Albeit on the top of the food chain in his domain, this apex predator rarely kills, rather it grazes.
For you see, the Galumphing Vorpal displays a feeding behavior rarely documented in most other large terrestrial species. Flesh grazing is a type of predation where the predator tears a chunk of flesh from often much larger organisms and then retreats to safety.
To feed, several individuals may run along their prey and lacerate it in succession with a highly adapted claw of the sole arm. The first one in the line is often a male with low status, as it is the most dangerous part. The process is repeated a few times. Two grasping mouthparts are used to tear and carry the meat after enough cuts have been inflicted.
Flesh grazing has its dangers. The Vorpal’s most targeted prey include some of the largest creatures on the planet. As social pack-hunting animals, Galumphing Vorpals have large brains and an excellent sense of balance. Accidents are common however and females have huge litters to combat the high mortality rates.
Packs of Vorpals fiercely defend their territories, which often encompass abundant prey to almost solely rely on flesh grazing. Lonely individuals that haven’t yet founded their own pack often hunt and kill smaller prey in a more mundane way.
During the rut, bulls are overwhelmed by hormones and become aggressive. Their olfactory organ, located on their forehead, expands and grows multiple wattles that are used to captivate females. The species exhibit a high dimorphism, with bulls reaching 4 meters [13 ft] tall while females can grow to around 3 meters [9.8 ft].
This entry was created by community member, Aaron Oni.Â