American Amphithere

American Amphithere in flight.

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Family: Draconidae

Genus: Draco

Species: D. americanus

Subspecies: D.a. tex

The **American Amphithere** (Draco americanus *tex*) is an Amphithere and the second largest North American dragon after the Mexican Amphithere, found in Dragonology Earths. It is found through all territories of the United States with the exception of Alaska and portions of Canada. Other dragons of the New World include the Mexican Amphithere (*Draco americanus mex*) and the Amazonian Amphithere (*Draco americanus incognito*).

The plumage is iridescent purple, red, blue and green with a bright yellow belly and wings; the head is largely fluffy, with yellow eyes. Its 9.6 m wingspan is one of the widest of any North American dragons, and its weight of up to 38,6 kg nearly equals that of a baby hippo. The American Amphithere is a social predator and eats buffalo's and other large North American animals. It has a lifespan of up to 250 years. The American Amphithere is a significant bird to many Native American groups and plays an important role in several of their traditional myths.

## Description

The adult American Amphithere has irriscent purple feathers that resemble hair, placed on the head, back and tail. It has bright yellow wings and belly, and yellow eyes.

The American Amphithere's head has a powerful and deadly beak, either yellow or orange, equipped with sharp teeth; when threatened, the feathers of its mane rise. They can make hoarse and sour sounds, and when in flocks they communicate by clapping their beaks.

The female American Ampithere is smaller than the male. Overall length is generally 4,5 m long and wingspan from 8 to 9,7 m. Their weight ranges from 22,5 to 45,3 kg, with estimations of average weight ranging from 25,7 to 28,9 kg. Wingspans of up to 10,9 m have been reported.

They have no legs, but only a pair of powerful wings that can move rather fast, allowing the animal to hover in flight like a moth.

## Range

The American Amphithere can be found through most of the United States, from the state of Washington in the Northwest and the state of New Hamptshire in the Northeast, and from the state of California in the Southwest and the state of Florida in the Southeast. In Canada it can be found in the southern portions of Ontario and Quebec. They hunt in open desert plains in the night, and rest in mountains and canyons during the day.

## Ecology and behavior

When in flight, American Amphithere move remarkably gracefully. They can flap their wings fast enough to create a flight similar to the one of moths, hence the name Moth Dragon. They have been known to fly up to speeds of 90 km/h. They prefer to roost on high perches from which they can launch without any major wing-flapping effort.

The American Amphithere has a long life span, reaching up to 250 years. If it survives to adulthood, the American Amphithere has few natural threats other than humans. American Amphitheres bathe frequently and can spend hours a day preening their feathers. There is a well-developed social structure within large groups of American Amphitheres, with competition to determine a pecking order decided by body language, competitive play behavior, and a variety of hisses and grunts. This social hierarchy is displayed especially when the birds feed, with the dominant birds eating before the younger ones.

**Breeding**

American Amphithere begin to look for a mate when they reach sexual maturity at the age of 10. To attract a prospective mate, the male American Amphithere performs a display, in which the male turns his head red and puffs out his neck feathers. He then spreads his wings and slowly approaches the female. If the female lowers her head to accept the male, the American Amphitheres become mates for life. The pair makes a simple nest in caves or on cliff clefts, especially ones with nearby roosting trees and open spaces for landing, often covering it in buffalo faeces to facilitate heat. A mated female lays several bright green eggs every year. Eggs are laid as early as January to as late as April. The egg weighs about 750 grams and measures from 290 to 386 mm in length and about 215 mm in width.

The eggs hatch after 53 to 60 days of incubation by both parents. Chicks are born with their eyes open and must learn how to fly immediately. Golden eagles are the main predatory threat to very young American Amphithere, while cougars and bears are potential predators of larger offspring.

**Feeding**

American Amphithere maintain a large home range, often traveling 250 km (160 mi) a day in search of food. It is thought that in the early days of its existence as a species, the American Amphithere lived off the carcasses of the "megafauna", which are now extinct in North America. They still prefer to feast on large, terrestrial mammalian animals such as deer, goats, sheep, donkeys, horses, pigs, cougars, bears, buffalos or cattle. Alternatively, they may feed on smaller mammals such as rabbits, ground gophers or coyotes. Birds and reptiles are rarely eaten. They hunt in flocks, driving their prey to fall off cliffs intimidating them by tail slashes, bites or flames. They can usually intimidate scavengers away from carcasses.

## References

https://dragonology.fandom.com/wiki/American\_Amphithere

https://ology.fandom.com/wiki/American\_Amphithere

https://twitter.com/douglas\_carrel/status/907862121077190657