Argusraptor Complex

The Argusraptor complex is a pair of closely-related predatory saucebacks, the lesser Argusraptor (A. c. amicus) and the terrible Argusraptor (A. c. dirus), which are locked in a constant cycle of separation and hybridization, causing them to be so deeply intertwined that despite disparate niches they are nonetheless a single species. This occurred as a result of the massive competitive advantage they have over other saucebacks in their range, which placed taking already-filled predatory niches on the path of least resistance and in turn caused them to radiate and push other species out of their niches significantly faster than they could speciate from one another. They have completely lost their echolocation ability, no longer needing it at all.

These Argusraptors have very high genetic flexibility, but the two main subspecies remain more or less consistent during stable conditions. The Lesser Argusraptor is smaller and more omnivorous, while the Terrible Argusraptor is larger and primarily eats meat. The two regularly trade genes related to pack hunting, resulting in spurts of wolf-like Lesser Argusraptors and, more significantly, pack-hunting Terrible Argusraptors capable of filling the role of a significantly larger superpredator. This constant trade of genes and shifts in niche and behavior makes the Argusraptor Complex too complex and adaptable for many fauna to compete against. This has resulted in their conquest of predatory niches affecting not just saucebacks, but many of the other carnivores in their environment as well, including ones significantly larger than them.

These Argusraptors are able to eat a myriad of creatures both large and small. The chitinous jaws make short work of wooden armor found on many plents and almost completely bypass defensive spikes. They will even eat plyents. They also readily eat fruit and crystal flora, which are easy to digest. They are still capable of running up steep slopes, though instead of just flapping feathers they make use of the entire outer toe. They only walk on the inner toe, effectively reverting them back to a more primitive state for saucebacks. They can also still glide, though this ability is diminished in larger individuals. Like Terran wolves, they vary in coloration across their range to blend in with a myriad of environments. (Pictured are just two of many variations, an obsidian forest morph of the Terrible Argusraptor and a rocky shrub morph of the Lesser Argusraptor.)

The teeth of these Argusraptors are unusual among those of saucebacks in that all of the teeth in the oral ring can extend out of the mouth and be pulled back in. This creates a grabbing motion which eases the process of devouring meat and grappling with large prey. The position of their eyestrils do not line up with the positions of their teeth, with the section of skin which forms them instead lifting away from the teeth and moving into different positions during embryonic development.

These Argusraptors lay hard-shelled eggs. Their lack of echolocation means that predators cannot locate their nests by sound. The babies hatch legless and featherless and are fed regurgitated food by their parents. In pack-hunting groups, the entire pack will help raise the young of the lead breeding pair.

The Argusraptor Complex has caused the complete local extinction of Gnarblunter, Harnessback, Desert Ukjaw, Shikaaree, Stride Sauceback, and Terrorbeak through outcompetition. As mentioned before, they were able to outcompete especially large predators by hunting in packs. However, they have failed to outcompete the Shepherd Harnessback, as it is able to defend herds against argusraptor attack. A number of oddly-colored organisms which they do not particularly compete with have also been eaten to extinction within their range due to them not being prepared for the appearance of a sauceback that hunts by sight and can see such a wide range of colors: Leafplate, Snowplower, Robust Rainforest Ukjaw, Plehexapod, Striped Phlock (it was not particularly dazzled by its conspicuous colors), Drakogg, Giant Hornface, Snoofloo, Scrubland Hornface, and Phanadon. It has also eaten the Proto-Uksoar to extinction locally as a result of the species being maladapted. All of these sudden extinctions—an inevitability of the Dixon-Darwin interchange, even if not by sauceback tusk—have created a significant ecological vacuum.