Carnotaurus (NuGen)

Carnotaurus caeruleus (name meaning "blue meat-eating bull") is a species of large carnivorous abelisaurid theropod dinosaur that originally lived in what is now South America during the Late Cretaceous period, between about 72 and 69.9 million years ago, but has since been brought back from extinction by NuGen and, unlike SciiFii's first (re)created Carnotaurus species, has been intentionally introduced throughout the modern open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and open woodlands across North America to help boost biodiversity and to help regulate modern populations of sauropods and ornithopods. Carnotaurus caeruleus is a moderately built, bipedal predator, measuring 7.5 to 9 meters (24.6 to 29.5 feet) in length and weighing about 1.65 metric tons (1.62 long tons; 1.81 short tons), heavier than Carnotaurus tigris due to having thicker blubber to protect the animal against colder temperatures. As a theropod, Carnotaurus caeruleus is highly specialized and distinctive. It has thick horns above the eyes, a feature unseen in most other carnivorous dinosaurs, and a very deep skull sitting on a muscular neck. Carnotaurus caeruleus is further characterized by long, slender hindlimbs and small, vestigial forelimbs, which have blue undersides in the case or males. Carnotaurus caeruleus is covered in thick scaly skin and is protected from other similar-sized and smaller predators by thick circular armor that covers its neck, torso, and tail. The distinctive horns and the muscular neck are normally used in fighting conspecifics and/or for rivals that combate each other with quick head blows, either by slow pushes with the upper sides of their skulls, and/or by ramming each other head-on, using their horns as shock absorbers. Carnotaurus caeruleus is known to hunt down some of the very large prey such as sauropods, but normally, due to the build of the animal and filling the similar ecological niche to native modern cheetahs, Carnotaurus caeruleus normally preys on relatively smaller, faster animals and may even feed on carrion. Despite being a carnivore, it does not prey on mammalian prey (most likely due to genetic engineering by NuGen's scientists). Carnotaurus caeruleus is well adapted for running and is one of the fastest large non-avian theropods. Carnotaurus caeruleus is a solitary animal throughout its life unless it is breeding season or if it has a mate and/or young. During courtship, the males perform ballerina-like dances and flap out their tiny arms on a patch of forest floor they have meticulously cleaned of dead leaves, branches, rocks, and other debris. The conservation status of Carnotaurus caeruleus is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the animal's wide range.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii