Stegoceras (SciiFii)

Stegoceras coloradoensis is a species of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur that originally lived in what is now North America during the Late Cretaceous period, about 77.5 to 74 million years ago (mya), as an extinct species, Stegoceras validum, and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern wetlands, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, scrublands, and mountainous regions across North America to help boost biodiversity. Stegoceras coloradoensis is a rather average-sized pachycephalosaurid dinosaur, with the length of about 2 to 2.5 metres (6.6 to 8.2 ft) long and often weighs around 10 to 40 kilograms (22 to 88 lb). The skull of this species is roughly triangular with a short snout, and has a thick, broad, and relatively smooth dome on the top. The back of the skull has a thick "shelf" over the occiput, and it has a thick ridge over the eyes. Much of the skull is ornamented by tubercles (or round "outgrowths") and nodes (or "knobs"), many in rows, and the largest forms small horns on the shelf. The teeth are small and serrated. The skull is been flat in juvenile animals and grows into a dome with age. It has a rigid vertebral column, and a stiffened tail. The pelvic region is broad, due to an extended gut. As a small ornithischian, Stegoceras coloradoensis is covered in a layer of primitive feathers, which are white in color. Stegoceras coloradoensis is an omnovore, and it primarily feeds on a mixed diet of leaves, seeds, fruit and insects. It is a rather skittish animal and is known to live in small to medium-sized herds, with members of the herds keeping their eye out for potential predators. Uniquely among dinosaurs, Stegoceras coloradoensis is known to kickbox, similarly to kangaroos; it uses its tail as a prop, and kickboxes from a tripodal position, with the tail supporting some of their body weight. To kickbox, a Stegoceras coloradoensis first leans back on its tail, and once it is propped up, it then can kick out. Stegoceras coloradoensis reaches sexual maturity at the age of 3 years old, and lays eggs after internal fertilization, taking place post-breeding during spring. The newborns hatch from the eggs after an incubation period of around 3 weeks, and the young are cared for until they are 7 months old, when they are independent juveniles. The conservation status of Stegoceras coloradoensis is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the animal's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii