Ornithomimus

***Ornithomimus*** (name meaning "*Bird* *Mimic*") is a genus of ornithomimid dinosaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now North America. A rare herbivorous theropod measuring almost 5 meters long and weighing nearly 170 kilos, *Ornithomimus* were omnivorous herding animals that fed on both terrestrial vegetation and aquatic particles.

In the Series 2 finale "***Death of a Dynasty II: The Return of the King***," a breeding flock of *Ornithomimus* were brought to the park from Late Cretaceous Montana, 65 million years ago. They reside in the Ostrich Paddock enclosure with their relatives. The flock eventually laid some eggs given birth to the first baby dinosaurs in 65 million years.

## Facts

### Era & Discovery

*Ornithomimus* lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous period, from 76 – 65 million years ago. Among the last of the dinosaurs, it died out with other dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous. They were also prey items for predatory dinosaurs like *Tyrannosaurus. Ornithomimus* was discovered and named by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1890.

### Physical Attributes

To the tip of its snout, *Ornithomimus* stood 7 feet (2.1 m) tall, measured 12 – 15 feet (3.7 – 4.7 m) long and weighed 167 kg (370 lbs). Medium-sized dinosaurs, *Ornithomimus*, like all of the "bird mimic" dinosaurs, had a somewhat atypical theropod body plan. They had long, curved necks and long arms and hands, not typical of a theropod. Also unlike other theropods, they had wrinkly pink and black beaks.

Though *Ornithomimus* are considered vegetarians, they occasionally ate meat, therefore, making them omnivorous dinosaurs; eating plants, meat, small reptiles and mammals, and even eggs. They were utterly the opposite of what anyone would imagine what dinosaurs to be like.

*Ornithomimus* chicks were covered in downy feathers which would molt by adulthood. Youngsters were a dull brown color, with a thick layer of fuzzy proto-feathers, as well as different, stouter proportions to the gangly, skinny adults. The scales of *Ornithomimus* were a uniform light blue, with little to no prominent patterning. The neck and head was a much brighter blue, whilst the body was more grey. Some individuals had dark speckled bodies.

With their beaks at the front, they had ridges on the inside, much like modern ducks and geese, and *Ornithomimus* used those to crush their food. The beaks on these creatures allow then to sieve their food, making them more like ducks than ostriches. The males also looked different from the females, with the males having a blue body appearance and the females being more grey in color.

In addition, *Ornithomimus* was a very fast, swift, and agile animal, capable of reaching speeds as fast as 40 mph, as fast as an Ostrich, which allowed them to outrun even the fastest predators. However, some *Ornithomimus* were not so lucky.

### Behavior & Traits

Like many dinosaurs of their size and overall appearance, *Ornithomimus* was a highly social omnivore that lived in flocks composed of more than 20 individuals. Like many modern social animals and some other dinosaurs, such as the small ornithopods, one *Ornithomimus* adult would be on sentry duty whilst the others fed and played, in order to look out for predators. This was an important job, as larger, more carnivorous theropods, like *Dromaeosaurus* and *Tyrannosaurus*, preyed on *Ornithomimus* flocks. Despite the vast numbers of individuals in a flock, they would still flee from danger. When chased by a large predator, *Ornithomimus* flocks would devolve into disorganized stampedes.

In addition, whenever they were breeding, *Ornithomimus* had much in common with large modern birds, like ostriches. The females would distance themselves, breaking off from the rest of the flock to make a nest. A number of light blue oval-shaped eggs were laid in a circle within a large nest. Unlike with ostriches, the mother watched aggressively over the eggs alone, with no help. *Ornithomimus* females were also very protective of their eggs and would lay around ten eggs. However, for any egg that rolled out of the nest, the mother would sacrifice at least two eggs to feed predators. The eggs required more heat than crocodile and bird eggs in order to hatch. *Ornithomimus* chicks were curious and inquisitive animals and would imprint on and follow the first thing they saw, usually their mother.

Despite their close resemblance to ostriches, *Ornithomimus* behaved more like ducks. They preferred to live near lakes and ponds rather than forests or open plains. In fact, their mouths had the texture of sandpaper and were used more like sieves than beaks. Like ostriches, *Ornithomimus* would calm down if their eyes were concealed by some method, such as by putting a bag or sock over their head.

## Trivia

* The sound effects of *Ornithomimus* are that of a donkey, whale, sea lion, duck, wolf, horse, peacock, monkey, elk, emu, flamingo, goose, ostrich, cassowary, walrus, zebra, and vulture.
* *Ornithomimus* is one of the three ornithomimid dinosaurs brought to the park, the others being *Gallimimus and Struthiomimus*.
* *Ornithomimus*, in reality, kept its feathers throughout its life.