Ambisugo malovis

From OurFoodChain

When the population of Pinpointer wyverns (Dracowyverious kokovajilotus) became established in Zone L, the last thing the new apex predators expected was the arival of another predator. That is exactly what showed up over time. A parasitoid predator, that is. This is Acutognathus malovis, a descendant of Acutognathus scrutator that will opportunistically scavenge the nests of these new wyverns and suck the internal juices out of any eggs that are exposed, thriving off of the juices of the egg as well as any carcasses it comes across. As Pinpointers and Seavyrns have no natural predators beside their own kind, they are one of their only selecting factors. This also applies to Seavyrns (Dracowyverious ptisipteryx), as they nest here in a similar manner.

Acutognathus malovis has developed a differentiated behavior which helps them do so during wyvern mating season. Having started feeding from eggs as there was a lack of competition for them and as they were relatively easy to crack open with their needle-like beaks, they found them as a relatively easy source of food. They have eventually learned an instinct to do so only during the night (or the opposite of the wyvern's current circadian rhythm, which may switch around every few thousand years in an "evolutionary arms race"), as the wyverns are less active during that time and they are less likely to be eaten. Once the temperature has cooled down rapidly (this is how they know whether it is day or night), they will move into a nest of sleeping wyverns and poke a hole into one of their eggs, silently sucking the juices of the egg out while not being noticed as the nest is asleep. After they have had their fill of a found egg, Acutognathus malovis will exit the nest and head anywhere from ten to forty meters (10-40 m) away as to not be caught the next day.


They become dormant during the day, not moving their body or crest until night hits again so they are not detected and eaten, digesting the egg in the meantime. They may repeat the same egg for a few days as they can only digest so much at a time.

Unfortunately, these eggs only come in a season, and are not here for the rest of the year. This means they have to compete with their ancestor Acutognathus scrutator for scavenging dead matter, but they only hang in coastal areas as that is where the eggs are in that one season. They have no real advantage or disadvantage at this point, so no species outcompetes the other.

Acutognathus malovis grows to thirty centimeters (30 cm) and matures seven (7) weeks after leaving the egg like its ancestor. Females will lay twenty-five to thirty (25-30) eggs away from wyvern nests when they are fertilized, and some of these are eaten anyways if found by random chance, so their egg rates are still high. It reproduces with any other member of its species it comes across, or anyone resembling them. Interbreeding with other scavenging species in its genus is not uncommon due to their similar locations and structure, but offspring between these usually do not survive to maturity due to indecisive behavior which may lead to them being eaten by being over courageous and raiding nests in the day or due to trying to eat something it cannot find, such as eggs away from nests during wyvern mating season.