descendant can climb, so it makes sense the Generation 24 organism would be associated with trees, or perhaps cliffs.

If you’re looking for powered flight, that would likely require more extensive adaptations, such as to manage the increased metabolic rates necessary for powered flight, at least for takeoff in most environments. As part of its metabolic demands, flight takeoff is generally oxygen-intensive, which makes things difficult in this Week (Week 4) due to lower oxygen levels in most areas (barring Diorite Island and the beaches and salt flat around Diorite Sea, but that is very far away).

The exact configurations needed also depend on any allowances in its environment (e.g., tall things to fall from) and how big it is. If it's small, it's likely light, so it may not need to be quite as aerodynamic.

QUOTE (Coolsteph @ Mar 22 2023, 03:16 PM)

Before thinking about the particulars of what its bones should be made of and what configuration it should have, it's useful to know exactly what your endpoint is. When you say you want to make it fly, are you looking for powered flight, like a bird or bat or insect, or just anything that would let it gain altitude? Or are you looking for gliding? The design of the Generation 24 sketch seems most similar to that of a “flying” frog (it actually glides). Flying frogs similarly have relatively thick, short struts from their limbs with webbing between them. The Generation 23 sketch suggests a planned descendant can climb, so it makes sense the Generation 24 organism would be associated with trees, or perhaps cliffs. If you’re looking for powered flight, that would likely require more extensive adaptations, such as to manage the increased metabolic rates necessary for powered flight, at least for takeoff in most environments. As part of its metabolic demands, flight takeoff is generally oxygen-intensive, which makes things difficult in this Week (Week 4) due to lower oxygen levels in most areas (barring Diorite Island and the beaches and salt flat around Diorite Sea, but that is very far away). The exact configurations needed also depend on any allowances in its environment (e.g., tall things to fall from) and how big it is. If it's small, it's likely light, so it may not need to be quite as aerodynamic.

I personally don't see the flying frog connection at all. To explain, the one I'm working on right now, gen 22, is a surface dwelling eartheater. Gen 23 is a transitional species for flight, like the fluttering spardi. It climbs the Asterplots that grow in Huggs island, and flutters/glides a little to catch prey. Gen 24 is a full flying species like the corpse spardi. Like what the spardis did, I think having them branching out to several different methods would be interesting. I was assuming Albatross flight style but that might not be good for catching spardis, so maybe like a hawk, but combined with saving energy by "riding the wind"?

Spardis are gonna outgrow it pretty fast. They can get big.

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Mar 23 2023, 05:32 AM)

Spardis are gonna outgrow it pretty fast. They can get big.

Yes, but aren't eartheaters/flatbuns dangerous to eat? So even if spardis get bigger much quicker, the flying eartheaters should be able to do its own things spardis haven't done, like pollinators, bats and few other roles.
Edit: I'm pretty sure these guys might survive better in the case of a mass extinction like a asteriod, assuming spardis are going to become megafaunal.

A carnivorous species of flying eartheaters could also possibly hunt in packs a giant spardi, that would certainly make things interesting

After a conversation in discord, I've decided that I am not making this species. It's too hard and unrealistic. Instead, I will plan to use the flying card for the future gallopett descendants.