Veateros

Physiology
Veateros is an unusual Bird Wyvern with a thin, long Neck. They are massive in Size, some Individuals growing larger than Diablos or even Teostra. Its Body and Wings are covered in greyish brown Pyconfibers, while its Neck is salmon in Color. Its Wing Membranes are of a sandy beige Color. Veateros has a long Beak, reminiscent of Storks or Herons. Veateros has a small, pointy Crest on the Top of its Head. Their Legs are short but surprisingly well-developed. Instead of a Tail, Veateros' Spine Ends in a small rump. Veateros possesses two Fingers on its Wings, which are used to latch onto Walls, while its Feet have four Claws, all of which serve no special Purpose.

Behavior
Veateros is a Maverick and highly territorial against anything that enters its Territory. When threatened, it will spit its highly corrosive Stomach Acid at Foes. Veateros are diurnal and spend most of their Days patrolling the Skies over their Territory, before retreating to their Nests to sleep at night.

Placement in Food Chain
Veateros occupies a high Spot in the Foodchain of the Painted Sands, and is considered the Areas Aerial Apex, together with Seregios. Due to its Size, Stamina and Speed, Veateros is not easy Prey and even moreso a dangerous Predator. Veateros can open its Jaws extremely wide, enabling it to swallow smaller Prey whole and store it in the large Sack located beneath its Jawline. It can also use its Beak to peck at Victims. Its Size allows it to steal Carrion from other Predators.

Behavior towards other Monsters
Veateros is highly territorial and will not hesitate to attack most Creatures that dare to enter its Territory. Veateros can often be seen following Packs of Jaggi and other weaker Creatures while Hunting, to swoop down after the Prey has been killed. It will then either wait to feed on the Remains, or drive away the other Predators. However, that does not mean that Veateros is exclusively a Carrion Feeder, as it will hunt its own Prey from Time to Time as well.

Tracks
Veateros leaves behind a Variety of Tracks for Hunters to analyze. These Tracks include normal Footprints, perforated Carcasses, Bones, Scales, Pycnofibers and Acid Marks.

Specific Local Interactions
Veateros does not have any Specific Local Interactions

Special Behaviors
Veateros does not have any Special Behaviors

Abilities
While not particularly robust in Battle, Veateros' light Bones and powerful Lungs enable it to fly long distances without having to rest. Albeit being thin, their Beaks are extremely hard and sharp, giving Veateros the Ability to pierce the Hide of Prey or Foes. Its Jaws can open extremely wide, meaning it can swallow Prey whole. Veateros can often be seen with a bloated Sac on its Neck. That means its currently carrying Prey to its Nest. Veateros' Stomach Acid is potent enough to feed through Rock and can even be spat on Attackers.

Rage and Tired States

 * Enraged: When Veateros becomes enraged, its Wing Membranes will get a slightly reddish Hue as more Blood gets pumped into them. It gets faster and more aggressive.
 * Tired: When Veateros is tired, it will start drooling and it will not be able to spits its Stomach Acid anymore.

Mounts
Veateros can be mounted on its Head and Back, due to its Tail being too short to mount.
 * When mounted on its Head, the Hunter is located behind the Veateros' Crest. The Bird Wyvern will try to get the Hunter off by violently shaking its Head around, smashing it into Walls and running or flying around.
 * When mounted on its Back, the Hunter is located between the Veateros' Shoulders. The Bird Wyvern will try to get the Hunter off by leaping around, throwing itself into Walls and running or flying around.

Taxonomy
Veateros is a large Bird Wyvern whose Classification was up to Debate for quite some Time, due to it having so many Resemblances to Wingdrakes. Its only known Relative is its Subspecies, Hoarfrost Veateros.
 * Kingdom: Animalia
 * Phylum: Chordata
 * Order: Pterosauria
 * Suborder: Pterodacytloidea
 * Family: Azhdarchidae
 * Genus: Veateros
 * Species: V. desertus

Habitat Range
Veateros live in the arid Regions of the Hidden World and have so far only been spotted in the Painted Sands and the No Man's Land. However, small Groups have been seen flying to the New World.

Ecological Niche
Veateros is an aerial Predator and Scavenger which occupies a high Spot in the Food Chain of its Habitat. Veateros mainly preys on Monsters like Kestodon, Delex, Apceros, Noios and Rhenoplos. Young Individuals will also feed on Kelbi and Konchu. Veateros mainly competes with other Top Predators like Tigrex and Glavenus and Seregios. Due to its Size, it does not have to fear many Creatures, other than Elder Dragons.

Biological Adaptations
Veateros is unique amongst Bird Wyverns, due to its unusual Body Structure and Stance. Its Lungs, Muscles and hollow Bones are especially well adapted to long Flights through the barren Dunes of its Habitat. Since its Home can often be harsh when it comes to Nutrition, Veateros can't be picky with its Food. Once it has found or killed something, it will eat every last Bit. Since its Stomach Acid is strong enough to decompose most organic Materials, this rarely proves to be a Problem for the Bird Wyvern. Veateros like to build their Nests in secluded, remote Spots far away from Predators. While this is helpful for their Offspring, this also means that Food is hard to find for a parenting Veateros. This is where the Sack on their Neck comes in handy. Veateros can swallow Creatures the Size of Apceros and store them in said Sack, enabling it to transport Prey to its Chicks.

Behavior
Veateros are highly aggressive and will attack Intruders on Sight, mostly using their Stomach Acid. Female Veateros are especially aggressive when currently watching over their Nest and will attack if they spot something that dares to set a Foot near their Offspring. The Females are a bit smaller than the Males and do not posses the little Appendage at the Base of their Beak. They are also slightly duller in Colour.