An image of a quekrel, showing the smooth body and absence of lower limbs.
Quekrels are members of the second of the two extant aerial Archogigian groups. Whilst the 'puth family is related to creatures such as the brilla, aaark and urahob, the 'rel family is closer to the israphel. The quekrel flies over the creed plains, scooping up creed to be eaten on the wing
Biology[]
Quekrel's wings are made up of numerous plates of modified skin. These probably evolved from a frilly display structure on the upper limbs of their ancestor, which then lengthened and solidified for gliding, then powered flight. Like an israphel, they have smooth skin. They have a wingspan of about 3 metres, and use their large lower jaws to skim creed from the surface of the ground. The easily-digested plant matter goes through a relatively short gut. Quekrels have hollow bones, and no sandy material. The hollows were created from the now-defunct sand passages.
Quekrels live their entire life on the wing, including sleeping, mating and raising their young. They give birth to live young, which are born with tiny lower legs and fully-developed wings. They are born with their lower legs up, which clasp on to the mother to prevent the baby falling to its doom. These are lost later in development. Females have larger wings than males, to help them support this extra load.
Behaviour[]
Quekrels live in large flocks of around 100. In the mating season, all the flocks migrate to small islands off-shore of the continent. They are suited to courtship, as they are covered with rocks and have few predators. Quekrels will fly as close as they can to the rocks, dodging and avoiding them. Some quekrels misjudge, and collide with the solid obstacles or other quekrels. They will crawl to the top of a rock, and then attempt to vault off in the same manner of a pterosaur's take-off. The old or ill will not be able to take off, and will die of starvation. The majority, though, will find a partner and fly higher, then mate on the wing.
Newborn quekrels, after their precarious mid-air birth, will clamber on to the mother's back, where they will stay until they can fly. They will eat creed from the mother's mouth, and will spread their wings to get a feel of the air currents. Eventually, after practicing with letting go of the mother and gliding for ever-longer distances, they will take their own route and begin to fly. When the next mating season arrives, these youngsters will band together into new flocks, promoting genetic diversity.