#vulture grubs are mimics

[slugcatmusings]

Vulture Grubs are Mimics

Adghsdjgsdg so - I was not expecting an actual Rain World Downpour dev to reblog my iterators are colonial organisms post.  Also they said that the brain organisms in iterators are named CoralBrain in the files so???  Is this??? Confirmation??  About my theory?? O.O

Anyway enough fangirling about that, onto more musings!  This time isn’t so grand as the iterators - me and my sis like talking about various rain world worldbuilding stuff (I’ve been coming up with fanfic ideas and I like bouncing ideas off of her in the car when driving her places), and today the topic of “what the heck are vulture grubs” came up!  

(Alongside the topics of “is symbiosis with the Rot possible” and “what would a large population of carnivorous slugcats need to survive in Metropolis” which yes are both related to the fanfic idea.)

Our first thought - and the theory that my sister supported for half the resulting debate - was that vulture grubs are just, you know, vulture babies.  They make lasers like king vultures when summoning vultures, and when distressed call for help and have adult vultures answer.  However, my sister also pointed out that vultures sometimes seem to eat the grubs, and while some species have cannibalism as a thing I’m kinda meh about the idea - it's an actual thing that happens in nature, yeah, but... well, meh.

So what are vulture grubs if not baby vultures?  Baby vulture mimics!  You know how some animals will imitate other, more dangerous animals to scare off predators?  That’s what the grubs are doing!  They’ve evolved to mimic baby vultures in order to discourage predators from eating them.  The structures on their heads vaguely resemble king vulture heads in shape, and the lasers are DEFINITELY a mimicry of the king vulture lasers.  The screech, too, is probably a mimicry - they sound like distressed baby vultures, and that along with the flashy laser light show draws vultures to the noise, which usually means that whatever big predator was attacking the grub is scared away in a panic!

Of course, sometimes that gets the grub eaten by the vulture, but it’d get them eaten a LOT less often by big predators, which would mean they’d survive for longer and in greater numbers than they would normally.

[chaotic-minds-think-alike]

So are lizards evolving larvae that mimic vulture grubs?

No the idea is like.. imagine you’re a vulture and even though it didn’t call out, you spot a grub on the ground. You know how desperate the predators in rw can be; so you swoop down and grab it without a second thought. <- meaning like… no they’re not the same but they are a nutritious snack yk

[myth-lord]

D&D blaba

Aboleth Abyss Ant Adaru Advespa (Quanlos) Ahuizotl Air Elemental - Ragewind Almiraj Ankheg Aranea (Tomb Spider) ARCHON - Hound Archon - Lantern Archon - Tome Archon Arrowhawk - Steelwing Atropal Aurumvorax Avalancher Axe Beak - Achaierai

Babau - Blood Fiend Balor Banderhobb Banshee Barbazu Barlgura Basilisk - Behir Bebilith (Sword Spider) Beholder - Gauth Belker Black Dragon - Shadow Dragon Black Pudding - White Pudding Bladeling Blindheim Blink Dog Bloodthorn Blue Dragon Bodak Boneclaw Boneyard Brown Dragon Bulette Bullywug - Grung - Hezrou (Pod Demon)

Canoloth Carbuncle Carrion Crawler - Ulgurstasta Carrionette Catoblepas Cave Fisher Centaur - Armanite Chasme Chathrang Choker Chuul Clay Golem Cloaker Clockwork Horror Cloud Giant - Fog Giant Cockatrice Copper Dragon Coral Golem Couatl Cranium Rat Crawling Claw Crysmal Crystal Dragon Crystal Ooze Cyclops

Darktentacles Deadborn Vulture Deadly Dancer Death Knight Deepspawn Destrachan Deva - Erinyes Devourer Digester Displacer Beast - Phane Doppelganger - Maurezhi Dragon Eel Dragon Turtle DRAKE - Air Drake (Glider) - Earth Drake (Rock Reptile) - Fire Drake (Zezir) - Water Drake (Dimetrodon) Drow - Drider Dryad - Splinterwaif Duergar Dustdigger Dwarf Ancestor

Earth Elemental - Tomb Mote Eblis Eladrin - Autumn Eladrin - Spring Eladrin - Summer Eladrin - Winter Eladrin Entropic Reaper Ethereal Defiler Ethereal Dreadnought Ethereal Filcher Ethereal Slayer Ethereal Stalker Ettercap - Vermin Lord

Faerie Dragon Fetch Feyr Fhorge Firbolg Fire Bat Fire Beetle (Bombardier) Fire Elemental - Fire Effigy Fire Giant Flail Snail - Metalmaster Flesh Golem - Chimera Fomorian - Plague Spewer Froghemoth Frost Giant

Galeb Duhr Gargoyle Gas Spore - Ascomoid Gelatinous Cube Gelugon GENIE - Dao - Djinn - Efreet - Marid Ghaunadan Ghoul - Berbalang - Ghast Gibbering Mouther - Argos - Chaos Beast Gith Glabrezu Gloomwing Gnoll - Marrashi - Witherling Goblin - Barghest - Spriggan Gold Dragon Gorgon Gravorg Gray Dragon Gray Ooze Gray Render - Braxat - Cadaver Collector Green Dragon Green Slime - Alkilith - Arcane Ooze Greenvise Gremlin - Quarrak Griffon Grimalkin

Hadozee HAG - Annis Hag - Bheur Hag - Night Hag - Sea Hag Hamatula Harpy Hatori Hell Hound Hellstinger Hellwasp Swarm Hippocampus Hook Horror Hullathoin Hydra - Dharculus

Id Fiend Imp - Mephit - Quasit Intellect Devourer - Brain Collector - Grell Iron Golem - Adamantine Golem

Juggernaut

Kelpie Kenku Kercpa - Skiurid Korred Kraken - Silt Horror Krenshar - Carcass Eater - Howler Kyton

Lamia Lemure - Rutterkin Leprechaun Leucrotta Lich - Demilich Lillend Lizardman - Drakkoth - Kobold - Pterrax - Salamander - Troglodyte LYCANTHROPE - Werebear - Wereboar - Werefox - Wererat - Wereshark - Werewolf

Magmin - Magma Hurler Manticore - Jarilith Marilith - Spell Weaver Medusa Merman - Merrow - Triton Mimic - Trapper Mind Flayer - Ulitharid Minotaur - Goristro Mobat Mohrg Morkoth Muckdweller Mudman Mummy - Grisgol - Skirr Myconid

NAGA - Dark Naga - Guardian Naga - Water Naga Nereid Nightmare Nightshade Nothic - Shardsoul Slayer Nuckelavee

Obliviax (Puppeteer) Ogre - Ettin - Oni Orc - Tanarukk - Tulgar Orcwort Osquip Osyluth Otyugh - Abyssal Maw Owlbear

Paeliryon Pech Peryton Phoenix Pixie Purple Dragon Purple Worm - Fiendwurm - Neothelid

Quickling Quickwood

Rakshasa Ravid Red Dragon - Hellfire Wyrm Redcap Remorhaz Roc Roper - Piercer Rot Grubs Rust Monster

Sahuagin - Kuo-Toa - Skulvyn Sand Hunter Sandman Satyr Scarecrow Shadow Demon Shadow Mastiff Shambling Mound - Tendriculos - Vine Horror Shardmind Shocker Siege Beetle Silver Dragon - Mercury Dragon Simpathetic Skeleton Skin Kite Skybleeder Snow Spider Solamith Solar   - Angel of Decay Soul Eater Specter - Poltergeist - Trap Haunt Sphinx Steel Predator Stirge Stone Giant Su-Monster Succubus Swordwing

Tabaxi Tlincalli Treant - Saguaro Sentinel - Wood Woad Tri-Flower Frond Troll - Skindancer

Umber Hulk - Vodyanoi Unicorn - Dusk Unicorn - Kirin

Vampire - Vampire Spawn Vampiric Mist - Crimson Death Vargouille Vrock - Nagpa

Wastrilith Water Elemental - Caller from the Deeps Web Golem Wendigo White Dragon Wight Will o Wisp - Trilloch - Visilight Witherstench Worg - Winter Wolf Wraith - Allip - Hangman - Helmed Horror - Sword Wraith Wraith Spider (Phase Spider) Wyvern - Abyssal Drake

Yellow Dragon (Sunwyrm) Yellow Musk Creeper Yeth Hound Yeti Yrthak Yuan-Ti

Zaratan Zombie - Drowned - Dustblight - Entombed Zorbo