Stegosaurus stenops “gigas”

Length: 40 feet
Height: 18 feet
Weight: 5 tons

## **Coloration:**

*Adult and juvenile (both sexes) -* Gray and green mottled
 body with gray plates. The back plates are thin structures and appear
 golden yellow in sunlight, with the veins clearly visible. Filled with
 blood vessels, the plates can be flushed with blood, gaining a red or
dark orange tint.

## **Diet:**

Low to medium-growth plants. Stegosaurus prefers tender
shoots and other soft vegetable matter due to its simple tooth
structure. Like many of the island’s herbivores, Stegosaurus swallows
stones to help it digest its food.

## **Preferred Habitat:**

Broken forests and open plains with ample water supply.

## **Social Structure:**

Stegosaurus is a very family-oriented
species, living in groups led by an elderly individual. A fellow
Stegosaurus doesn’t even need to be in the same herd for it to offer its
 protection to another. It is often found in herds of four to seven
individuals but will also occasionally join up with other families from
 time to time. Stegosaurus has been known to herd with other animals as
 well, if conditions of life call for it.

## **Description:**

Large quadrupedalal herbivore. Stegosaurus is a
well-protected animal - its main weapon is its tail, equipped with four
 lethal spikes (thagomizer), which Stegosaurus can wield with incredible
 skill. The tail is highly flexible so that the animal can strike
predators of any size and in any direction. In addition, the animal's
throat is protected by small, bony scutes. The most distinguishing
feature of this dinosaur is the double row of large pentagonal plates
running down its back. Juveniles have poorly-developed plates and tail
spikes. Isla Sorna's Stegosaurus species is much larger than fossil
specimens, hence the "gigas" in its name.

## **Behaviors:**

Stegosaurus is one of the most recognizable
dinosaurs on Isla Sorna, and probably most famous for its tiny brain,
the size of a walnut. Despite its brain size, this dinosaur is mildly
intelligent, able to organize defensive strategies and formulating
simple plans. Old members of the herd are also able to remember the
locations of vital water sources during times of drought, and they are
valued by the rest of the herd for their knowledge.

Stegosaurus plates are far too thin and fragile to offer good
protection, and are filled with blood vessels which make them
susceptible to heavy bleeding if ripped off by a predator. Instead the
plates are used for display - when the animal is alarmed or displaying
to other Stegosaurus, blood flows through the vessels, creating a
vibrant red/orange coloration in the plates. This is to warn or scare
carnivores; while males use this ability to intimidate rival males and
attract females.

When left alone in peaceful, non-threatening conditions, Stegosaurus
is a docile and calm animal, and it will happily browse in close
proximity to other herbivores so long as they are respectful of
distance. Each herd member remains on the alert for danger. Stegosaurus'
 eyesight is weak, but it is more than made up for its excellent sense
 of smell. However, because of its poor eyesight, Stegosaurus is easy to
 spook. Trace scents left behind by a carnivore that are even days old
 can make it edgy, and it will respond by bellowing and twirling its
thagomizer until the herd finally moves away. Even the scents of dead
animals may upset it, as it has learned to associate the smells of dead
 and rotting flesh with predators and scavengers.

Stegosaurus may also
grow agitated by the scents of anything that is remotely strange or
foreign. One panicked adult will set off a chain reaction amongst the
others of the herd. Therefore Stegosaurus is a dinosaur that is normally
 best avoided, as it has a tendency to swing its tail at even harmless
 creatures, particularly those that vaguely resemble two-legged
carnivores.

During the breeding season, groups of male Stegosaurus will separate
themselves from the main herd in order to take up individual positions
away from the females. Once clear of the herd, males begin their
displays which involve twirling and swaying of their thagomizers,
stamping their feet, bellowing, and flushing blood into their back
plates to make them appear a vibrant red. When males get too close to
one another and have no room to display, aggression and size is usually
 the determining factor. Aggressive males win the majority of the time,
 even when the less-aggressive males are larger. Equal-sized males with
 the same levels of aggression give one another a wide berth. Conflict
usually involves two males shoving against one another in tests of
strength. They never use their tails on each other, as their spikes can
 inflict serious injuries - the smell of blood, along with the sounds of
 amorous roaring and bellowing, would only attract unwelcome attention.

Female Stegosaurus may visit many males with whom they will mate
several times. Once all the breeding females in a herd have mated, the
males will rejoin the herd and accompany the females to their preferred
 nesting grounds. Eggs are usually laid in forested regions, in shallow
 dips in the ground dug by the female's back feet. The herd remains near
 the nest site, discouraging predators with their size, plates and
thagomizers, and when the young hatch, they are quite self-sufficient,
able to feed themselves and move around with the adults. Juvenile
Stegosaurus are curious and start to explore their surroundings soon
after hatching. They are quite fast-movers, which is a useful survival
trait when living amongst a group of large, poor sighted, clumsy adults.
 While the adults do their best to avoid stepping on the young,
accidents do occur, and many of the young perish either by being crushed
 by an adult, or by moving too far away from the herd and being seized
 by a predator. As the juveniles grow older, being stepped on becomes
less of a problem.

Stegosaurus is fiercely protective of its young as the infants - with
 their tail spikes being no more than blunt stubs - are particularly
vulnerable to attack from predators, especially since they have a
tendency to wander from the safety of the adults when exploring their
surroundings. However, juvenile Stegosaurus can produce a very
distinctive alarm call which provokes any adult Stegosaurus nearby into
 an immediate defensive reaction.

Stegosaurus herds are nomadic and have no defined territory. They
migrate from location to location, stripping one area of plants before
moving on to the next.