Placodus (SciiFii)

Placodus imperator (name meaning “emperor flat tooth”) is a species of placodont reptile that originally lived from the Middle Triassic period as two extinct species, Placodus gigas and Placodus inexpectatus, and the genus itself was once extinct, but has ever since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and now lives in the Triassic Dinosaurs section of Cretaceous Park located at Sacramento, California. Placodus imperator is recognizable by its stocky body with a long tail, and measures 2 metres (6.6 feet) long on average. It has a short neck and a heavy skull. Placodus imperator is not as well adapted to aquatic life as more advanced reptile groups, like the closely related plesiosaurs. Its flattened tail and short legs, which ends in webbed feet, are its main means of propulsion in the water. The parietal eye on top of the head of Placodus imperator assists the animal with orientation, rather than its vision, and its presence is regarded as a primitive characteristic. The vertebral processes of Placodus imperator dove-tails into each other and are firmly connected, so that the torso is rigid. The abdomen is covered in a special armor formed of the bent, right-angled ribs. Equipped with dense bones, heavy belly ribs, and a row of bony knobs above the backbone, Placodus imperator is a heavily built and negatively buoyant creature that has no trouble staying on the seafloor to feed. This body armor offers protection from predators as well, but this hampers its mobility on land, makingPlacodus imperator slow and clumsy out of the water. Placodus imperator is specialized for a durophagous diet of shellfish, such as bivalves. Its chisel-like incisors protrude from the Wikipedia:Anterior:anterior margin of the snout, and are used to pluck hard-shelled mollusks, brachiopods, and crustaceans from the substrate. The animal's back teeth are flat and broad, which helps it crush its shellfish prey. It is normally a solitary animal that only tries to interact with others of its own species during mating seasons. The lifecycle of the Placodus imperator is very similar to a gharial and a wading bird.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii