Stygimoloch (SciiFii)

Stygimoloch validum is a species of non-avian pachycephalosaurid (dome-headed) dinosaur that originally lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous as a extinct species, Stygimoloch spinifer (which may not be a valid species), and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern rainforests, wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across North America to help boost biodiversity. The genus' existence during the Cretaceous is most likely invalid (being a juvenile form of the Cretaceous species of Pachycephalosaurus), and if true, Stygimoloch may be restricted to the Holocene (in the Cenozoic era) instead of the Mesozoic era. It is a relatively large pachycephalosaur, with its head being about 46 centimeters long (18 inches). Among native North American pachycephalosaurs, only Pachycephalosaurus is larger. Unlike other pachycephalosaurs, the domed skull is relatively small, slightly flattened from side to side, and pear-shaped; even when isolated this unusual dome can easily be distinguished from the broader, larger domes of Pachycephalosaurus. While the dome is reduced in size, the ornamentation over the skull is more elaborate than in any other pachycephalosaur. Short, conical hornlets covered the nose, and the back corners of the skull bare an enormous pair of massive, backward-pointing spikes, up to 5 centimeters in diameter (2 inches) and 15 centimeters long (6 inches); these are surrounded by two or three smaller spikes. Due to the small head dome, Stygimoloch validum is not known to head-butt, and is only as smart as antelopes rather than being about as smart as SciiFii's first recreated Pachycephalosaurus species. Instead, its skull's ornamentations functions for display, and are also used for self-defense, locking together and used in shoving matches, like the antlers of deer. The squamosal horns are also used to inflict pain during flank-butting. Stygimoloch validum is mostly herbivorous and primarily feeds on horsetails, ferns, cycads, leaves, pine needles, nuts, pinecones, shrubs, fruits, and mushrooms, although it is known to occasionally feed on grasses, vegetables, roots, shoots, insects, and carrion to supplement its diet. Stygimoloch validum is a social animal that usually lives in herds consisting of up to about 30 individuals at a time, led by a bull male. The conservation status of Stygimoloch validum is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the species' wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii