#pterodactyls

Entree 1: Gale Chasers

Backstory

Gale Chasers (Ventuvorare Pterodactylus) a type of small avian pterosaur, the only species known to survive the mass extinction. The method of their survival is up to debate, but it’s theorized that they washed upon a remote island in the western North Atlantic Ocean, where they would populate and thrive off of fish that weren’t immensely affected by the ash kicked up by the asteroid. Of course, this is just a theory, and there are many other interpretations of how they managed to survive. Because of their 66 million years spent on those few remote islands, they’ve very slowly evolved into a subspecies of normal pterodactyls, having slightly deformed bones due to slight inbreeding, but heightened agility and flexibility. 

Appearance

Gale Chasers are mostly greyish-blue in color, the males having lighter colored stripes running from their necks to tail, although some members of the species have been shown carrying around pigments of bright green and blue in their stripes. Gale Chasers have a wingspan of 0.5 meters, (1.64 ft) and a body length of about 1 meter (3.28 ft). Their necks take up 30% of their bodies, and their heads are unusually big and thin for pterosaurs. The females in the species have spiked scales running from their necks to the back of their hind legs. Their spikes are prominent again in their tails, where it can act like a club. Their hind legs have 3 talons, with 2 finger-like ones and 1 thumb. Their wings are normal pterosaur wings. There’s also a study going around that says while flying through the constant thunderstorms that happens on the island, the spikes utilize a weak static shock, and while not being enough to be able to take down anything bigger than a snake, they can use it to stun fish in the water, which makes for easier catches. When planes fly through their territory, female Gale Chasers can also utilize the weak static shock to keep planes unable to reach communications, which aids in their hunting, although they have to charge it up for at least a few days. They also have a row of spikes on the bottom side of their necks, although this is probably decorational. Their heads are big and thin, like I said before, but their beaks have molded into their faces, and their teeth have become part of their beaks. On their top jaw, their beaks have 9 individual teeth, and their lower jaws have 7, with the 5th pairs (only in females) extremely protruding, like boar teeth. This is also another evolutionary trait, and helps the females skewer fish better for offspring to nip at while still young. On the inside of their mouths, there’s a row of teeth that’s parallel to the beak, and acts as a second jaw that chews up food more efficiently. It’s speculated that the teeth on the beak are used for catching and skewering fish, and the inner teeth are for chewing. They also have no tongue, but that’s expected. Their eyes are unwaveringly white, with reddish-yellow slit pupils. The females are the ones that usually hunt, while the males protect the offspring. When a female is choosing a male to mate with, they usually go for the ones with the most pronounced stripes, which is also how there’s been a recent boom in males with brighter stripes.

Behavior