artmender:

boargrind:

harpy heads, harpy sizes and harpy chicks.

i have multiple harpy species and this is just one. they are not closely related to my usual harpies but they do share a common ancestor from somewhere down the line and they are much more primitive. 

its an entirely female species that work more like ants than anything else.  they aren’t the best fliers but can glide for short distances and their ‘wings’ and feet make scaling volcanic cliff sides(where they make their ‘hive’) a breeze. primarily they scavenge but they will overtake larger prey with their mobbing behavior.  they are crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk when its not too hot. the hive is always active, only some sleeping in their roosts while some tend to their home and others look for the constant import of food and supplies.

the colony is made up of workers, soldiers and a queen. most of the population are made up of workers - smaller then soldiers that supply most of the food and maintenance but none the less aggressive. if not looking for food, the worker’s job is to tend to the eggs, chicks, expand the hive and spruce it up a bit. 

soldiers are easily identified by their size and bright, sharp crests in which they use to gore enemies.  these are the first to leave the hive to scout on ahead. while their primary responsibility is to defend, they also roost outside of the hive to keep watch and bring in/take down larger prey. 

the hive is ruled by a sole harpy ‘hen’ or queen which is mother to all if the colony. a massive harpy that lives in a chamber that she no longer can leave due to her sheer size. her wings are useless extremities now and is virtually immobile. with a thriving hive,  her sole duty is reproducing more harpies.  only harpy hens have the ability to reproduce and being that there are no males, they reproduce asexually via partenogenesis and follow the ZW sex-determination system instead of having XY chromosomes. 

established harpy hens do not care for their young due to their size facing danger towards eggs and she will eat them if given the chance. workers will move the egg into a nursery chamber deeper into the hive for added warm(as they live in volcanic areas). once they are born they are moved again into another chamber that is not as deep where they will be cared for by workers until they are old enough to work. 

due to a long lifespan for queens, other hens are not commonly born. hens can control what they produce(be it worker, soldier or another hen) via special hormones.  harpy hens are born looking like soldiers but once they are old enough to leave the nest, they seek out their own caves and begin reproducing themselves. she will care for her young, find food, expand and defend her hive until she has produced enough workers to take over the chores. she will continue to do so until she is physically incapable of doing so.

colors vary but established hens are typically not so colorful as their lesser counterparts. worker chicks do not obtain brighter colors until they are juveniles but soldiers and hens’ colors will start to appear as fledglings.

these harpies are not so pretty and have terrible manners. their hives are littered with filth and carcasses and in order to keep away infection and infestation of insects and parasites, workers bring in plants that have medicinal and insect-repellent properties. they are loud, screechy, and constantly bickering between themselves so they are not suitable as pets nor for an aviary also due to a high mortality rate. they are highly cannibalistic - quickly devouring the sick and injured so the strong acid in their stomachs destroy bacteria and viruses that could spread throughout the hive.
in winter they do not hibernate but they cannot leave the nest due to the cold so they go into brumation.  many workers and chicks starve, or fall victim to cannibalism by soldiers and the harpy hen who does never stops eating or reproducing until there is nothing left. 

all of them produce pheromones to keep track of each other so they can easily identify friend or foe when two colonies collide, and dying harpies will also produce another pheromone to alert the colony. for this reason, harpies are not regularly hunted as they will raise hell about it. to come across a harpy it is best to leave them alone and walk away with caution as they are naturally both curious and highly aggressive. 

harpy hens are considered a delicacy and a symbol of status to have one on the table, but their high roosts and massive numbers make it virtually impossible to take on a hive.

these guys are BADASS

omggg <3 <3 <3 <3

(via carnivaldog)