Hippogryph
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The hippogryph split from its ancestor and became much, much larger, as there were no competitors for large flighted piscivores out at sea. Its air sacs have extended through its body and into its bones, allowing it to be more lightweight than other ophreys, supporting its immense size.
The hippogryph has some adaptations which aid it in flying for long periods of time hunting out at sea. Its beak is long and serrated, each point shaped like a conical backwards-pointed tooth, allowing it to keep its grip on slippery prey. As in its ancestor, its eyes point forwards, but its topmost pair is connected to its cephalopelvis by a pair of ligaments which cause them to be pulled back—or "rolled"—when it bends its head down to scan for food. This allows it to keep an eye out for rivals and obstacles while hunting, while also protecting its topmost eyes from sunlight when its head is raised. It has lost the hoof on its wing toe, and its walking hoof can be tucked under feathers to keep its wings streamlined during flight.
To hunt, the hippogryph will soar above the water, watching for prey that approaches the surface. Once it has a target, it swoops down and plunges its long jaws into the water, grabbing its prey. Its long, flexible neck allows it to let the water drag its head back long enough to pull up its catch, but if it proves to be too heavy, it will let go to avoid injury. If the prey is small enough to fit through its oral ring, it will swallow it mid-flight; otherwise, it will land somewhere to dismember it first. It will also grab creatures off of seafaring shrew nests and floating flora in a similar manner, preferring the former due to a lack of obstructions.
Landing on dry land for such a large creature with a single pair of wings as its only limbs looks like it would pose somewhat of a challenge, as the hippogryph cannot simply land on another pair of legs and drop down onto its wings. But in reality, this is not an issue at all. When it comes in for a landing, the hippogryph will splay its ears and tail fans and flap its wings to brake. It may take a moment to judge its distance from the ground before one final flap, which ends with its hooves just inches off the ground—a perfectly safe dropping distance.
The hippogryph uses its colorful tail to communicate with others of its kind, signaling by covering and uncovering it with its tail feathers similar to other ophreys. The colorful tail also serves a purpose in sexual selection. Only hippogryphs with colorful tails will have the right to mate.
The hippogryph must land to nest. It prefers offshore islands, but it will also nest on mainland beaches; at its size, it is very capable of defending its eggs and chicks from inland predators. It will also nest on the "banks" of stable driftwood islands, provided there is some part that's raised, warm, and dry enough. It will sit down to lay 1-3 eggs in a nest made comfortable by a bedding of flora and feathers, and both parents will watch over and protect them. Once they hatch, the parents will take turns bringing food to their chicks, storing captured prey inside their esophagus. They no longer store food in their chest pouch for good reason—to keep it clean in case they must move nest locations, which entails placing a baby into the pouch, as that is the safest way to carry it. They take about 6 months to fledge, before which anything can happen that might require moving to a new location. Fledglings will stay with their parents for a while longer, learning how to hunt, before parting ways. They take 3 years to reach maturity but may not start breeding until they're 4 or 5. In ideal conditions, they can live for up to 150 years.
- Species by Disgustedorite
- Week 27 species
- Generation 167
- Species with no descendants
- Species
- Extant
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