Shadow Aliodrake
When the ecosystems of West Aliona were cleared of most of its megafauna, one of the few species left was Stegodorsus erectus. As the Thalassiids took advantage of the ecological vacuum and began to diversify, Stegodorsus erectus began to experience competition and predation again. One group responded to these pressures by becoming fleet footed herbivores, eventually speciating.
60 centimeters long
The Shadow Aliodrake (Stegodorsus melaocervus) is a cautious creature, moving through the underbrush in search of food while staying vigilant for predators. The long forelimbs of the Shadow Aliodrake allow it to manipulate foliage and dig into soil to unearth nutritious roots. The Shadow Aliodrake is a fairly selective feeder, going for either soft taxonophytes that are easy to process or for energy-rich parts of polyphs such as seeds and fruits. A particular favorite for the Shadow Aliodrake is the fruits of plorts in the genus Scrutitatus, finding the foul-smelling scent given off by these fruits irresistible.
For an adult, their main enemies are the robust Jumpscare Shieldnewts (Herpetovenator deprendops), who can overpower the lightly-built dracilian. This is where their long limbs come into play, as the Shadow Aliodrake can jump about a meter into the air to dodge the initial lunge of these predators before running away. They can run quickly through the undergrowth, allowing youngsters to flee from predators like the Undergrowler (Loricatudraco soricilacertus) or Avianaquarius avianbeakus or for adults to flee from agressive species. The Shadow Aliodrake relies heavily on its camouflage to avoid being spotted by threats, having a dark green body with black patterns and a lighter green underbelly to blend into the underbrush. Since the species relies mostly on its speed and agility, the osteoderms along the Shadow Aliodrake’s spine are reduced in size to reduce weight.
During the spring, male Shadow Aliodrakes will gather around the base of West Aliona’s mountain range in large leks, scraping the dirt with their foot claws and bobbing their heads when females arrive in the hopes that a female will choose as a mate. Such elaborate mating rituals means the males often end up exhausted, which in turn provide predators who do not typically hunt Shadow Aliodrakes with opportunities. Despite these potential risks, the formation of leks and dancing at a potential mate decreases overall mortality in males compared to physically fighting each other. This also increases the likelihood of male Shadow Aliodrakes mating with multiple females. After mating, the female Shadow Aliodrake will dig out a shallow pit to then lay 6-10 eggs before covering it up with a nest made of sticks and mud. The eggs hatch after about 2 months. Females will often nest communally so that when an individual is out foraging other females will be in the vicinity and will indirectly protect it from nest raiders. This makes up for the fact that males no longer help rear the offspring since they now try to mate with as many females as they can in their leks.
The downside to having shorter gestation time is that the Shadow Aliodrake hatchlings are more underdeveloped and totally reliant upon their mother for a longer span of time. As such, the mother will feed and guard them for about 5 to 6 weeks before they can leave the nest and follow her around. Around this point, the youngsters will then follow the mothers and learn what is and isn't edible for another 3 to 4 weeks before eventually wandering off to live on their own.