SHIMRA OWL - TIMELINE UNKNOWN

(Timeline Tuesday #194)

Shimra owls are similar to the natural owls of our timeline in almost every way. It is not known exactly what reality they originally hail from, but parallels within their features make most timeline scientists believe they come from a nearby layer.

These creatures range in coloration between stark white and jet black, with variations of brown and grey in between. They are approximately two feet tall, with large wings and a set of talons with which they hunt their prey of reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals. They are incredibly skilled hunters, with notoriously strong eyesight that excels in darkness. Shimra owls communicate with the same hoot that we have come to know from our own natural owls.

There is one massive advantage that shimra owls have while hunting on our timeline, however, a feature that makes them truly unique. The head of a shimra owl is actually covered in various muscles and skin flaps, which are quite difficult to spot in a state of rest, but can erupt in a wide outward display whenever the creature chooses. The effect is similar to a frilled lizard, making the shimra owl appear much larger than it actually is.

But it's not just the change in apparent size that makes this ability so useful. The shima owl’s face is covered in a glorious, colorful pattern of geometric shapes, which are biological in nature but function similarly to colored mirrors. They are highly reflective, much more powerful that the glass of our timeline, and produces a dazzling flash. Anyone who is looking at the creature when it prompts this display will be immediately blinded and disoriented, an effect that can last for hours depending on how bright the sun is on that particular day. Even in the faintest moonlight, the flash of a shima owl can effectively discombobulate both predator and prey, making the shimra owl a truly ferocious hunter and elusive survivalist.