Cryonyx

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Cryonyx
Scientific Classification
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Sauropsida
Subclass	Diapsida
Infraclass	Archosauromorpha
Superorder	Dinosauria
Order	Avepodamorpha
Suborder	Avepoda
Infraorder	Theropiscatoroidea
Family	Theropiscatoridae
Subfamily	Baryonychinae
Genus	Cryonyx
Species	C. borealis C. phoboris
Length	~7-14 meters

Cryonyx is a baryonychine theropiscatorid indigenous to the Arctica. The genus contains two species: Seven-meter Cryonyx borealis, commonly called the wooly rinic, and Cryonyx phoboris, or the horrormouth. It is Gondolend's most northerly distributed theropiscatorid, and at fourteen meters the horrormouth is one of the largest, second only to the giant sailback.

[edit] Description

Both species of Cryonyx are well-adapted to their environment and lifestyles; both species have a thick coat of insulating feather-like quills, and C. borealis has semi-webbed feet, allowing it to swim out to the offshore islands that the polar hesperorns use as nesting colonies, as well as elongated teeth to puncture through the birds' insulating layers of feathers and fat. C. phoboris has taken this adaptation to the extreme, sporting a set of hypertrophied teeth that terrified the first explorers to encounter the animal and inspired its name. Though it is unknown just why such large teeth would be needed, studies indicate that they may play a role in visual displays.

Though C. borealis is found throughout the Arctica region, C. phoboris seems to be restricted to the islands east of Crater Bay. As strange as it may seem, this seems to be due to competition from the much-smaller Deinotyrannus on the mainland, as well as its smaller-still relatives Gorgotyrannus and Arcticotyrannus.