Hornboss

One of the two big weaknesses of the Scrubland Hornface was their extremely long and thin “tail-nostril” which a predator could grab onto. The other was their green coloration, which had them stick out like a sore thumb in open habitats. This quickly led to the species declining rapidly once the Argusraptor Complex evolved and ate them into extinction within areas where they shared the same range. To survive, one lineage of Scrubland Hornfaces would split off to once again settle open habitats by developing several different adaptations that are both physical and behavioral. This would lead to the evolution of the Hornboss.

Much like their ancestor, the Hornboss travel in large herds though they are far bigger, with the herds ranging in size from 25 to 80 individuals. Much like before, they also have poor eyesight that only allows them to see with any great detail at close range, so the herd mainly honk from their “tail-nostril” to keep in touch with one another while they graze. From a distance the herd may be harder to spot than their ancestors, as their bodies have become purple in color due to abundant anthocyanins in their tissues which help them better blend in with the environment. Despite the difference in coloration, the anthocyanins present in the Hornboss do not interfere with their photosynthesis.

The herd, however, reacts very differently from their ancestor when faced with danger such as the Argusraptor Complex or Tigmadars. Rather than running away, the Hornboss herds will do one of two things depending on the situation. If they spot something that is not exactly too threatening, such as a small group of Tigmadar, then the Hornbosses will charge at the predators as a group until the threats run away. If they see something much more dangerous, such as a pair of Megajaws or a pack of Terrible Argusraptors, then the herd goes on the defensive. They gather together into a tightly packed unit, with the hornless juveniles protected in the center while the adults face outwards with their horns turned against the threat. To better defend themselves against predators, the two top horns bend downwards and then back up which forms a shape best adapted to gore anything trying to attack their front.

With defense becoming so necessary for the species, both sexes have large horns, although the males have slightly larger top horns than the females and are also larger in general size. The herds consist of a single alpha male along with a lot of females and their young. Rival males will challenge the alpha male for mating rights over the herd, which can lead to violent shoving contests or even full on duels. These fights can be brutal, and as such only the strongest and healthiest males usually mate with the females.

Not all males try to directly challenge the alpha, however, instead trying to lure a female away from the herd to breed with in secret. The alpha male will immediately chase off the suitor if the pair are spotted but with so many individuals in the herd keeping an eye on every individual is near impossible. Meanwhile, the constant battles over the herd means the alpha male will usually only dominate the herd for a certain period of time before his wounds gathered from previous fights result in him getting bested by a challenging bull that will then take his place.