Jungle Wyvern
Mottled with all the colors of the canopy, brightly crested Jungle Wyverns will hide in the trees near the waterways of the Brunivard lowland jungles and strike prey along the shore. They eat quickly and messily, taking the choicest parts of the kill, then launching themselves back to the treetops to relax in the sun. Wyverns are cooperative, and seem well able to gauge their ability as a pack to take down larger prey. Because of this cooperation, a flock of Wyverns is a threat even for an experienced hunter from the giant tribes, and hunting gear often includes armor or shields made from Tree Rhinoceros hide, which is resistant to the wyvern's stingers.
Hearing the bugling of the Jungle Wyvern in the distance is a sure sign of a good hunt! It means the wyverns are well fed and preening in the sun. It's when you don't hear them that you have to be on your guard. That means that they're hungry, and they're probably watching you.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Wyverns are bipedal flying serpents. They are related to dragons, but while dragons have separate wings and forelegs, wyverns do not. Wyvern wings, like bat wings, have large clawed thumbs. The Jungle Wyvern skin is typically mottled in several shades of green and brown, allowing them to blend in with the canopy of their home.
Genetics and Reproduction
Jungle wyverns mate yearly. Over the course of the summer, the males will put on weight and their feathered crests will become more intensely colored. The males put on elaborate displays to prove their fitness in the fall, and the females will choose their mates. They are likely, though it is not guaranteed, to choose the same mate year over year.
Wyverns are ovoviviparous, meaning that they lay eggs but the eggs are held inside the mother until they hatch, and the young are born live. A female wyvern produces one offspring a year during her breeding years. The young typically stay with their parents through their third summer, when they are sexually mature and ready to start their own family group.
Growth Rate & Stages
Jungle Wyverns live in small, matriarchal family groups. Young wyverns stay with their parents until they are three years old, then strike out on their own. (Wyverns that don't get along with their mothers may leave sooner.)
Ecology and Habitats
Jungle Wyverns are skilled ambush predators. A single wyvern in winter, or the whole family group in the summer, will roost in trees near the water, waiting for animals to come to drink. Launching themselves swiftly at the target, they will sting it with their tails, injecting a powerful venom. This destructive venom not only immobilizes or kills the target quickly, but also begins the digestion process by chemically breaking down the meat. The wyverns will eat the tenderized meat and the soft tissues, but will leave the rest of the carcass for scavengers, returning to their nests or perches in the canopy to bask in the heat until hungry again.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Wyverns are meat eaters, the fresher the better. They are not above chasing other predators off a fresh kill if they can manage it, but will not scavenge carcasses once they have cooled.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Jungle wyverns have exceptional sight, well attuned to sensing motion in the jungle.
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