Neuquenraptor (SciiFii)

Neuquenraptor vulgaris (name meaning "common Neuquén thief"), also known as the yellow-collared goblin, is a species of non-avian unenlagine dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that originally lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous in what is now the Portezuelo Formation of Argentina as an extinct species, Neuquenraptor argentinus, and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii. The ancestors of Neuquenraptor vulgaris, the now-extinct Neuquenraptor sciifii, were originally going to be included in Cretaceous Park and the now-scrapped Cretaceous Park Argentina, but due to escapees from the transport cages, the escaped Neuquenraptor sciifii had established feral breeding populations throughout Argentina and the western United States, where they had, by all accounts, thrived before they had, in just a few decades through rapid evolution, evolved into the new species, Neuquenraptor vulgaris. Neuquenraptor vulgaris is a medium-sized theropod, with the average length of about 1.8–3.5 meters (5.9–11.5 feet) long and weighing around 75 kilograms (165 lbs). Neuquenraptor vulgaris is a carnivore and primarily feeds on carrion, insects, fish, frogs, lizards, snakes, birds, and small mammals. Neuquenraptor vulgaris usually mate for life. A breeding pair is formed in a courtship display. This courtship includes undulating displays by both in the pair, with the male animal picking up a piece of rock or a small stick and placing it in a nest constructed for the female. Mating seems to occur around 40–46 days before the initial egg-laying. Neuquenraptor vulgaris chick may be heard from within the egg 15 hours before it begins hatching. After the first chip is broken off of the egg, there is no activity for around 27 hours. Hatching activity accelerates and the shell is broken apart in 35 hours. The chick is completely free in 37 hours. In the first 10 days, chicks mainly lie down on the nest substrate. They are capable of preening on their second day but their parents keep them warm until around 20 days. They grow considerably, weighing around 1.6 to 3.5 pounds (0.72 to 1.6 kilograms). They also start sitting up more. Around 20 days of age, the chicks generally start standing, which becomes the main position over the course of the next 40 days. The whitish down continues until around 25 days of age, at which point it is gradually replaced by the grey, black, yellow, and reddish-orange feathers that eclipse the down and the birds attain a general appearance of the adults. After hatching, 80% of food items and 90% of food biomass is captured and brought to the nest by the adult male. Fledging occurs at 66 to 81 days. 75 to 85 days after fledging, the young are largely independent of parents. Generally, breeding success seems to be greatest where prey is available in abundance. Although true domestication remains the purview of sapient species such as humans, many scientists have recognized the relationship that the megaraptorid, Murusraptor terrestris, have with Neuquenraptor vulgaris is more than common symbiosis. This relationship began as the ancestors of Neuquenraptor vulgaris fed on rodents and other pests near the nests that were too small for the Murusraptor terrestris to catch. Murusraptor terrestris noticed this benefit and sacrificed portions of their kills to keep the ancestors of Neuquenraptor vulgaris packs around. They also chased off or fed on the larger egg-eaters that Neuquenraptor vulgaris were themselves vulnerable to. Over time, Neuquenraptor vulgaris have evolved. It is to the point that a nesting megaraptoran without a few Neuquenraptor vulgaris is an outlier. Although Murusraptor terrestris occasionally develops a similar bond with Neuquenraptor vulgaris, it is not as close or established. This is likely due to the fact that the Murusraptor terrestris is social and demonstrates much longer parental care, thus negating the need to keep pet Neuquenraptor vulgaris around, as most parents have a few juveniles to keep pests away from the nest. The conservation status of Neuquenraptor vulgaris is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the animal's wide range.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii