Talk:Viture

I have a number of questions:

If Vitures are an altered falcon, why are they vulture-hawk-vipers? Vultures and hawks seem to have nothing to do with it.

If they prey on each other, how do they mate?

If most non-mammals are immune to their venom, why aren't they immune to their own venom?

Usually, predators don't kill prey many times their size unless they are part of a pack (which Vitures are not). Why do Vitures target prey of a size they can't reasonably eat?

Azuaron 13:34, January 17, 2012 (UTC)

Vitures' behaviour is very similar to vultures' in waiting for prey to die, then gliding down and eating it. Also, their wings are designed to be reasonably efficient at this. They might possibly have started out as vultures, if the king didn't want to experiment upon his prized raptors... Vitures swoop down and attack unwary prey like falcons, except Vitures normally go after much larger prey. Viper is obvious: their venom (and possibly some form of fangs, to inject it?).

They are known to prey on each other, especially much-weaker ones of their own gender. This isn't ridiculously common, but as almost nothing else is stupid enough to try attacking one (I mean, who would attack a flying rattlesnake!), and both vitures sometimes end up dead, they end up being one of their own chief predators.

Oops! I'd forgotten that birds weren't mammals! Silly of me... Either Vitures could be immune to their own venom, which would have several interesting side-effects (such as possible overpopulation, as if they weren't already destructive enough...), or it could be that mammals, birds, and any other varieties of similar creatures are normally vulnerable to Viture venom.

Vitures cannot usually single-handedly eat some of the larger varieties of prey that they kill, but like vultures, they eat whatever they can before scavengers finish off the carcass. Also, few scavengers are willing to go near vitures, even when the vitures are feeding, so vitures often have carcasses to themselves. Finally, Vitures do occasionally travel in hunting packs, though rarely in large ones, and never in large ones during mating season.

RobintonTheTaller 23:12, January 17, 2012 (UTC)