Terry Pratchett's fictional Discworld has a large number of creatures unique to it or its parasite universes (such as Fairyland or Death's Domain). Terence David John Pratchett OBE (born April 28, 1948, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England[1]) is an English fantasy author, best known for his Discworld series. ... Fiction (from the Latin fingere, to form, create) is storytelling of imagined events and stands in contrast to non-fiction, which makes factual claims about reality. ... This article or section may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... Cover of the book. ...

Ambiguous Puzuma

A big cat with a quite unique black and white check coat, the ambiguous puzuma is the Disc's fastest animal. Because of the Disc's standing magical field, which slows down light to approximately the speed of sound, the puzuma can actually achieve near-light-speed. Because of this, seeing a puzuma in motion means it isn't there. Puzumas commonly die from complications caused by Sangrit Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle; they lose concentration because they cannot simultaneously know who they are and where they are, frequently causing them to crash into an obstacle. Many males also die from ankle failure caused by excessively running after females who aren't present. Big cat refers to large wild felines of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. ... The Discworld in Terry Pratchetts Discworld novels runs on magic. ... The speed of light in a vacuum is an important physical constant denoted by the letter c for constant or the Latin word celeritas meaning swiftness. It is the speed of all electromagnetic radiation in a vacuum, not just visible light. ... This article details minor Discworld concepts: concepts and ideas from the Discworld of novels by Terry Pratchett which only appear in the background, or are not well fleshed out. ...

Bookworm, .303

A bookworm that has evolved in magical libraries. Because of the constant danger of running into a volume containing spells (which release thaumic radiation), the .303 caliber bookworm eats quickly. So quickly, in fact, that it has been known to ricochet off walls after boring through a shelf of books. Possibly these creatures use L-space to spread from one library to another, although in no explorations into L-space have such bookworms been mentioned. Bookworm can refer to: The insect of that name. ... L-space, thought to be short for library-space, is a fictional dimension or set of dimensions documented in Terry Pratchetts Discworld books. ...

Curious Squid

A small species of squid, whose curiosity exceeds their ability at making connections. They are small, harmless and reckoned by many experts to have the foulest taste of any creature in the world. Due to this they are in great demand at a certain type of restaurant where skilled chefs with great care make dishes containing no trace of the squid at all. Apparently the only place they can be found is in the area around the sunken island of Leshp, in the Circle Sea, approximately halfway between Al-Khali and Ankh-Morpork. SQUIDs, or Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices, are used to measure extremely small magnetic fields; they are currently the most sensitive such devices (magnetometers) known, with noise levels as low as 3 fT·Hz−½. While a typical fridge magnet is ~0. ... Toms Restaurant, a restaurant in New York made familiar by Suzanne Vega and the television sitcom Seinfeld A restaurant is an establishment that serves prepared food and beverages to order, to be consumed on the premises. ... Ankh-Morpork is a fictional city-state which prominently features in Terry Pratchetts Discworld series of fantasy novels. ...

Dragons

Dragons are a genus of reptiles which apparently evolved on the Disc's Moon. In biology, a genus (plural genera) is a taxonomic grouping. ... Orders Procolophonia (extinct) Testudines Araeoscelidia (extinct) Avicephala (extinct) Younginiformes (extinct) Sauropterygia Ichthyosauria (extinct) Placodontia (extinct) Nothosauria (extinct) Plesiosauria (extinct) Sphenodontia Squamata Prolacertiformes (extinct) Archosauria Crurotarsi Order Aetosauria (extinct) Order Phytosauria(extinct) Order Rauisuchia (extinct) Order Crocodilia Ornithodira Pterosauria (extinct) Marasuchus (extinct) Dinosauria Order Saurischia Order Ornithischia(extinct) Reptiles are tetrapods... Adjective lunar Bulk silicate composition (estimated wt%) SiO2 44. ...

Draco lunaris

Possibly the original species of dragon, these Moon Dragons inhabit the Disc's moon. They are quite similar to draco vulgaris, but have silver scales and flame from their rears. This allows them flight by means of the rocket principle. They subsist on a silvery plant which apparently covers much of the Moon and glows by means of phosphorescence, creating moonlight. This species is seen in The Last Hero. Flight is the process by which a heavier-than-air animal or object achieves sustained movement either through the air by aerodynamically generating lift or aerostatically using buoyancy, or movement beyond earths atmosphere, in the case of spaceflight. ... A Redstone rocket, part of the Mercury program The traditional definition of a rocket is a vehicle, missile or aircraft which obtains thrust by the reaction to the ejection of fast moving fluid from within a rocket engine. ... Phosphorescent powder under visible light, ultraviolet light, and total darkness. ... The Last Hero is a short novel, the twenty-seventh of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. ...

Draco nobilis

Noble dragons are the large, graceful fire-breathing creatures of legend. Probably evolved from draco vulgaris, these dragons use magic to combat the physical laws that would normally kill a flapping-winged creature weighing several tons and spitting burning substances. Because this requires more magic than the Discworld can in normal circumstances provide, draco nobilis now exist mostly in a parasite universe closely connected to the human imagination. They can be briefly released from this universe by a sufficient expenditure of magic, or summoned on a more permanent basis in areas of high background magic. Examples of this can be found in The Colour of Magic and Guards! Guards! Saint George versus the dragon, Gustave Moreau, c. ... The Discworld in Terry Pratchetts Discworld novels runs on magic. ... This article details minor Discworld concepts: concepts and ideas from the Discworld of novels by Terry Pratchett which only appear in the background, or are not well fleshed out. ... The Colour of Magic is a comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, the first of the Discworld series which was published in 1983. ... Guards! Guards! is the 8th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, first published in 1989. ...

Draco stellaris nauticae

The star voyaging dragon is massive even when compared to draco nobilis. Like draco lunaris, this species flames from the rear to achieve propulsion. Their food is the various debris they trawl from the voids they travel. Smaller dragons voyage by attaching themselves to the hide of this species, much like the remora. The species was first observed by Leonard of Quirm during the events of The Last Hero, which may mean that they are either quite rare or avoid positioning themselves so as to be visible from the Disc. Genera Echeneis Phtheiricthys Remora Remorina See text for species. ... Possible spoiler warning Leonard of Quirm is a fictional character in the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. ... The Last Hero is a short novel, the twenty-seventh of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. ...

Draco vulgaris

Main article: Swamp dragon Swamp dragons (draco vulgaris) are fictitious creatures from Terry Pratchetts Discworld novels. ...

Hermit Elephant

A native of Howondaland, the hermit elephant is a close relative of the more commonly known elephant. However, the Hermit elephant has an uncommonly thin and vulnerable skin by comparison to these. In order to protect itself, the hermit elephant will walk into a village, enter a house or hut and lift it upon its back, carrying it away. As it grows, the elephant will periodically shed its house in favour of a new, larger one, much like hermit crabs. Hermit elephants frequently travel in herds, and these can easily be mistaken for villages if found while the animals are resting. Howondaland is a place on the fictional Discworld from Terry Pratchetts book series. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infra-order Paguroidea, distinct from the true crabs in the infra-order Brachyura. ...

Pointless Albatross

A species of migratory albatross. Contrary to what one might expect, the bird's name refers not to its plumage but its migration habits, consisting of a series of lazy treks from Hub to Rim deemed pointless by most ornithologists of the Disc. The name is play on Wandering Albatross. Genera Diomedea Thalassarche Phoebastria Phoebetria Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds allied to the procellariids, storm-petrels and diving-petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). ... Closeup on a single white feather A feather is one of the epidermal growths that forms the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on a bird. ... Binomial name Diomedea exulans Linnaeus, 1758 The Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans), is a large seabird from the family Diomedeidae which has a circumpolar range in the Southern Ocean. ...

Quantum Weather Butterfly

The Quantum Weather Butterfly is a butterfly which has evolved the curious trait of weather control. This is used as a defence mechanism and a sexual characteristic. The insect is yellow, with Mandelbrot patterned wings: these wings have an infinite wing perimeter, but only a finite area. Its classification is Papilio tempestae, and it appears mainly in Interesting Times. It is based on the illustration of chaos theory that the air movement caused by a butterfly flapping its wings in America could eventually cause a storm in China. Initial image of a Mandelbrot set zoom sequence with continuously colored environment. ... Interesting Times is a novel in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. ... A plot of the trajectory Lorenz system for values r = 28, σ = 10, b = 8/3 In mathematics and physics, chaos theory describes the behavior of certain nonlinear dynamical systems that under certain conditions exhibit a phenomenon known as chaos. ...

Republican Bee

A species of honeybee that, rather than being ruled by the traditional queen, runs its hives as democratic republics. Republican bees "committee rather than swarm, and tend to stay in the hive a lot, voting for more honey." Species Apis andreniformis Apis cerana, or eastern honey bee Apis dorsata, or giant honey bee Apis florea Apis koschevnikovi Apis laboriosa Apis mellifera, or western honey bee Apis nigrocincta Apis nuluensis Honey bees are a subset of bees which represent a far smaller fraction of bee diversity than most people... For the Queen bee in clique & social groups, see Clique. ... A committee is a (relatively) small group that can serve one of several functions: Governance: in organizations too large for all the members to participate in decisions affecting the organization as a whole, a committee (such as a Board of Directors) is given the power to make decisions. ... New honeybee colonies are formed when queen bees leave the colony with a large group of worker bees, a process called swarming. ...

Scalbie

A shabby and disreputable species of seabird, which looks like it has been in an oil slick, and eats carrion. The ultimate scavenger, it has been said that scalbies will eat things so disgusting they would make a vulture sick, and even things that already have made a vulture sick. The Sooty Tern is highly aerial and marine and will spend years flying at sea without returning to land. ... Titan arum For other uses, see Carrion (disambiguation). ... Harvestman eating the tail of a five-lined skink The word scavenger, in zoology, refers to animals that consume already dead organic life-forms. ... Orders Falconiformes (Fam. ...

Shadowing Lemma

A creature which exists in only two dimensions and eats mathematicians. How exactly this works is a matter possibly best left untouched. The name is a reference to a lemma from dynamical systems theory. :For other senses of this word, see dimension (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In mathematics, a lemma is a proven proposition which is used as a stepping stone to a larger result rather than an independent statement, in and of itself. ... A dynamical system is a concept in mathematics where a fixed rule describes the time dependence of a point in a geometrical space. ...

Vermine

This small rodent is a more careful variant of the lemming, as it only throws itself off small pebbles. Its fur coat is very valuable (particularly to the creature itself, which will do anything rather than let go of it). Many articles of expensive clothing, such as wizard's robes, tend to be lined with vermine. Its name is a play on vermin and ermine. Genera Dicrostonyx Lemmus Synaptomys Myopus  * Incomplete listing: see vole Lemmings are small rodents, usually found in or near the Arctic. ... The bane of Australian farmers - the wild rabbit Mouse Vermin is a pejorative word given to animals which are considered by users of the word to be pests or nuisances, most associated with the carrying of disease. ... The ermine (Mustela erminea) is a dark brown weasel, with a distinctive black-tipped tail. ...

Vurm

A small toothless scavenger insect native to the deep caves and dwarf mines of Überwald. They are very patient, and able to digest practically anything with any nutrient value (one character even claims that the exhalations of visitors is food to them). Vurms are bioluminescent, giving off a weak greenish-white glow. Dwarfish drudak'ak seem to have a special connection to the creature, possibly using vurm blood to tatoo a luminescent personal identifier (the draht) onto their forearms and apparently spreading the creature intentionally to new mines and territories. Harvestman eating the tail of a five-lined skink The word scavenger, in zoology, refers to animals that consume already dead organic life-forms. ... Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrates that are taxonomically referred to as the class Insecta. ... In Terry Pratchetts fictional Discworld universe, Ãœberwald is a region located in near the foot of the Ramtops, farther from Ankh-Morpork than Lancre is. ... Bioluminescence is the production and emission of visible light by a living organism as the result of a chemical reaction during which chemical energy is converted to light energy. ... Dwarfs in Terry Pratchetts Discworld novels are similar to the Dwarves of J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth, which they largely started out as a homage to, and dwarfs/dwarves in other fantasy novels. ...

World-bearing Turtle

Also known as chelys galactica. The Discworld's example is commonly named "Great A'tuin" and is of unknown gender. How they arise is a matter of some difficulty to answer. Faust Eric shows Great A'Tuin being made instantly from nothing, seemingly in support of the theory that it came from nowhere and would continue at a constant pace into nowhere mentioned in The Colour of Magic. However, The Light Fantastic shows Great A'Tuin watching the hatching of its children, which supports the Big Bang hypothesis also mentioned in The Colour of Magic. A combination of the two theories might be possible, with A'Tuin being among the first generation made by the Creator and subsequent generations being created through breeding. Great ATuin is the fictional giant star turtle in the Discworld universe, who travels through space, carrying the four giant elephants (named Berilia, Tubul, Great TPhon, and Jerakeen) who in turn carry the Discworld. ... Faust Eric (commonly abbreviated F^HE) is a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. ... The Colour of Magic is a comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, the first of the Discworld series which was published in 1983. ... The Light Fantastic is a comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, the second of the Discworld series. ...

According to the wizards of Unseen University, chelys galactica are composed largely of the element chelonium, the properties of which are apparently known to them (they do tests to look for it in Roundworld in The Science of Discworld), but not to readers. Unseen University (UU) is a school of wizardry in the fictional Discworld city of Ankh-Morpork, staffed by a faculty composed of mostly insane and inane old wizards. ... Fictional chemical substances are compounds or minerals that exist only in works of fiction (usually fantasy or science fiction). ... The Science of Discworld is a 1999 book written by novelist Terry Pratchett and popular science writers Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen. ...