Hungarian Horntails: A Social Hierarchy

The Hungarian Horntail makes its home in the foothills and mid-size peaks of Austria, Hungary, and Romania. The males, which are larger, darker, and thicker of neck and limb than their female counterparts, have no permanent roost. Instead, they each have a territory, diligently guarded and fiercely defended. Females roost and rear their young in these territories, and the larger the territory the more females that will be living in it. This is, obviously, a very desirable position for a male Horntail to hold, and several are killed or badly wounded every year after challenging/being challenged for one of these territories. A male entering another’s territory is begging for a fight.

Similarly, the females roosting in the males’ territories have the territories they inhabit divided up into sub-territories, with a similar imperative: A female entering another female’s territory is begging for a fight. It’s less strictly enforced, however, and the fighting is usually nothing more than a few warning gouts of flame. Females are much more tolerant towards each other than males are, unless, of course, they are nesting.

However, should one of the females purposefully attack and/or harm another dragoness or her clutch, she runs the risk of incurring the wrath of some, or all, of the other dragonesses within the territory.

Every territory has an ‘alpha dragoness’, who is allocated an especially large territory, as well afforded special treatment, by the male. She is in a position to, if you will, ‘lord it over’ the rest of the dragonesses without fear of retaliation. Both she and the male must take care to not overstep themselves, though, for reasons which will become clear later on.

When a male purposefully enters another’s territory, it is a challenge. They will fight, often to the death, and the winner will become the new proprietor of that territory. This is the prerogative of a young, territory-less male. Rarely, it is the gambit of an established male to expand upon already-existing territories. These battles are almost always fought one-on-one. Almost.

Occasionally, one or many dragonesses may join in with the invading male. This is what can happen when the alpha male or female oversteps their boundaries. The females risk death or mortal injury no less than do the challenging males, but such an act will make them a frontrunner as the new alpha female—but only if the male they have chosen to support manages to win. Should he loose, the female’s life will be forfeit.