>>56209130That does actually raise an interesting point. We know Deino hunt by just blindly stumbling around and biting anything they bump into, and we also know that sibling rivalry is ingrained in their DNA (Zweilous competing against itself), and that the pinnacle advancement of the species involves one individual dominating the rest (Hydreigon goes from having two brains to just one despite having three heads). With these elements in mind, it's very possible that Hydreigon lay larger clutches in the wild in order to host a sibling battle royale.
In the real world, we see siblicidal behavior play out with tiger sharks, seabirds like egrets and boobys, hyenas, spiders and others. This would also explain not just the rarity of the species but also its strength and temperament--if you were born into an eat-or-be-eaten environment pitted against your own nest mates, there are very few things you wouldn't be willing to eat after that. By the time a Deino stumbles out of the nest, it's already a blooded hunter with the experience it needs to take on the world, never mind any active parental involvement beyond that.
In captivity, raising Deino broods would be a logistical and ethical nightmare to navigate. Do you let them eat each other? Do you only allow one fertilized egg to develop at a time and freeze the rest for disposal? Do you try to scatter the surplus so that the ecosystem naturally thins their population out to a sustainable level? And then of course, there's the pit fighters that would love to take in Deino broods specifically because of their violent, siblicidal nature.
You've given me a lot to think about. Good post, anon.
