Zorah Magdaros Ecology

Taxonomy
Zorah Magdaros is a giant Elder Dragon that is currently considered to be the largest monster ever discovered.

History
Not much is known about Zorah Magdaros's past since few documents and legends talk about this particular Elder Dragon.

Habitat Range
Zorah Magdaros have been documented living in the Old World in a multitude of environments. They spend most of their time underground, including the ocean floor. When they're near death, they'll head to the New World to die, and the skull of a Zorah Magdaros has been found in the Rotted Region of the Guiding Lands.

Slumbering Giants
Despite Zorah Magdaros being the largest monster ever recorded by the Guild, this Elder Dragon is rarely ever seen by humans in the Old World. A researcher that studies Elder Dragons proposes that maybe we've been seeing Zorah Magdaros for longer than we think. He suggests that maybe what we perceive as a normal volcano could very well be the outer shell of a sleeping Zorah Magdaros, possibly explaining why so few of them have ever been seen.

Ecological Niche
Zorah Magdaros feeds on minerals that contain explosive materials. It'll absorb the energy contained within said minerals as it is digesting. From their size, Zorah Magadaros have few monsters to fear and, so far, Nergigante is the only one that's been seen actively attacking them.

Juvenile Stage
Much is unknown about juvenile Zorah Magdaros since the species is rarely ever seen, especially at this stage of their lives. When born, the young lack a shell and will stay within their birth area. Once they've grown their magmacores, they can efficiently process energy and will wander in search of food. As they grow older, they'll need to eat more to support their bulk and will release unneeded waste from their back, creating the outer shell that adorns them. Their magmacores also become better at amplifying and releasing energy as they age.

Biological Adaptations

 * Length: 20000-25764.59cm
 * Height: 13132.76cm
 * Foot Measurements: 1845cm

Nicknamed the Scorching Mountain Dragon, Zorah Magdaros has a large shell that covers its back that resembles a volcano. It's formed by a lava-like substance, a byproduct from its diet, released from its body that has cooled and protects it from assaults, even repelling cannonballs and ballista spears. From its unique diet, Zorah Magdaros has various openings throughout its shell that release excess heat from within its body, and it spews the lava-like substance out to help regulate its body temperature. To further aid in controlling its temperature, Zorah Magdaros also has magmacores found on its snout and back. Upon digesting the minerals it feeds on, it only processes the energy within them in its body, and amplifies it before discharging it with its magmacores to release heat. The amount of energy released and contained within a Zorah Magdaros is proportional to its growth, and its internal organs become more efficient upon discharging it, meaning Zorah Magdaros doesn't need to feed often. Hidden under its shell are a pair tree-like wings. These wings barely ever move, primarily acting like pillars to support and hold onto its shell as it moves, and their volume is increased from the lava-like substance covering them. Zorah Magdaros is capable of walking both bipedally and quadrupedally with its sturdy limbs. It's mostly a quadruped in nature but will walk on its hind legs, which are larger and stronger than its front limbs, when an object is blocking its path. Noticeably, Zorah Magdaros has webbed feet to aid it in swimming.

Natural Phenomenon
With its titanic size, Zorah Magdaros can easily destroy any obstacles that stand in its way, including forts and ships. Much like Dalamadur, it can also cause crustal deformation with just its physical strength, and, by simply crossing through the Great Ravine, it created a massive fissure that opened up other parts of the New World, allowing other monsters to wander into unusual environments freely. The most dangerous aspect about this monster is the energy that it builds up and releases in its body. Upon death, Zorah Magdaros will release all the energy within its body in a great fiery explosion, easily changing and destroying whole ecosystems. In the case of one old individual that came to the New World, its explosion would've blown up the New World. Although Zorah Magdaros's death is destructive, it brings life with it as well. The energy left behind by it will cause the activity of other monsters to increase, making some rarely seen species come out of hiding.

Behvaior
Zorah Magdaros is a gentle giant that isn't bothered by most other creatures. Smaller species are known to follow it and even live on the shell that covers its back, but Zorah Magdaros will attack anything that it deems as a threat.