这种水禽我没见过，估计也是我们那个世界里已经灭绝的物种。不过好不好吃我不知道，今天它们的好日子到头了却是板上钉钉的事。
我用吹箭筒瞄准了一只正在水面整理羽毛的黑色水禽，猛的蓄力一吹。
"Whoosh!"
A soft whooshing sound rang out, and a splash of scarlet blood immediately appeared on the water's surface.
The black waterfowl was pierced between the wings by a blowgun dart, and after struggling futilely in the water for a couple of moments, it stopped moving.
I stood downstream and waited until the current washed the black waterfowl to my feet before picking it up.
I weighed it in my hand and estimated it to be around three pounds. The feathers of this waterfowl are also particularly soft. It's a pity this is the tropics, otherwise a down jacket made from these feathers would be very warm.
The other black waterfowl seemed unaware of what was going on. They paused for a moment, then continued with their own business, clearly not associating me with a predator.
Not running away? Fine, you can play around by the water all you want. I'll load my arrows quickly. It's been a long time since I've eaten waterfowl; I'll hunt a few more to stock up on supplies.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh..."
Several arrows flew out in succession, each one hitting its mark and taking a life with it.
The flowing stream acted like a conveyor belt, carrying the prey downstream. Soon I had caught seven or eight black waterfowl.
I put all the black waterfowl I had caught into my basket. I didn't intend to kill the rest; I had to plan for the next business opportunity.
My plan this time is to hunt a larger prey. These few days of falconry training are crucial. I can't go hunting every day, so I still need to make the necessary preparations.
To avoid encountering other predators along the stream, Top and I walked along the jungle to the west of the stream.
The jungle is sparsely wooded, so even in case of emergency, one can immediately climb a tree for shelter.
The low grass near the water is also a favorite spot for herbivores, and the aquatic plants here are more tender than in other places due to the abundant moisture.
Walking through such dense grass, I had to be constantly careful of my footing.
Although my specially made shoes can withstand the bites of most venomous snakes, don't forget there is a heavyweight killer here: the Titanoboa, which can easily kill an adult wild boar.
The most dangerous creatures here may not be the fierce beasts that are out in the open.
The most troublesome hunters are those who like to hide in one place and stay for days at a time.
They attack extremely fast, rarely making a mistake once they strike, and once subdued, they are almost certain to die.
However, hiding such a huge creature in the grass is only effective against herbivores. Humans have the advantage of being able to deduce potential problems ahead through logic.
If there really is a giant python lurking ahead, you will find that if you pay attention to the grass, there will definitely be an area nearby that has collapsed, creating a discordant contrast with the surrounding grass.
Once you spot these giant reptiles, they generally can't touch you. Unless you're in deep water, pythons don't move as fast as depicted in movies.
If they want to catch you on land, they'll have to outrun a tortoise first. The larger the python, the greater the impact of its own size and weight on land or shallow water.
Take the anaconda, which is much smaller than the Titanoboa, for example. On land, it moves at a speed similar to that of a slowly crawling giant earthworm.
This also makes the pythons very vulnerable after they come ashore. Without the protection of the water, they are very likely to be attacked and killed by agile hunters on the road, such as wild animals like leopards.
This also leads them to generally prefer to stay in deeper waters, like crocodiles, submerging most of their bodies in the water and only exposing their noses to breathe fresh air.
When their forked tongues detect that prey is approaching to drink water, they use the buoyancy of the water to quickly maneuver to the prey's location.
The heat-sensitive pits on their noses allow them to pinpoint the location of their prey.
This ability doesn't require using your eyes at all; you can directly launch a fatal attack on your prey, then entangle it and quickly strangle and devour it.
A python that has eaten once can lie flat for several weeks without needing to eat again, which makes its movements more unpredictable.
Sometimes they may hunt continuously in one place, or they may move on to other, better places to live.
However, there are always exceptions. When a python is extremely hungry, it will also choose to come ashore and slowly approach the prey if it smells prey nearby.
African rock pythons often use this hunting method; their slow, deceptive movements on land are very effective.
With the cover of some grass, this ability can be brought to its fullest potential. By the time some young animals with low vigilance realize that the python is coming, it is too late.
I wasn't sure if the Titanoboa would come ashore to attack its prey, but just to be on the safe side, I never stopped using my machete and the spear to pull weeds.
Just as Top and I reached the bend of a promontory, I heard two heavy grunts. The sound seemed to be a warning to its companions that something was approaching.
Upon hearing the sound, I quickly grabbed Top and hid behind a rock ledge. I had already seen that large, brownish-gray creature; it wasn't just one, but a whole group.
Although I knew beforehand that there would be large animals here, my heart still pounded when I actually encountered them.
I'm still a bit shaken, and my hand holding the crossbow is still trembling. These animals are quite large, even larger than sheep and deer.
These guys in front of me are over 1.8 meters tall at the shoulder. Don't ask me how I know. I'm 1.8 meters tall myself, but compared to them, it's like standing next to Yao Ming and still looking shorter.
A pair of spiral horns over a meter long would be the nightmare of any predator. Coupled with a body length of over three meters, such a herbivore could even go toe-to-toe with a sand beast.
Their average weight is estimated to be close to or even exceed one ton! Even African bison appear somewhat slender when standing in front of them.
Great antelope! The name suddenly popped into my head, another monster that went extinct in our world millions of years ago.
I don't know what kind of temperament this thing has, but if it encounters such a large herd of wild takin, I guess even the most rugged herds would be a little scared.
The meter-long spiral horn is no mere decoration; a single strike from it would likely kill or severely injure any predator.
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