Yian Garuga Ecology

Disclaimer: This is merely a plausible explanation for the monster(s) in this article, and should not be considered canon.

In-Game Information
A breed of Yian Kut-Ku with a hard black shell and a long mane. Known for its trap avoiding slyness and poison loaded tail, it is a particularly evil wyvern, so beware!

Taxonomy
A subspecies of Yian Kut-Ku, small Bird Wyverns that are rather common. Yian Garuga is unique among Bird Wyverns, as it shares some traits with true Wyverns -especially the Rath family- making it the most powerful Bird Wyvern so far. Yian Garuga could represent an evolutionary link between Bird Wyverns and true Wyverns, but little is known about this elusive creature. They also seems to be a metaphoric relation with loneliness and wolves, possibly due to their solitary lifestyle, as hinted to by the quest titles and weapon names.

Habitat Range
Yian Garugas have only been observed so far in the Jungles and the Forest and Hills, nesting high in mountain caves. Given Garuga is even tougher than its cousin Kut-Ku, it can most likely thrive in any area that Kut-Ku can. Being of light frame and with limited body mass, Yian Garuga can most likely not survive well in colder regions; its black shell would also serve as poor camoflouge in the snowy regions.

It also has recently been spotted in the Great Forest region.

Ecological Niche
Nocturnal Predator. Yian Garuga hunt almost exclusively at night, injuring its prey only to retreat back to the skies and wait for its deadly poison and for blood loss to finish off its victim. It will commonly prey on Kelbis, Mosswine, and even Hermitaur, crushing the crabs shell with its immense beak. If hunting another predatory species such as a Velocidrome, Yian Garuga will first stun the creature with its roar before launching any attacks. Rathalos and Rathian are one of Garuga's only natural predators, often fighting Yian Garuga in the air where the fire wyverns higher speed and mobility give them an edge. Yian Garuga males are fiercely territorial, attacking anything when they invade Garuga's home territory.

Biological Adaptations
Yian Garuga posseses keen night vision and is aided in its night time hunts by its dark purple/black shell, rendering the creature very hard to spot from below. Yian Garuga is far more proficient in lobbing fireballs that its cousin Yian Kut-Ku. It is nimble enough to perform backflips, whipping its foe hard with its spiked and poisonous tail. Yian Garugas have large ears, just like the Yian Kut-Ku. These assist in both cooling the creatures head and in hearing its prey from great distances. Yian Garuga's beak and shell are especially hard for a Bird Wyvern, throwing some inexperienced hunters off guard as they are too accustomed to the much weaker Yian Kut-Ku. Yian Garuga's mane is only evident in males, where it is a sign of dominance.

Behavior
Highly aggressive for a bird wyvern, Yian Garuga is known for attacking in a rapid, aggresive fashion similar to a Rathian. It enjoys combining its deafening roar with a ram or back flip. Yian Garuga is one of the few bird wyverns intelligent enough to avoid pit-fall traps. However, when enraged it often is far too distracted to notice such traps. Yian Garuga is described as "particularly evil" but this is infact due to the creatures lack of fear toward humans, causing them to be as violent toward man as they are toward prey.

Yian Garuga are very solitary creatures, going most of their lives without seeing another member of their species, with the exception of their mother. This behavior changes shortly during the mating season, when males will "sing" to attract females to their nesting sight. If the mating is successful, the male will abandon his nest, leaving it for the female to raise her eggs. The males will then enter a nomadic stage of his life, actively searching for a new nest while avoiding contact with other wyverns. This behavior leads some Yian Garuga to attack human settlements, usually starved for food due to conflict with local predators, the male Garuga may turn to human livestock instead of its usual prey.