This raises a lot of questions from me.
. Are the air sacs inspired by insect respiratory systems?
. Are the air sacs used for aquatic floatation?, intimidation?, respiration?, companion attraction?
. Do/can they croak with the air sac on the throat?
. When the air sacs under the spinal fins inflate, do the fins also protrude upward?
. What does the air sac on to of the head do?
. What about the tail?

I'm joking to some degree, don't feel pressured to answer all of them. Though I am curious.

@The_Adjudicator
Ok, I'm going to eo it one at a time.

1. Honestly never occurred to me.

2. All of those but respriation. Another use I'll mention in different answer.

3. No, not unless you could count eardrum shattering sonic pulses as croaking. :thumbsup:

4. You got it exactly right!

5. That one is mostly used for the... more gentle sounds it can produce. Courtship calls, quiet warnings, etc.

6. Time for the longest answer. Ok, thinking of this in terms of MHW:I (My longest played MH game), the tail air sac is used for disruptive sweep attacks. The monster raises its tail in a semicircle, favoring left side. It rotates the tail at an angle to focus the holes on one side and the hard plates at the other. It then does a modified tail slap, during which the attack has the basic hitbox on the plated side. However, the side with holes releases a sonic burst with heavy flinch and a good

chance to stun any hunters in the hitbox. The tail cannot be severed, due to it being made of the EXTREMELY tough air sac, plates, and a small bit of muscle and connective tissue. It can be broken, which decreases the range of the sonic burst.

@The_Adjudicator
And now things you didn't ask! :)
(I've got to write this down)
The air sac on its throat wouldn't be full until the end of its enraged time, during which it slowly fills it. (slow because it must fill it using its lungs. Hard to do when getting beat up by a hunter.) As soon as it is filled it does some kind of variation on its normal roar, a tell that you shoud run. Now.
It attempts to grab hunter in its front limbs/mouth. If it does (it probably does, the grab is really fast)

it then releases the pressurized air inside of its sac, launching the hunter, stunning them, dealing a good chunk of hp, and giving them defence down. :thumbsup:

The large, thick soles of its talons help absorb extra vibrations from its attacks, keeping it from shattering its own bones.
The sacs are used for floatation, but unlike mostly leviathan wyverns, this kind don't enjoy swiming or travelling in a semisolid. They dislike it because it leaves them practically defenseless since they must deflate their air sacs to submerge. Instead, they live in small forested areas. (Assuming that leviathan wyverns mostly live in water or other liquids to support

their heavy tails/bodies) They are able to climb trees much easier than other leviathans because of how light the air sacs make them.

If you had to hunt one, take some friends with you, because its weapon weaknesses are few. Its head is the only part that does not resist some kind of weapon. While a first time hunter may immediately target the throat pouch and find some success, he will soon have trouble when he discovers that while inflated, the sac becomes rock hard and deflects all attacks.

I was also asked by a family member if it would use its tail like a rattle snake.
Sorta, but instead of a rattle, it would sound like a train coming at you full speed.

@OracleofGelu
Lots of well thought up details. Excellent! The brains at CAPCOM are very inspiring.

A lot of this creaure's characteristics remind me of my entomological studies, so I thought this might have been inspired by that. Many insects breath through little holes along the side of their abdomen.

I smell underated artist

@SHARKTOOTH
Thank you so much!

@OracleofGelu Ofc! new friend? :heart_decoration: