Dossier: Archaeopteryx

Common Name: Archaeopteryx
Species: Archaeopteryx Magnamilvum
Time: Late Jurassic
Diet: Carnivore
Temperament: Fearful

Wild:

Approximately one meter long, the Archaeopteryx Magnamilvum is a primarily tree-dwelling proto-bird. It avoids the ground as much as possible, preferring to stay in the safety of the trees, where few predators can reach it.

I’ve not seen an Archaeopteryx outright fly yet, so it’s possible that they can’t generate enough lift to do more than glide long distances between perches.

I’m not sure how a creature as fearful of the ground can be such a picky eater, but Archaeopteryx only seems to consume certain rare insect matter. The most likely explanation is that it tends to nest in infested trees, stripping them bare of such food sources.

Domesticated:

While not large enough to bare the full weight of an adult human, Archaeopteryx still has great utility. Despite the creature’s inability to fly, its wings have sufficient strength to dramatically slow the rate of a person’s descent if that person holds Archaeopteryx while airborne. Taming Archaeopteryx can be somewhat troublesome, though, as it refuses to eat most common food sources, and glides to prospective safety at the first sign of any interloper.