Rathalos/Rathian Ecology (all Species)

Rathalos and Rathian are male and female fire-breathing Flying Wyverns. The Fire Wyverns are covered in ridged and segmented shells on much of their body, and the rest is covered by scales to prevent impeding movement. However, their wing membranes are scaleless. Their clawed feet each have three toes facing forward and one pointing back, which allows them to grasp prey.

Rathalos and Rathian are known by different names dues to their very pronounced sexual dimorphism, varying in both physiology and behavior. Rathalos prefer to stay in the air and hold the title of "King of the Skies", while Rathian tend to remain on land and are known as the "Queen of the Land". To camouflage themselves better on the ground, Rathian have drab greenish-brown shells and scales. In stark contrast, Rathalos have a bright red coloration.

Additionally, Rathalos have a few black stripes running along the length of their body and their legs. Black stripes also radiate from the wrist joint of their wing across their wing membranes, forming a flame pattern. [When contrasted with their pale undersides, it is likely that they display an intimidation signal to other large monsters in flight.] In comparison, Rathian wings only have a mottled pattern.

The spikes on a Rathian's wings are larger and more prominent as well, probably to deter attacks from other ground-dwelling monsters on the relatively fragile wings. Rathalos have smaller spikes on their wings making them more aerodynamic. A Rathalos's powerful wings allow them to carry their prey to a secure location if necessary, avoiding fights with other large predators. In turf wars with other monsters, they have been observed to lift up opponents of the same size and toss them around like ragdolls. Small scales between the shell pieces near their shoulder allow them to move their wings without being hindered. The soft skin under these scales also expands and contracts as they flap their wings, allowing free movement of the wings and so they can even fly through narrow spaces.

Other than that, a Rathalos's exoskeletal shells appears to be rougher and has more ornate patterns than the Rathian's smoother shells. This is also observed in the short backwards-protruding crown of spines on their heads. On a Rathalos, these appear to be shorter, thicker and more textured than the Rathian's slender and smoother ones. Besides that, Rathian has a longer forward-pointing spike on her chin which she uses to feed her young. This feature is less-developed in Rathalos, though they instead have larger spines protruding from both sides of the base of their lower jaw. During the breeding season, these spines enlarge and Rathalos use them to construct nests before mating with Rathian.

Rathalos and Rathian are well known for using fire as a weapon. They are able to achieve this by possessing flame sacs containing a pyrophoric powder. *When breathing fire, they actually burn themselves but their throats are adapted to heal and recover quickly from the injury.* Rathian have more powerful flame sacs than Rathalos, being able to expel a large explosive fireball that covers a larger area in fire. Despite being able to produce up to three fireballs in quick succession while on land, they do not breathe fire while they are airborne. The opposite condition is found in Rathalos, which breathe fire on land more sparingly, but can unleash multiple fireballs once they take to the air. Furthermore, Rathalos are able to expel short bursts of flame, which they may even use while biting targets to increase damage, [slightly compensating for being less adept at land-based combat otherwise.] When low on stamina, they become unable to use their fire sacs effectively. On the other hand, their mouths will constantly burn with fire when enraged.

Besides fire, Rathalos and Rathian are capable of attacking prey with poison. While Rathalos have venomous claws on their feet, Rathians have venom-secreting thorns on the ends of their tail. As a result, Rathalos and Rathian have distinct clubbed tails. Rathian tails have a rosette of backward-facing spikes along with the cluster of thorns, while Rathalos have three pairs of side-facing thagomizer spikes and a single backwards-facing spike at the tip of its tail. Even from a grounded position, Rathian can rapidly whip their tails in front of themselves to envenomate targets by performing a backflip. The toxic thorns are also found on Rathian's shoulders and on the wrist joints of its wings for defense on the ground.

The ranges of the Fire Wyverns overlap in many tropical and temperate areas, from forests to mountainous areas. [Unlike Rathian, Rathalos are not encountered in the densest jungles as the thick vegetation impedes their flight.] Rathian and Rathalos are found separately in deserts and volcanoes too, [which are unable to support a pair of Fire Wyverns living together.] The scarlet coloration of Rathalos allows them to camouflage in volcanic areas, [while Rathian is able to blend in with desert and savanna terrain.] The Fire Wyverns mark their territory with gashes on trees or on the ground.

In the New World, Rathalos and Rathian have improved flight capabilities compared to their Old World counterparts. Their wings have an an extra bone in their wings forming an extra "wing finger" supporting the wing membrane, making their wings more flexible for flying through the dense Ancient Forest and larger to avoid the more numerous threats in the New World. New World Rathalos also have greatly thickened thigh muscles to allow them to take off without much effort. The ancestors of these New World Raths were already particularly great flyers that came from the Old World. Additionally, New World Rathians have more thorns on their bodies.

Rathalos and Rathian are powerful predators that prey on anything they can take down, though they prefer to hunt the weaker Herbivores and Gargwa. Their mouths are lined with a row of sharp teeth and their snout ends in a hooked tip, evidently used to slice and tear flesh. Naturally, they have extremely good eyesight, which is especially important for Rathalos. Typically, Rathalos swoop at their prey from the air, and Rathian also use this technique when hunting larger prey such as Aptonoth. Alternatively, Rathian can hunt smaller prey such as Kelbi and small Bird Wyverns by chasing them down and snatching them up in their jaws. When hunting, they may use their roars to stun prey as well. Rathalos eats about three to four times a day and hunts in different places daily, depending on the weather and location/path of an Aptonoth herd.

Unlike most Flying Wyverns, the Fire Wyverns raise their young cooperatively. However, optimal nesting grounds are limited and Rathalos compete with one another for the best locations. In turn, Rathian also fight with each other to pair up with a Rathalos, as a Rathalos will mate multiple Rathian entering his territory but will only allow the strongest to remain as a nesting partner. Such fights between Rathian have even reportedly resulted in a forest fire in one case. Rathian that lose these battles tend to end up in poorer habitats such as deserts and are forced to rear their whelps alone. These unsuccessful Rathian are more vigilant and aggressive as a result. Despite that, their whelps have a relatively well-developed digestive system and dentition, allowing their mothers to feed them meat. They have a clutch size of about 10 eggs. Nesting Rathian do not normally stray far from their nest, picking off small monsters which they can easily carry back to their young. Occasionally, Rathian will allow smaller monsters to enter her territory to feed on smaller creatures that pose a threat to her nest. In the Wildspire Waste, Rathian have even been observed intelligently igniting oil puddles to scare away threats. While Rathian are primarily responsible for keeping their young warm and feeding them, Rathalos spend less time near the nest. A Rathalos is in charge of hunting and carrying large prey back to the nest while patrolling his territory for intruders which may threaten his family. If a paired Rathian or Rathalos ever encounters an enemy stronger than they can face alone, they will call for their mate to assist them. Beyond Elder Dragons and "Elder-Dragon Level" monsters, there are virtually no monsters capable of standing up against a pair of Fire Wyverns.

Azure Rathalos and Pink Rathian are extremely rarely encountered Subspecies of Rathalos and Rathian that have matured in areas with high bioenergy, such as the Elder's Recess. The bioenergy causes them to change color and develop differently, causing their shells to become harder and their scales and skin to become more flexible. Azure Rathalos have slightly different elemental resistances as well. Despite that, their garish coloration also decreases their likelihood of survival, so they have become more aggressive and proficient in their attacks. Azure Rathalos tend to spend more time airborne and chain aerial attacks together, but this depletes their stamina faster than normal Rathalos. Likewise, Pink Rathian are more skilled in wielding their tails in combination with complex backflip maneuvers and may possess more potent venom. *Although both Subspecies are capable of staying in the same habitats as their normal counterparts, they prefer highland and forested regions. These regions allow Azure Rathalos to blend in slightly better, and Pink Rathian follow them* since both of their normal counterparts do not recognize their Subspecies as potential mates. In fact, normal and Subspecies counterparts are very hostile towards each other, engaging in turf wars often. It is worth noting that the coloration of Pink Rathians allows them to blend in extremely well in the Coral Highlands, though large prey items are scarcer there.

The Rare Species are known as Silver Rathalos and Gold Rathian. How these Rare Species arise is still uncertain, though they may emerge under similar conditions as those responsible for their Subspecies counterparts. They are extremely rare, even more so than their Subspecies counterparts and possess strength close to that of Elder Dragons. Silver Rathalos are even more adept in the air, while Gold Rathian wield their tails even more deftly. The venom in their toxic needles are just as noxious or are even more noxious than Pink Rathian's poison. Both Rare Species have tremendously augmented firepower, able to spew highly explosive fireballs. In the New World, they are even able to enter a "Hellfire State" distinct from their enraged state, where their inferno sacs glow brightly along with some parts of their upper body. In this state, their already impressive firepower is further increased, allowing them to expel blue flames that burn hotter than normal fire.

The source of their lustrous sheen is unknown, though it may be metallic in origin, seeing as how their resistance to the Thunder element has decreased. That being said, their exoskeletal shells are the toughest of any Fire Wyvern. Their weakspots are now mainly located on their wings and legs, which are not as well-armored. Due to the composition of their exoskeleton, they are not found in areas with high temperatures such as deserts and volcanoes, unlike their normal counterparts and Subspecies, because their shells absorb heat too quickly. In the Old World, they primarily nest in or near the mysterious Tower but will also hunt in other temperate and tropical areas. [It's possible that they are normally encountered near the Tower due to the bioenergy content of the Elder Dragon materials used to build some parts of the Tower.] In the New World, they are only encountered in the Guiding Lands and Elder's Recess, which are teeming with bioenergy.

Wroggi/Great Wroggi Ecology

Social pack-hunting Bird Wyverns with orange, salamander-like hides. Inhabiting tropical rainforests and volcanic areas, they exhibit remarkable convergent evolution with the allopatric Iodrome and Ioprey. Females and immature males are known as Wroggi, while the large mature males are known as Great Wroggi. Wroggi have two small poison sacs behind their heads, but as a Great Wroggi matures these sacs fuse into a larger, more prominent sac stretching out under its neck. Great Wroggis also have bony osteoderms on their backs for protection and fin-like lobes on the sides of the base of their tails, [which are possibly used for thermoregulation. The slick mucus on the hides of both Wroggi and Great Wroggi may also play a role in thermoregulation, behaving similarly to perspiration.] As in the other species of social Bird Wyverns, each pack is only led by one alpha male and male Wroggi are chased away when they mature to look for another pack to usurp.

Wroggi and Great Wroggi utilize their venom in hunting either by administering them through the fangs in their beaks or by spraying it out as a deadly mist. Great Wroggi are especially toxic, being able to spray larger clouds of poison which linger longer. [Their poison is crucial in allowing them to thrive in both of their preferred habitats. In the rainforest, their poison reduces the chances of prey escaping in the dense vegetation and allows them to capitalize on the plentiful Bnahabra population. As prey can be scarce in volcanic regions, their poison again increases the success rates of their hunts while allowing them to feed on Bnahabra when Herbivores are scarce.] Possessing venom is essential for Wroggi and Great Wroggi to take down armored and dangerous prey such as Rhenoplos, Bullfango and Slagtoth. Besides that, they are not averse to scavenging for carrion from larger monsters' kills. Large packs may even be able to harass larger monsters and steal their kills by spraying their toxic mist.

Being relatively low on the food chain, Wroggi have bright, aposematic coloration to warn potential predators of their toxicity. Other than that, their speed and agility usually discourages most carnivorous monsters from preying on them. 

Wroggi are closely related to Baggi and Jaggi.

Baggi/Great Baggi Ecology

Social pack-hunting Bird Wyverns distinguished by their forwards-pointing cranial crests and predominantly grayish-blue hide and scales. They have some yellow scales on their flanks and tufts of fur on certain parts of their body such as their head, back and tail. Unlike the closely related Jaggi, their tails are fan-like and are designed to stun prey with a blow to the head. Females and immature males are known as Baggi, while mature males are known as Great Baggi. Being the leader of the pack, Great Baggi are much larger in size and have a more developed crest. As in the other species of social Bird Wyverns, each pack is only led by one alpha male and male Baggi are chased away when they mature to look for another pack to usurp.

Baggi and Great Baggi inhabit the freezing Tundra, where their blue hide and scales serve as camouflage and [their larger size compared to their close relatives help them retain heat.] Due to living in this harsher environment, they have also evolved to possess tougher hides than that of Jaggi and sacs that produce sedative compounds. When hunting, they will mix these compounds with their saliva and spit it onto their prey to put them to sleep before literally eating it alive. As food is harder to come by in their frigid arctic habitat, this adaptation to reduces the chances of prey escaping. To bring down their main prey of Popo, Baggi work cooperatively under vocal orders issued by the Great Baggi. They also feed on smaller Herbivores, Bullfango, Neopterons, Giggi and carrion scavenged from the kills of larger wyverns.

Being relatively low on the food chain, Baggi have to be vigilant against the larger monsters inhabiting the Tundra. Usually, their speed and agility coupled with their tranquilizing spit provide an effective defense. Adult Gigginox can turn the tables on the Baggi, as they are extremely protective of their Giggi offspring and will eat any Baggi wandering through the caves they inhabit. 

As mentioned above, Baggi are closely related to Jaggi, as well as Wroggi.

Jaggi/Jaggia/Great Jaggi Ecology

Social pack-hunting Bird Wyverns easily distinguished by the pair of ear-like frills they sport on the sides of their head. Their pack hierarchy is divided into three castes: the small immature male Jaggi, the medium-sized female Jaggia and the large mature male Great Jaggi.

Jaggi are primarily orange in colour with lavender scales present on their head, frills, parts of their forearms and as a stripe running down their backs. Their roles are to patrol the outskirts of the territory, inform the pack about intruders, hunt small prey to feed the pack and assist the Great Jaggi while hunting larger prey. They have short blunt spines protruding from the sides of their tails which can be used to attack prey or defend themselves when threatened.

Jaggia have more lavender scales completely covering their backs and tail, with somewhat fewer orange scales which cover their sides and legs. Unlike the males, their frills are more subdued and hang limply from their heads. Instead of spines, their tails are adorned with fur running down their undersides. This downy fur is present on their bellies as well and is most likely used to incubate their young. Jaggia are responsible for guarding the nest and raising whelps. [To act as effective nest guardians, they are bulkier than Jaggi and even the females of the closely related Wroggi and Baggi, as they do not produce toxins or sleep-inducing compounds and thus have to rely solely on their increased muscle mass and strength. They also lay larger eggs than Baggi and Wroggi which allow more developed whelps to be hatched, shortening the amount of time needed for them to mature into Jaggi and Jaggia.]

Great Jaggi are mostly lavender in colour, only having a single orange stripe running down each side of their bodies and another tangerine stripe on the edges of their frills. Besides that, they have a white mane on their necks and a ridge of white fur running from their backs to their tail, which retains the blunt spines present in juvenile males. As the leader of the pack, Great Jaggi have the most prominent frills. *If their frills are destroyed, they lose all their dignity as a leader and a male.* Each pack is only led by one Great Jaggi at a time, so as Jaggi mature they are chased away to look for another pack to usurp. They have large hooked claws on their forelimbs, [though since they are not used in hunting prey, it is speculated that they use them to fight each other.] Multiple Great Jaggi may fight each other for the control of a pack, and many have been seen with wounds and scars on their bodies. Being the most powerful member of the pack, they lead Jaggi in hunting large herbivores such as Aptonoth using complex vocal commands and protect the pack from major threats such as other wyverns.

Typically, Jaggi are found in numerous locales from deserts to grasslands to forests. However, they are absent from dense jungles, volcanic areas and frigid arctic habitats. On their own, Jaggi hunt small prey such as fish and Kelbi, but under the leadership of a Great Jaggi they can bring down larger herbivores such as Aptonoth and Rhenoplos. [For large prey that they cannot bring down quickly, they utilize a persistence hunting technique where they chase prey over fairly long distances in order to wear them down before cornering the exhausted prey and killing it. This technique may not be as effective in rainforests with thick vegetation, which explains their absence in those areas.] *At a kill, Great Jaggi always eat first, Jaggia eat second and Jaggi eat last.* Some theorize that this is the reason for the disparity in size between the three castes, [or alternatively the behavior may result from the size disparity itself.] Carrion scavenged from the kills of larger monsters also constitute a major part of their diet.

Being relatively low in the food chain, Jaggi have to be wary of other carnivores as their flesh is relatively high in nutritional value. Despite that, their speed and agility acts as a deterrent to larger predators. 

Hypnocatrice Ecology

Feathered Bird Wyverns with orange and brown plumage that mostly scavenge on carrion with their sharp hooked beaks, which have two fang-like projections on the lower jaw. Despite their bird-like appearance, Hypnocatrice do not use their feathers for flight and possess membranous wings that are covered in a layer of downy feathers. It is even suspected by some that Hypnocatrice are misidentified Flying Wyverns as their wings are quite different from other Bird Wyverns. Five large display feathers that resemble a fan can be prominently seen on their back and many smaller display feathers can be found at their tail tip as well. While much of their body is feathered, their head, nape, legs and parts of their wings remain bare. Their name comes from their ability to produce and spit a volatile sleep-inducing substance.

Hypnocatrice are primarily found in lush tropical and temperate forests but have also been encountered in desolate desert areas. Although they prefer to feed on carrion most of the time, they are omnivorous and can feed on just about anything. They are known to feed on fish, small animals, insects and many different kinds of plants.*In fact, they actually obtain their signature sleep-inducing compounds from certain foods such as Sleepyfish, Sleep Herbs and insects.* When hunting to feed their offspring, they might put their prey to sleep before carrying it back to their nest, but generally their strong legs are already sufficient in helping them chase down and kill prey. Lacking teeth, they swallow pebbles and grit to help them crush and grind the food in their stomach. These gastroliths may be introduced to a Hypnocatrice at the moment of its birth and mature along with it to become a prized "Hypno Bezoar". The stone's ceramic appearance possibly comes from a combination of the Hypnocatrice's hypnotic fumes and weak stomach fluids, which could have formed a whitish solution that solidifies on the bezoar.

Quite pacifistic by nature, Hypnocatrice prefer to put enemies to sleep and run from the fight. While usually timid, when angered they may also viciously kick and slash sleeping foes with their powerful legs and sharp claws in an attempt to make them leave their territory. Besides that, they can also use their tail as a weapon while fighting. If enraged, they will erect the large feathers on their back to look more threatening.

During the mating season, the feathers of mature male Hypnocatrice will turn a brilliant shade of blue and magenta and they will perform mating dances to attract females. These individuals become known as Breeding Season Hypnocatrice to differentiate them from normal Hypnocatrice, as they become more aggressive during this period.