Maip Macrothorax
Tier: 4
Type: Terrestrial carnivore
Passive growth time: 3 hrs 17 min
Pack size: 4 sub adults/adults, 1-9 juveniles/adolescents
Hierarchy: Gerontocracy/kratocracy
Mating bond: Ambiamorous
Nest size: 1-3 offspring per pair
Diet tags: Carnivore, cannibalistic, opportunistic & scavenger
Preferred food: Tier 1-5 herbivores & carnivores
Species specific rules: If they have at least 2 sub adults/adults, they can also hunt Tier 6 herbivores & carnivores.Behaviors in nature
No thought of any creature could inspire the fear of the dark quite like the sinister, Maip Macrothorax. Little is known about their day to day habits, but from what little can be gathered. These creatures are generally understood to avoid most interactions during broad daylight, retreating into the blanket of cover that the thick woods provides. Only emerging from their depths to embrace nightfall with a voracious appetite. Maip’s present this cruel behavior where they often start to feed off their prey while it is still alive, a process that seems to strengthen and stimulate the Maips bloodlust in between feedings.
Social behavior
Only the strongest, wisened by years of experience, are seen leading the pack with near uncontested authority. Visibly no sexual dimorphism can be observed between the genders, and so the status of leadership is never really favored by a specific gender. There is no pecking order beyond the absolute rule of a pack's leader. The unstable bonds built between pack members are loosely held together by the respected and strongest Maip of the pack. An uncoordinated group can devolve into a bickering, bloody mess with a possible lethal ending for the weakest members. The more fed and content the Maip pack is, the bigger chance there is for these predators to have successful hunts.
Recommended behaviors
╸Maips, especially packs with numbers, generally tend to choose their targets based on their size, the bigger the prey the better.
╸Young Maips often intentionally attempt to pick fights with other pack members out of boredom during resting.
Courtship
Mating season is the most quiet time during a female Maips year. The only sound in an otherwise dead silent forest are the echoing calls of a male Maip. The males call out for the females with a loud, high-pitched, whistle-like vocalization. When the two Maips cross their paths in the forest, the male will swap to a low purring like sound to lure the female even closer. The Female will inspect the male, deciding her next move based on its physical appearance. The mating happens quickly and the female will leave the scene soon after. Male Maip’s try to avoid running into other males during the season since both parties are well aware that only one will be walking out of that fight alive. These ferocious killers do not form strong mating bonds during the seasons and mates are usually loosely interchanged inside the pack during the course of a Maip’s life.
Nesting & offspring
When female Maips start to get ready to lay their eggs, they will separate from the rest of the pack and are driven by instinct in search of the cave where they themselves were born in. These cave locations are passed down through generations of female Maip’s. The only interactions between adult Maip’s during nesting season is when two females, often siblings, will temporarily pack up to nest together. This way while the other female is out hunting, the other one will look after both of their eggs/offspring. This behavior is beneficial for both females and will improve the survival chances of their young. The Maip offspring's first few weeks of life will be spent in the shelter of the cave. Upon the babies reaching late adolescence, the females will separate and continue alone with their own offspring until they are old enough to tend to themselves.