Ravager Wolverback
| Ravager Wolverback | ||
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| (Megavermisorex macrophagus) | ||
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| Information | ||
| Creator | OviraptorFan Other | |
| Week/Generation | 27/167 | |
| Habitat | Fermi Marsh, Fermi Mudflat, Fermi Temperate Woodlands | |
| Size | 1.6 meters long | |
| Primary Mobility | Unknown | |
| Support | Endoskeleton (Chitin) | |
| Diet | Adult: Carnivore (Great Ruddy Pinyuk, Kanecevtak, Tongue Flapper, Azarus Flapper, Brinesnapper, Teacup Saucebacks (occasionally), Mudfish (occasionally), Silkruggs (occasionally), Minikruggs (occasionally)), Scavenger; Larvae: Detritivore, Scavenger, Carnivore (Vermees, Teacup Sauceback larvae, Mudfish, Silkruggs, Minikruggs) | |
| Respiration | Active (Microlungs) | |
| Thermoregulation | Adults: Endotherm (Feathers); Larvae: Ectotherm | |
| Reproduction | Sexual (Male and Female, Eggs and Larvae) | |
| Taxonomy | ||
| Domain Kingdom Subkingdom Phylum Clade Subphylum Superclass Class Clade Subclass Order Family Genus Species | Eukaryota Binucleozoa Symbiovermes (info) Thoracocephalia Coluripoda Vermitheria (info) Cephalischia (info) Dromeodonta Eudromeodonta Neodromeodonta Apatodromeodonta Vermisoricidae Megavermisorex Megavermisorex macrophagus | |
| Ancestor: | Descendants: |
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As the open plains of Fermi were colonized by the ancestors of the gorgodohve, wolverbacks found themselves displaced from the roles of top predators and had to settle more for the roles of small game hunters. Meanwhile, some groups of them would move into other habitats in an attempt to find better hunting grounds. While most of these proved fruitless, groups of wolverback that wandered into the temperate woodlands of Fermi found a place where competition was absent and there was available prey for them. As they thrived in this new area, the wolverbacks would rapidly grow in size until they split off and became the ravager wolverback, by far the largest species of shrewback yet to have evolved.
In many ways, the ravager wolverback acts much like its ancestor and relatives, indeed having virtually identical larval stages. The larvae are still small burrowing ectotherms, though they start their lives at ten millimeters in length rather than just one. Their diet primarily consists of other burrowing ectotherms such as vermees and the larvae of teacup saucebacks, though as they get bigger they become strong enough to tackle more difficult game such as tiny kruggs and mudfish. Detritus only makes up a small part of a larval ravager wolverback's diet, with the larvae typically only feeding upon such a resource when meat is unavailable. The larvae will readily feed upon carrion as well. When they get to around 30 centimeters in length, the larvae will look like fat hairy sausages due to the presence of gigantic fat stores; which will provide the ravager wolverback larvae energy during their metamorphosis into an endothermic adult so they do not starve to death. Much like their direct ancestor, ravager wolverbacks continue growing even after metamorphosis, tackling larger and larger game as they continue to grow.
In a trend started by their direct ancestor, the ravager wolverback's metabolism has slowed down even more, to the point where the species has fully lost the ability to hibernate. This is because the species' feather coat and larger size provides enough insulation that the species can remain active throughout the cool night. Indeed, the species is primarily nocturnal, taking advantage of the darkness to stalk its prey. Since the majority of its prey are able to listen for sounds themselves, the echolocating abilities of the ravager wolverback have seen some modifications. Firstly, the ravager wolverback lowers its amount of clicks when actively hunting, to minimize the chances of it getting detected before it can launch an ambush. Another change is that the ravager wolverback now primarily echolocates at higher frequencies, with the majority of its clicks being out of the range their prey can hear. With their large mohawk along the tail lowered to minimize the chances of it being spotted, the shrewback will get as close as it can to a target before lunging towards them.
Particularly small game like teacup saucebacks and minikruggs can often be killed by the initial grab, but larger game such as the great ruddy pinyuk or tongue flapper, such game making up the bulk of a ravager wolverback's diet, often require far more effort to take down. The barbed mandibles have become shorter and deeper than their ancestor, making them better suited at handling the stresses of struggling prey of large size while also dealing significant damage. The neck of the ravager wolverback has also developed thicker skin, as the shrewback will often have to take bites and scrapes in that area as they wrestle their target to the ground. Once the victim has been properly restrained, the ravager wolverback will go for the head or neck to make a quick kill. The whole killing process can be quite bloody, which is why the face of the ravager wolverback has become mostly bare so their feathers do not get matted and thus lose their thermoregulatory efficiency. As the species will often hunt in wetter environments than their ancestor, to the point where they can be wading in water or mud, the feet of this sauceback has lost their feathery covering so they don't get soaked or matted with mud.
The large feathery mohawk running along the tail of the ravager wolverback is designed for display, both for intraspecific and interspecific interactions. While interspecific interactions are simply just acts of intimidation, like a ravager wolverback unfurling their mohawk to scare off something that has gotten too close to them, intraspecific interactions are much more complex. Since ravager wolverbacks are completely blind, like the majority of saucebacks, they do not notice things like the coloration of the mohawk. Instead, it's the overall size and shape of the mohawk that matters amongst the ravager wolverbacks, both when it comes to individuals challenging each other over the rights of a territory or a male displaying his fitness to a female during mating season.
When they evolved, ravager wolverbacks have some of the longest lifespans of any shrewback, being typically able to live for over thirty years, though some individuals can even reach their forties. Combined with the fact they are the apex predators of their ecosystem when they evolved, ravager wolverbacks have some of the smallest egg clutches of any shrewback, producing only around a hundred or even as few as fifty eggs at a time. Additionally, the species still lays their eggs in mid winter, so that the resulting larvae will hatch during the start of spring so they can take advantage of warming temperatures and the increasing number of food to rapidly grow. The mohawks of youngsters after metamorphosis, as it helps adults distinguish them from other shrewbacks and thus prevents them from potentially eating their own progeny.