Apterix

This species exists primarily or exclusively within the Sonic the Comic continuity. Information in this article may not be canonical to the storyline of the games or any other Sonic continuity.

Apterix
Knuckles caught in an Apterix stampede, from Sonic the Comic #87. Art by Nigel Dobbyn.
Appearances
First appearance	Sonic the Comic #87
Biographical overview
Habitat	Mobian Prairie
Status	Active
Species-related traits
Features	Large bird anatomy White and black plumage Flightless

The Apterix are creatures that appear in the Sonic the Comic comic series and its spin-offs published by Fleetway Editions. They are a species of large, flightless birds native to the Mobian Prairie. They are commonly raised by the Mobians for their meat.

History

Their meat is a growing market in Metropolis Zone and certain ranchers, notably Rooster and Boss Krouch, rear them specifically to sell them in Metropolis. Boss Krouch was once the sole supplier of Apterix meat, until Rooster came along.

They are particularly dangerous in a stampede because of their large size, and ranchers usually herd them from the air while riding pterodactyls.

Boss Krouch was able to synthesize a chemical compound that imitated the scent of the Apterix's most feared predator, but a hundred times more potent. He planned to use the compound to cause a stampede that would crush his rival, Rooster, but his plan was thwarted by Knuckles the Echidna and the Sheriff of Backwater City. Krouch was killed when he accidentally dropped the vial of the compound, and was caught in the stampede himself.

Trivia

• The word "Apterix" appears to be used as both singular and plural, although the term "Apterixes" was used in issue 90.
• When asked how he came up with the name Apterix, writer Nigel Kitching claimed that "I don't know where Apterix came from any more. I guess it just sounded like a dinosaur name to me. I'm pretty sure there is a flying dinosaur with a name similar to this but much longer." He was presumably referring to the Archaeopteryx (Note that both Kitching and the questioner appeared to believe that Apterix was the name of the species of pterodactyl from the same story, rather than the flightless birds).
• The name Apterix bears a striking resemblance to Apteryx, the genus which are more commonly known as the kiwi. Kiwi are small ratites; this is notable because Apterix are very similar in physiology to both the elephant birds and moa, two extinct species of ratites that are related to kiwis. This may help lead to an actual origin of the name.