Drifna

Drifna are fictional animals described in fantasy and game settings. They are small, buoyant mammals that inhabit coastal wetlands where land meets sea. The term Drifna is used by world-builders to illustrate buoyancy and aerial locomotion in small vertebrates.

Physically, Drifna have rounded bodies about 25 to 35 centimeters in length, soft fur, and a pair of wing-like flaps formed by a transparent membrane. They possess large eyes, a short snout, and a prehensile tail used for steering. A pair of internal gas bladders provides buoyancy in air and water, enabling drift-like movement rather than fast flight.

They are found in coastal mangroves, tidal pools, and shallow lagoons across temperate to subtropical shores. They favor sheltered waters with abundant seagrass and invertebrates. Drifna are often seen at dusk when currents and winds are favorable.

Drifna are mostly nocturnal and social, forming small family groups. They communicate with soft chirps and display bioluminescent patches on their throats during courtship. Their diet includes small crustaceans, plankton, seeds, and fallen fruit.

Drifna reproduce in spring to early summer. Gestation lasts about six to eight weeks and yields one or two young. Newborns ride on their mother's back and learn to navigate currents and wind during the first months of life.

In setting material, Drifna populations are described as common within their range and not endangered. In some cultures, they are regarded as omens of calm seas or rain and are depicted in folklore and art.