Tyrannosaurus

By far the most iconic dinosaur, *Tyrannosaurus* hails from the renowned **Hell Creek Formation** of **Late Cretaceous** North America, and is among the largest carnivores to ever walk the earth—with rather exceptional individuals reaching 12.4 blocks long—and although not the largest theropod by length, *Tyrannosaurus* is certainly the largest by weight, reaching up to 10.4 metric tonnes.

It is one of Hell Creek’s most common species—and although it can be found in any biome, *Tyrannosaurus* prefer the more open areas, such as *Clearings*, as opposed to the dense and narrow forests.

## Feeding

*Tyrannosaurus* has keen vision, with a binocular range of 55 degrees, and a visual acuity 13 times that of humans—spotting prey as far as 6 km (6,000 blocks) away, a much greater distance than the mere 1.6 km (1,600 blocks) that humans can see. Relatively agile for its size, *Tyrannosaurus* is well-adapted for long-distance stalking—watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and unleashing a quick burst of speed to take down its prey.

Its ideal prey item is *Edmontosaurus*, which lacks many of the dangerous qualities of other species, while still being a large enough meal to last an individual for weeks—unlike the much smaller *Thescelosaurus*, for example. To ambush a herd of the more dangerous *Triceratops* however, *Tyrannosaurus* must hunt cooperatively—with one standing nearby to distract the prey, allowing the others to sprint in from behind and go for the kill.

*Tyrannosaurus* has a highly developed sense of smell, greater than any other species of dinosaur. It uses this ability to detect carcasses by scent alone across vast distances, which offer a low risk meal compared to the heavily armed and dangerous prey of Hell Creek, such as *Triceratops* and *Ankylosaurus*. As such, it prefers scavenging whenever possible—although risk is still present, as conflict between individuals for the same carcass often occurs. *Tyrannosaurus* has the most powerful bite of any terrestrial animal—shattering through bones such as ribs to access the underlying organs of large carcasses, and tearing off large chunks of flesh to swallow whole, all while holding the carcass down with its long hindlimbs. It is known to be indiscriminate while scavenging, eating even from the dead corpses of other *Tyrannosaurus* if the opportunity arises.

The eating habits of *Tyrannosaurus* follow a hierarchy, with larger individuals typically eating before the smaller ones. The largest and most aggressive individuals assert their dominance by bellowing and posturing, and the smaller ones show their submission by hissing and bowing. *Tyrannosaurus* of equal size may resort to physical combat—rearing up and pushing against each other's shoulders with their large heads, and even using their powerful jaws to bite one another's faces. Torn flesh around the mouth and teeth can sometimes be seen, and scarring is common. Losers usually retreat—however, they may be killed during the conflict, and subsequently devoured by the victors.

## Reproduction

Male *Tyrannosaurus* display their desire for a potential partner by bringing nesting materials to a female’s nest. If she is interested, she will run past the male, to which he must court and pursue her. Usually, when the female is ready, she will allow the male to catch her—and as they mate, the male will use his small arms to clasp onto her. Once paired, their bond is solidified, and the couple will loyally remain together for the rest of their lives. If one dies however, the remaining *Tyrannosaurus* may search for a new mate to replace the one it has lost, or may never mate again.

Mothers and fathers cooperate in all matters of rearing their young, and are quite attentive parents. The nest increases in size as a pair uses it repeatedly over the years, and often becomes decorated with dung, bones, and animal hide—smelling increasingly foul with the odor of death. Within six years of reaching sexual maturity, half of all *Tyrannosaurus* die—and in all cases, their still-immature young end up alone, having no choice but to fend for themselves before even getting the chance to reach adulthood.

## **Ancient Journal Entry**

*Day: 32*

*While trying to look for more creatures to study, I heard very deep and loud growling noises echoing in the woods, which frightened me. After  recovering a bit, I realized out that it was the apex predator of these lands.*

*The speculations must’ve been true… The roar had a deep bass to it that would scare the life out of a human, even from afar.*

*I haven’t seen one of them yet, but I have found large teeth near old carcasses.*

*Day  39:*

*I found tracks that could only belong to Tyrannosaurus. I followed them and they lead to a small creek downhill, from there, nothing. I spent more time searching that day and right when the sun set, I saw one. The giant beast was walking down a valley with its younglings. The coloration of the specimen was a dark brown, with red impressions on the neck.*

*Regarding a feather Coat, I only saw tiny patches of very small protofeathers that were barely visible. The infants that were walking along the parent, they were quite different from their bulky mother. They were quite agile, unlike the adult, and were constantly doing something in the background.*