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Tuwai Evolution Ecologies
🕑 Added 2022-03-09 11:49:33 +0000 UTCLots of “what if Pokemon were real animals” speculative essays, might as well do one for temtem.
Tuwai itself
Given its small size and long tail, I’m overall assuming an ecology similar to its real life inspiration, the toucans and the closely related barbets. Perhaps a bit more of a ground-foraging granivore given its more parrot-like beak and seeming lack of perching digits in its feet.
Tukai
With long wings adapted for soaring, a seabird-like ecology seems reasonable, even implied by the luma which seems like a mish-mash of seabird colourations. Given the lack of webbed feet I’m assuming its an aerial hawker like a frigatebird, which is further corroborated by the broad wings for thermal soaring and the slender beak in comparison to other Tukai evolutions. The tail seems aerodynamically useless, probably a display device.
Tulcan
Always got flamingo-like vibes, so a similar wading ecology makes sense. Has small, triangular wings, similar to those of flamingos, ducks, shorebirds and similar continuous flappers as well as long legs and torso and long gitis that even seem to be webbed, so a wading ecology makes sense. The beak seems rather conservatively toucan-like, so either it has internal lamellae like flamingos and ducks do to filter feed or just targets large food items in the water column or substrate.
Tuvine
Large, heavy built and with broad wings and tail, it seems ecologically analogous to a hoatzin. It has strong perching talons and a long tail, so it still has an at least partially arboreal ecology, yet it seems to be a poor flyer. Combined with the rather blunt beak, it seems very likely that it is a browsing herbivore, only retaining the ability to fly to move from tree to tree.
Turoc
Like Tuvine it seems to be a poor flyer, but with a shorter tail and wings, a sharper beak and less in the way of perching ability. I’m guessing it is a ground hornbill like terrestrial carnivore, pretty fitting for the Africa-inspired region. Probably the closest to losing flight altogether.
Tuwire
If it was a biological entity I’d say it looks like a continental soarer, having massive, broad wings. It is said to be heavy in canon but it looks pretty thin, almost like a stork. Combined with a vulture-like beak, it could be a scavenger, soaring for long distances in search of either carrion or small prey to stalk on the ground like a stork or azhdarchid pterosaur.
Tutsu
Flat out compared to a raptor in canon and I’m incline to mostly believe it, having a stout but sharp beak like a hawk or eagle’s and broad wings, not to mention an unique flight animation showing it to turn quickly on the wing. Yet, it seems to lack large talons and to have long legs. Maybe something akin to a goshawk, capable of chasing small prey in the air, or a generalist like a caracara. The tail seems to be aerodynamically useless, so it probably relies entirely on the wings for maneuvering.
