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Rhabdospinos
Topic Started: Sep 3 2013, 06:12 PM (59 Views)
Saberrex
Advanced Member
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Rhabdospinos -Illustration by Saberrex


Rhabdospinos
Rhabdospinos
Meaning: Fluted spine
Description: Midsize ornithopod
Species: R. owensi
Family: Iguanodontia, Rhabdodontidae
Length: 22-24 feet
Lifestyle: Browser and grazer
Range: Madagascar

Distinguishing features: Bipedal like its contemporary Eustreptodon, Rhabdospinos is also about the same size but less common. The animal’s coloring is quite vivid, rust red that becomes brighter as it gets higher up on the back, with green sides and underbelly, and a bright neon red sail, throat pouch, and nasal sacs, and blue eyes (it is one of the few ornithopods to have this feature). It is also the only iguanodont that has no thumb spikes, making it near defenseless. It makes up for this by having long powerful legs, which it uses to carry it away from danger. Males and females can only be differentiated by the brightness of their color as well as the fact that males are somewhat more aggressive in personality than females are. This becomes especially prominent during the species’ biennial breeding season, when males fight each other in nonphysical displays. The first to back down is the loser. Males will then mate with as many females as they can, as the species is polygamous, after which the females will lay 35 to 50 eggs after a month’s gestation. Unusually there is no parental care and the young immediately fend for themselves upon hatching. About half the young survive their first year, and less than a quarter make it to their second. Those who survive may live as long as ten years. Paradoxically, the shortest-lived animals lay the most eggs.

Habits and Habitat: Found throughout Madagascar in small groups of up to ten, Rhabdospinos is often found in the company of its relative, Eustreptodon, as well as that of stegosaurs, brachiosaurs and saltasaurs, it is an opportunistic feeder, taking advantage of what other herbivores miss or leave behind. It feeds primarily on tougher food than its relative, and has a tendency to scavenge carrion more often than its sail-less counterpart. It is also considered common prey for large predators, in particular, Majungataurus and Venatoraptor, as well as Smilocarcharias. It will defend itself by taking to the water despite danger from crocodiles. The only predator that it has no defense against is Gorgospinos, which is so massive that only a stegosaur is able to successfully fight one off.
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