Tyrant Gossalizard

Sharing a similar ancestry as its cousin, the rainforest gossalizard, the tyrant gossalizard has come to be one of the major contenders for apex predator of the Barlowe continent. Protected by a thick exoskeleton and hardened frill, these defenses evolved more for the defense of young and adolescents, yet are still useful for full grown adults when territorial disputes need to be solved. This is further aided by a powerful tail which ends in a fearsome thagomizer. Males will swat at each other in order to determine dominance, but should that fail they will then turn towards their crippling bites and attempt to tear out the throats and/or armor of their opponents.

Territories are established by breeding males by spreading their gossamer silk around certain landmarks and boundaries. This silk contains unique pheromonal cues that tell females the health and strength of a male, as well as ward off younger, weaker ones. This proves especially useful following a molt, during which the males would not want to seek fights with smaller individuals when their own armor and frills have fallen off and replaced by soft, new ones.

Hunting typically at dusk or dawn, the tyrant gossalizard possesses a powerful bite which is further aided by a mild venom which is secreted from glands in the lower jaw. This venom is very crippling, allowing these predators to take down young sansheh as well as elderly, sickly ones. Such hunts however are rare, as smaller, more easily hunted prey is available.

Their coloration aids them while hunting, their black upper bodies blending in with the trunks of the obsidibombs while their purplish limbs match the coloration of the smaller purple flora such as the tropical clusterblades and carnoferns.