Thaumatosaurs are a greatly diverse clade of reptyls with a vast distribution all across the Panmezo Ring and beyond, from the western tip of Balaiah to the furthest reaches of Breeyoh, at least hundreds of species can be found in most of the major biomes. Of course not without competition, these volant reptyls nonetheless stake claim over many niches, mostly carnivorous or predatory, with some exceptions.
The king heavensaunter is a volanocantor thaumatosaur that can be found all throughout the Panmezo Ring, favoring towards warmer climes as is the trend for their relatives. An enormous animal, with a wingspan of nearly a hundred and fifty feet, easily ranking as the largest flying animal of Paradoxia in terms of sheer dimensions.
Such gigantic beasts may seem at first to be fearsome predators, and indeed they do partake in the occasional hunting of live prey, but they are in truth specialized scavengers. Soaring on thermals, the sharpest sense of smell of any reptyl and keen eyes can detect a carcass from many miles away.
The size of the heavensaunter is enough to drive off competing scavengers most of the time. A full height of fourty four feet whilst standing at the highest. If a visual intimidation fails to get the message across, they employ a different method.
Their hypertrophied hyoids and large larynx work in tandem with large lungs and airsacs that push out a great volume of air forcefully, generating a powerful booming roar. One that may even inflict physical damage to any animal unlucky or brazen enough to ignore previous shows of aggressions.
This amazing vocal ability is also incorporated in courtship displays. As solitary nomadic animals, heavensaunters patrol vast swathes of land and may rarely encounter another one of their kind doing so. A hopeful adult in search of love would remain within an area with a radius of several miles, within which they will travel to varying spots in order to release periodic calls over the course of two or four days.
If they are lucky, a member of the opposite sex would reply to their advertisement, already gauging their health through their song. Mating is brief, and the female takes over the role of a single parent. As befitting their pariah lifestyle, the female carries her pair of eggs with her as she travels. Not within the grasp of her claws, but within the throat sac that would usually carry excess meat from a meal.
The young hatch fully capable of flight and feeding themselves, but at a fraction of their mother's size still rely on her for predator deterrence. In this period, the female briefly abandons her traveling, instead opting to remain within a set territory. It would take two years in order for her young to reach half adult size, at which point both parties separate and continue on with their own lives.
