Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Project Mesozoic Nova. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Oriensdracus aecor; Dawn Sea Dragon
Topic Started: Jan 30 2014, 11:00 PM (75 Views)
Jack Frost
Member Avatar
Administrator
[ *  *  *  * ]
Genus: Oriensdracus
Species: aecor
Name means: Dawn Sea Dragon

Stats:
Average size: 7-9 feet long, 4-6 feet tall, 12-16 foot wingspan
Average weight: 25-35 pounds
Notable features: Eye spots on the wings of the males, some of the first true wings of the group, tail fin has become a rudder for flight
Location: Argentina, Chile and southern Peru
Temporal Range: 174 MYA- 163

Description: Light blue in color, with darker blue tiger like stripes, which convert to bands along the tail. Males develop patches of red and orange on there faces during the mating season. It's neck is short, but flexable to aid in catching fish while flying. The head has become even more elongated, nearly as long as the average human forearm, and is filled with relativly small straightened teeth, perfect for catching fish. The crests its ancestors had are completely gone to reduce make it as streamlined as possible.
Oriensdracus is one of the first true fliers of the Dracosuchids, with a large wingspan double the length of the body. The wings are the same blue color as the body on the top, but pale white on the other side, as is the rest of the body, with darker blue stripes running along the front edge. The wings tips are black. During the making season, males develope large eye spots on the bottom of the wings.
The scales of Oriensdracus are small and smooth, hinting at the smooth scaleless skin it's decendants will evolve. It's back however retains the flattened scutes of Aethercleptis, including the rudder like tail scutes, now used to steer when gliding.
Facts:
One of the earliest true fliers of the group, Oriensdracus aecor is a basal Aecornatosuchid, a branch of Dracosuchids that will take on the role of migratory costal piscivores. Already developing the streamlined scaleless body of it's decendants, it's still rather small, only 7-9 feet long, while some of its decendants will reach sizes of nearly 20 feet, and hold 40 foot wingspans. Still, it is a massive leap compaired to it's ancestor, and is well suited for hunting fish. compaired to other dracosuchids, Oriensdracus is highly social. It's not uncommon to find large colonies sun bathing or socializing along a beach or cliff face.
Oriensdracus are primarily piscivores, combing along the water for fish. unlike pterosaurs, it doesn't have to paddle along the top of the water like a duck, and they're ironically fairly poor swimmers. Instead, they have a highly flexale, but strong neck that allows them to pluck fish from the water while flying without tumbling.
Males and females mate for life, although if their partner dies they will find a new mate if possible. Once mated the two will claim a stretch of the beach or cliffe and make a burrow, where the female will build a nest of rocks and costal plants, or from sand if on the beach.The female will lay anywhere from 5-10 eggs, and with guard them ferociously, to the point where the male must bring a fish to be allowed entrance to the nest. The young hatch after a few months fully developed, although they will stick to the nest for the first few months, after which they leave to fend for themselves.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Official entries · Next Topic »
Add Reply


Theme Silt created by tiptopolive of IDS