Savannah
The fertile savannah and veldt of Teratopia is home to some of the land’s most impressive predators, and some of its most ubiquitous herbivores. Ground cover is mainly various grasses, coarse and soft, interspersed with thickets of creeping hardy ferns and juniper. Small stands of trees provide shade, and sometimes cover for an ambush.
The fertile savannah and veldt of Teratopia is home to some of the land’s most impressive predators, and some of its most ubiquitous herbivores. Ground cover is mainly various grasses, coarse and soft, interspersed with thickets of creeping hardy ferns and juniper. Small stands of trees provide shade, and sometimes cover for an ambush.
Bison alticornis is a bovine herbivore of considerable size, even larger than a water buffalo. These grazers form huge herds of thousands spreading across the savannah. Having very strong herding instincts, they will protect their calves by forming a circle around them. They crop the grass constantly, and when they are not consuming grass, they are ruminating and chewing the cud. Their large, tall horns make good defensive weapons against predators, but males will lock horns in lekking contests during the breeding season. Bison manure is one of the most important fertilisers in the savannah, and enriches the soil as well as encouraging decomposers like scarab beetles. Calving occurs in spring, and during this time, females are particularly skittish and defensive.
One of the largest mammals of Teratopia is the Baluchitherium, a hornless savannah rhinoceros which is bigger than an elephant. This huge heavy beast is a mixed feeder, equally able to browse bushes and trees, or to graze various savannah grasses. Its mobile upper lip allows it to crop vegetation efficiently, to be pulverized by its robust molars. Only the largest predators dare to attack Baluchitherium, and its bulk allows it to crush or trample most attackers foolish enough to approach too close. Mostly solitary, breeding is done in the wet season with the flush of greenery; a single well developed calf is born. Calls vary from a hollow grunt to an angered bellow.
Distributed throughout central Teratopia, but common nowhere, is the Kelmayisaurus gigantus, the biggest predatory theropod of all. Due to their great size of 22 meters long, they form huge territories and their numbers are mercifully low. They feed on the very largest of the Teratopian megafauna, including sauropods and other dinosaurs. Rarely will they meet others of their kind, except to mate, and this is usually by chance. The female lays one or two large eggs in a mound nest. These dinosaurs are greatly feared, the loudness and terror of its roar is unparalleled.
Preying on small vertebrates and large insects on the savannah is the Troodon, a 2.5 metre ornithopod that is unusual in being carnivorous. These inquisitive dinosaurs will stalk small mammals, dinosaur hatchlings, lizards, snakes, and birds, as well as large crickets and beetles, prey is usually killed with a strong bite. They will try to ambush from cover such as tall grass, leaping quickly onto the prey, but they are also capable of giving chase over considerable distance. Generally Troodon are solitary, though sometimes a mating pair will stay together for more than one season, breeding occurs in the wet season, the male incubates and rears the chicks. Territorial calls are a short barking whistle, and their alarm calls are a sharp shriek. Often the alarm call will serve to warn other animals of approaching danger, as Troodon is endowed with superior vision and sense of smell.
Juravenator is a small predatory coelurosaur which usually only reaches 90 centimetres long; it is unusual in being completely scaly all over. These dinosaurs feed mostly on insects, lizards and small mammals, but eggs will also be taken. Having long strong legs, they are able to run away swiftly at the slightest sign of danger, or chase small swift prey after flushing it out of hiding. They are mostly solitary, but their territories will often overlap with other individuals, in which case small fights will usually break out. Females will lay a clutch of up to 20 eggs in the breeding season, after a brief but loud courtship. Calls vary from a grating, high pitched growl of aggression, to the loud screech which the male will make during the breeding season, to attract a female.
Phorusrhacos is a robust, 3 meter long edentate mammal, which is unusual in possessing a keratinous beak like a bird. Being completely toothless, these creatures are omnivorous much like a bear, feeding on a whole variety of foods. Soft grasses, roots, large seeds, ferns, bark, small vertebrates, insects, and carrion all figure in their diet. When confronted with a predator, they usually retaliate with their sloth-like claws and strong bite. Solitary and nomadic by nature, mating occurs sporadically throughout the year, the single cub will cling to its mother until it is large enough to fend for itself.
Stygivenator is a rather small, very swift tyrannosaur measuring about 4.5 meters long, it specializes in feeding on the various medium-sized fast-running herbivores that are common on the savannah. This animal can reach a considerable speed, about 60 kilometres per hour, when chasing its prey, which is always dispatched with a powerful single bite to the throat or flank. Often they must be careful to not lose their kill to larger and more powerful predators, which may harass them into giving it up. Mating is generally a bickering brief affair where the smaller male bothers the female until she reluctantly submits, after this, the female will go off on her own to lay and raise 5 to 7 large eggs, the young are cared for until they are able to feed themselves.
The savannahs of Teratopia, by definition, are rich in grasses and other hardy ground cover, thus fruits or vegetables are fairly rare. An exception would be the various fibrous bulbs and tubers that nourish some of these plants, but there are also native melon plants which bear above-ground gourds with very hard, pithy rinds. Thylacoleo is a mastiff-sized rat-kangaroo that has the dental hardware to tackle these tough, yet nutrient rich vegetable foods. Though relatively sparsely populated, Thylacoleo can be found wherever tubers, bulbs and gourds grow. Their large incisors and chunky, blade like premolars allow Thylacoleo to pierce, chop and pulverize grassland vegetables, even ones with especially hard rinds, or dense, starchy flesh. The forepaws are stout and have fair sized claws, with which tubers and bulbs can be excavated and plucked from the ground; they can also grip a handful or armful of food if the animal needs to carry it away to eat. Being one of Teratopia’s few terrestrial marsupials, they rear underdeveloped young in a large pouch, and the young even retreat to mother’s pouch long after they have become weaned and mobile. These animals are generally solitary outside of breeding and rearing young, due to the relatively sparse nature of their food source. When agitated they produce a harsh scraping noise by grinding their teeth, as a warning.
Borophagus is a robust, wolf-sized dog with a massive bone-crushing dentition. They hunt in packs, targeting medium-sized prey such as bison and juvenile dinosaurs, but a good deal of their diet comes from scavenging too. Borophagus is able to crush all but the largest bones, with their wide mouths allowing them to gnaw whole bones in half. The pack is led by an alpha pair, with most of the cubs being born to them, though other higher ranking individuals may have litters too. Calls range from a high-pitched whine, to chattering yelps and howls.
In the western reaches of the Savannah, and along the borders of the wetlands to the north, live a remarkable species of human. The Boskop Man or Homo capensis, unlike other Teratopian humanoids, is fully human and rather closely related to us. Forming nomadic tribes of up to 20, they exhibit great social cohesion and stunning intelligence, in some ways even outsmarting Homo sapiens. Their brain is more extensive in size and shape than that of typical humans, and their ingenuity and problem-solving skills greatly surpass us. Despite this, they do not have a great society or material culture, dwellings that are built are usually temporary, and art forms are restricted to various forms of ceremonial clothing, jewellery, and rock-art at certain sacred sites. Various forms of folk singing are also prevalent, though musical instruments are restricted to simple rhythm sticks and clapping. Tool-crafting is where they truly shine, their projectile weapons are very finely made, including spears of various kinds, blow-darts tipped with poison, and arrows fired from longbows. Physically, their facial features are slight, almost resembling a child, the cranium is greatly expanded, and their bodily physique is much like a typical human except somewhat more lightly built. Given more time, their great intelligence may lend them the potential to flourish into a great society which would rival that of our species, Homo sapiens.
Night-time on the savannah plays host to one of Teratopia’s most sinister creatures. Jeholopterus is a smallish pterosaur with a wingspan of about 90 centimetres; it flies about silently at night in search of prey. Like the vampire bat, Jeholopterus is a blood-sucker, and will alight upon large sleeping animals to feed. It pierces the animal’s skin with 2 long, well-rooted fangs, and then pinches the hide with its lower jaw to push blood to the surface. After a sufficient night of vampirism, this pterosaur must still maintain an appropriate weight in order to fly back to a day-time hiding place, usually a rocky crevice or tree hole. Breeding occurs in the wet season, and the female raises a clutch of 1 or 2 large eggs on her own.
Segisaurus is a small, 1 metre long theropod dinosaur that preys mainly on insects and small vertebrates. It is distinctive for the membranous hood spreading from the neck, which can be erected and lowered, it is supported by the neck ribs and the membrane is usually a bright red or orange. The hood is generally used by the creature to indicate excitement or anger as with the crest of a bird, and serves to communicate with other members of the species. Also, when threatened by a predator or rival, the Segisaurus makes a loud, high pitched hiss and then quickly erects the hood repeatedly in a startling manner. Such a vigorous display is enough to scare off many opponents and even predators. Segisaurus are somewhat gregarious, and travel in small family groups that spread out over a large area during the day, and regroup at night. These evening meetings generally involve mutual preening and sharing regurgitated food, they sleep in a cluster in a secluded area such as under a bush or thicket.
The scrubby northern reaches of the savannah that straddle the equator harbor many small, swift-footed predators, including Ornimegalonyx. This terror bird is only 1.1 meters tall and feeds mostly on small vertebrates which it is able to chase from ambush and pin down with its large taloned feet. Unlike Titanis, it does not have atavistic clawed hands, only possessing rudimentary feathered wings. Breeding occurs in the wet season, when a large crater like nest, containing a single large egg, is constructed. Ornimegalonyx form pair bonds for life and will hunt cooperatively, young are independent at about half adult size. Their call varies from a thin crooning noise to communicate as a pair, to a harsh screech when alarmed.
Perhaps the most fearful predator in all of Teratopia is the Megalonyx, or “Great Claw Cat”. At up to 580 kilograms in males and standing as tall as a man at the shoulder, this lion-like cat is truly enormous, and very powerfully built. Equally fearful are its huge claws, large compared to the body and huge in absolute herms, they serve as one of its main weapons. Unlike other cats, the Great Claw Cat uses both its claws and its jaws to kill its prey. It will pounce from ambush (being too heavily built to chase over a long distance), then wrestles the prey to the ground, making deep raking wounds with the claws to subdue it, after which the cat will deal the final blow by a bite to the throat. Prey includes Bison alticornis as well as large dinosaurs like Agathaumas and Hylaeosaurus, the Great Claw generally only kills small game when starving and weak, or during adolescence. Like the tiger, it is a mainly solitary beast, and mating is rather aggressive and violent, as is typical of cats. Females have a litter of around 4 cubs, which stay with their mother before going off in a small group as adolescents until they perfect their lone hunting skills.
The Laelaps is a medium sized predator of the savannah, 7.5 meters long and about 1.5 tons in weight. These athletic theropod dinosaurs are accomplished chasers and leapers, feeding on a variety of large and medium sized herbivores. After springing from ambush, they will advance on their prey after a short chase, and leap onto their back, making deep wounds with large foot talons and savage bites. Generally they hunt alone, but inexperienced youngsters may hunt in small groups. Breeding season involves males fighting over breeding rights much as cockerels do, with bouts of leaping and savage kicking. The females make a mound nest containing up to 20 eggs, chicks stay near to their mother for a month, until they can overpower small animals, as they grow, they will tackle bigger and bigger prey items.
The Incognitum or “Mastodon” is the only predator on the plains that rivals the Great Claw Cat, as it is a huge carnivorous, elephant-like creature. Weighing up to 5 tons, and being 3.5 meters tall, it dwarves most other creatures on the savannah, and has a deserved reputation of great ferocity. Able to charge slightly faster than a typical elephant, it can gain ground when chasing prey over a short distance. The tusks curve down, like enormous fangs, indeed they are its main weapon being employed to stab downwards with great force, instantly killing prey. It mostly hunts animals of considerable size which are slow enough to catch, such as large dinosaurs. Mastodons also scavenge carrion, and sometimes use their great size and power to force other predators off their kills. When not hunting, they will swagger from place to place in search of new hunting grounds, bathe vigorously in muddy waterholes, or else simply rest quietly standing stoically beneath a tree or other protected shade. Their teeth are heavy, consisting of multiple tall pyramidal points, which allow it to crush bones and chew flesh to a pulp. Though solitary, mating involves considerable affection and social caressing of faces and trunks, before repeated mounting over the course of a few hours. Young calves stay with their mothers for considerable time, up to 4 years, food is initially shared until the calf grows tusks and learns to hunt effectively.
Large carcasses on the savannahs and veldts invariably attract circling Quetzalcoatlus, which could justifiably be called the vultures of Teratopia. These scavenging pterosaurs are huge, reaching up to 16 meters in wingspan and weighing more than a large man. Constantly they soar over huge distances in search of fresh carrion, which they can spot from on high with keen eyesight. Quickly, carcasses attract hordes of these creatures, they can thrust their beaks deep inside the dead bodies thanks to their long necks. Their long robust beaks allow them to tear out large strips of meat which are swallowed whole; bill-clacking is generally a sign of irritation and aggression. Physical squabbling is kept to a minimum when feeding, loudness and physical bluff being effective enough to settle disputes. Calls are various loud keening and screeching noises. Breeding is done in the dry season, males will call loudly from rocky outcroppings to attract females, nests are built on isolated pieces of high rocky ground and usually only a couple of large eggs are laid.
The Pavement-Stegosaurus is a 6 to 8 metre long dinosaur weighing about 4 tons; it is one of the most heavily armoured Teratopian animals. Covered in row after row of overlapping bony scales with large spines projecting from between, in some ways it resembles a pangolin, except the scales fold downward, not backward. Mostly a grazer, it feeds mainly on clumps of the softer kinds of grass, but it will also eat herbs, thistles and ferns. Being a selective feeder, it spends most of its day lumbering along with its head down, in search of suitable food amongst the less-digestible coarse grass that is so abundant. Faced by a predator, it ducks down, and lets the defensive armour keep safe until the predator gives up. Eggs are laid in a compost mound nest in the dry season, but no parental care is given, young hatch well developed, and the armour is already partly grown. Outside of the breeding season, they are mostly loners.
Teratopian savannahs invariably play host to many grazers, and one of the most common is Notohippus. This beast is a primitive horse about as large as a dog, which has a dentition supremely adapted for consuming coarse grass. Congregating in large herds of up to 50, they graze fairly continuously on the most common and densely growing kinds of plains grass. Each herd member keeps their senses piqued in case of a predator, at any sign of danger they can send out a braying alarm call, signalling the whole herd to flee to safety. In the breeding season, stallions buck and gambol, showing their vigour in the hopes of winning one or more mates. Females usually give birth to twin calves, which grow fairly quickly suckling on their mother’s milk.
Hadrosaurus is a fairly large bipedal dinosaur, often conspicuous on the plains as it stands upright like a kangaroo. Being 9.5 meters long and standing over 4 meters tall when fully upright, it is a mixed feeder able to browse the scattered trees and shrubs as well as bending over to crop herbs, ferns and grasses close to the ground. They are able to chew food fairly well with their iguana-like cheek-teeth set in relatively powerful jaws, as with most dinosaurs digestion is poor compared to most herbivorous mammals. Herds of 12 to 20 individuals can be seen feeding throughout the day, spread out over a fairly large area, though one individual usually stands tall, watching keenly for danger. The largest male is most often the dominant one, and most clutches of eggs are fathered by him in the breeding season. Calls vary from a sharp resonant coughing alarm call sounding danger, to deep chuckling gurgles during the mating season. When confronted with a predator, they are able to run away fairly quickly on their long hind legs, with a loping stride.
Avimimus is a turkey-sized primitive bird found commonly in small flocks on the savannah. Being omnivorous, it will eat insects, bulbs, grain and the succulent bases of certain grasses. Their main defence is to run quickly away, and indeed they are one of the fastest running animals on the savannah. Its large, wing-like arms serve to maintain balance during high-speed running, but it can also fly short distances, much like a bustard. Young chicks are commonly preyed upon, especially by Troodon, and even adults occasionally are victim of an ambush, before they can run off. Avimimus can fly up into the branches of trees, where they usually sleep at night, when breeding, eggs are laid in tree nests made of mud and twigs.
Ankylosaurus is a well-armored grazing dinosaur of the savannah, reaching 8 meters long and 3 tons in weight. Their presence is betrayed as bobbing domes of rough armor submerged in the long grass, they commonly travel in small loose herds of up to 6, with one dominant male and several females. Despite their relatively weak teeth and jaws, they are generalist grazers, chewing their way through coarse and soft grass alike, even pulverizing low woody plants and spiny thistle. They compensate for their weak jaws by eating constantly and in large amounts, leaving their huge voluminous intestines to do the bulk of the work. Faced with a predator, they simply hunker low to the ground and wait for the predator to give up. The herd's dominant male will mate with all of his females, and the females make sandy scrape nests close together, each containing about 20 eggs incubated by the sun.
Hylaeosaurus are thickset, 4.5 metre long dinosaur that weigh about 1.5 tons. Unlike most herbivorous savannah dinosaurs, they prefer to feed in the juniper and fern thickets, being poor at digesting grass. Long bony spines run in a ridge down the back, but the sides are vulnerable to attack. These slow moving creatures have limited defences, and are commonly preyed upon by larger predators. Most often found around the thickets where they feed, large areas of such vegetation will usually attract quite a few individuals, though they are not very sociable. Breeding occurs in the wet season, and suitably, nests are compost mounds made under thickets of vegetation. They are generally silent, except for the occasional hiss or heavy wheeze of exhalation.
Agathaumas is one of the most impressive savannah dinosaurs, being 9 metres long and weighing up to 7 tons. These horned dinosaurs have muscular jaws, a large beak, and sturdy batteries of chewing teeth, they feed mostly by grazing on coarse grass. Their digestion is not as effective as that of the Bison, and their manure is generally sloppy, undigested seeds therein often attracting birds to feed on the dung. Defence consists of jousting, thrusting or stabbing with the large nasal horn, but they can also gallop at a fair speed. They are usually found in large herds of up to 40, and tussles between rival males are commonplace, especially during the breeding season. Nesting is done en masse, each female making a mound nest containing up to 20 eggs laid in a spiral. Young are able to walk and run soon after hatching, and will stay close to their parents until adulthood. At this time, most females choose to stay with the herd, but males may be driven off by the alpha. Their calls are varied, from snorts of aggression, to belching to stay in contact, or a nasal whine during mating.
The tropical savannahs of Teratopia are dotted with large termite mounds, similar to those seen further south in the scrublands. But here they are preyed upon by a different creature, a huge anteater than can reach more than a meter tall at the hip. Known as Scelidotherium, these heavily built creatures dig large dens where they sleep away the hottest part of the day, before emerging to feed at dawn and dusk. Their claws are huge and curved, perfectly suited to tearing open termite mounds, and though their heads are stouter than a typical anteater, they still possess a very long tongue for gather their termite food. Only larger, more formidable predators will attack Scelidotheres, as their bodily strength and huge claws make them a formidable opponent. Mating season occurs in the wetter part of the year, and females give birth to identical twins.
Boluochia is a predatory toothed-bird about as large as a small kestrel. Their prey is mostly composed of small mammals such as rodents, as well as birds and lizards, which they kill with their foot talons. It is common on the savannah to see these birds sitting atop trees or other high points in the landscape, keeping a keen eye out for prey. By necessity they are solitary, mating occurs in the wet season when prey is the most abundant. Females lay clutches of relatively few eggs, but most often only one chick survives. Their call is a keening wail when alarmed.
Daimonhelix is a stunted, robust bush that commonly grows in savannah. It sends a large spiralling tuber deep into the ground, by which it gathers and stores water and nutrients. Many herbivorous animals feed on the leaves of this bush, but none are physically endowed to dig up the large tuber which anchors it into the ground. Its flowers are small and pale yellow, growing in clusters.
Dimetrodon is a stoutly built, 2 meter long predator that occurs in areas of the savannah which are close to water sources, where reeds and grasses grow to be very tall. Its long back spines and mottled patterning serve to camouflage it, allowing it to ambush land-dwelling prey up to the size of a goat. Mating occurs mainly during the dry season, and the female lays up to 10 soft-shelled eggs. Vocalisations are mostly a soft exhalant growl or hiss, they have no vocal chords.
Common throughout most of Teratopia, but ubiquitous in the savannah, is the Latrine Fly. This rather typical-looking fly is remarkable in that it has remained unchanged for almost 40 million years. Both adults and larvae feed almost entirely on the dung of larger animals, it serves an important purpose in keeping the landscape free of waste. Breeding occurs throughout the year, and masses of eggs are laid on choice pieces of dung.
Macrauchenia is rather large for a Llama, at over a ton in weight. Found mostly in areas where the savannas and scrublands overlap, it is a mixed feeder that prefers coarse vegetation. They travel in herds of up to 25, with the largest males vying for leadership of the group. When cornered they are able to bite, spit, and kick fiercely to defend themselves. Breeding is at the start of the wet season, when the most dominant male generally sires the most young. A single cria is born per female, which is able to walk a few hours after birth. Vocalisations are a plaintive bleat, and a small hum when content.
Boltunov’s Mammoth is a remnant of times when Teratopia was relatively much cooler, it retains some physical holdovers from that time. Found mostly in the southern parts of the savannah, it is an obligate grazer, constantly cropping grass close to the ground. It has very large, curved tusks which serve mostly for defence, but can also be used in clashes between males during the mating season. Females travel in small herds; older females preside over these groups, while males are usually solitary (though they may form bachelor herds during the breeding season). Mating occurs during the dry season, so births coincide the first flush of fresh grass in the following wet. Males vie to dominate one another in combat for the right to mate; females give birth to a single, well-developed calf. Calls vary from a faint snuffling to a resonant coughing snort.
Neocathartes is a ground-dwelling vulture about as large as a turkey, which is relatively common on the savannah. They walk over large distances each day, in search of carrion, and also small prey such as lizards, rodents, young birds and large insects. Large numbers of Neocathartes can be found congregated around animal carcasses, but usually they tolerate each other during feeding. Their sense of smell is very keen, and most of their food is located by smell, even over some kilometres in the case of carrion. When confronted with a predator, they will turn and run away swiftly, taking flight if they need to. If cornered, they are able to projectile-vomit half-digested food in retaliation. Their calls are a quavering caw, and a harsh squawk.
With a colossal 7 meter wingspan, and a height of 2.2 meters, the Sandstone Bird is truly a staggering sight. This massive bird is found over most of southern Teratopia, including the savannah, scrublands and some parts of the marshes, it can often be seen soaring on high thermals, though it is equally at home on the ground, walking on long powerful legs. It feeds mainly on small and medium-sized vertebrates, such as young dinosaurs, lizards, carrion, mammal calves, fish but it will also consume large insects, eggs, fruit and seeds when the opportunity arises. By necessity it is able to run quite fast, not only to chase prey, but to build up speed for its prolonged take-offs. Though they are mostly solitary, pairs form during the breeding season when the male and female work to defend the nest from egg thieves, clutches generally contain about 5 to 7 eggs, of which 3 or 4 usually survive. Their calls are not soon forgotten, a deafening screech to proclaim territory, and a keening whistle whilst on the wing.
Stegosaurus ungulatus is a 6 meter long, 2 ton herbivorous dinosaur that inhabits the southern parts of the savannah. Having a slender, deer-like head, it feeds selectively on the most productive and nutritious growths, such as young ferns, soft grasses, young saplings, thistles and carrot greens. To maintain such a bulk on such a picky diet, it must eat constantly. When faced with a predator or opponent, it brandishes its 8-spike thagomizer like a mace, to deadly effect. Though they are solitary, they often form congregations around areas of high productivity, and usually tolerate each other. Mating occurs in the wet season, and females lay a clutch of about 25 eggs in a compost nest, providing no further parental care.
Titanis is a terrifying flightless bird, standing 3 meters tall on its long running legs. This savannah dweller is adept at chasing down and killing fast-moving prey, as well as the calves of ungulates and the whelps of herbivorous dinosaurs. Having talons on both its hind feet and wingtips, it will grasp its prey and pin it down, before hacking into it with its fearfully curved bill. They form mated pairs that only disband under times of hardship, though they often hunt separately, clutches contain up to 10 eggs. Calls vary from a squealing caw, to loud-bill clacking to proclaim territory.
Tsintaosaurus is a fairly large hadrosaur, reaching 10 meters long and weighing 3 tons. It is found mostly in the southern parts of the savannah, being a mixed feeder; it consumes various grasses, as well as low shrubs and the leaves of trees. The males have large, pointed crests which are plainly visible when the head is held up, thus serving as a signal when the animal is alarmed. They travel in large herds of up to 70, and within these herds various mature males vie for dominance at any one time. Breeding occurs in the wet season, and though the dominant male will sire the most clutches, subordinate males invariably sire at least a few. Females form large nesting colonies where arrays of big mound nests are formed, each containing up to 20 eggs. Calls include a flatulent-sounding trumpet produced by the nasal pouch, and various strident groaning sounds.
Tylosteus is a large gila-monster-like lizard, reaching up to 2.5 meters, covered in bony knob-like armour. These lizards are experts at stealing dinosaur eggs, which is one reason why they are so heavily armored, to defend against the strikes and bites of angry parents if the need arises. In addition to this, Tylosteus will eagerly consume snails, large insects, and small vertebrates which it weakens with mild venom. Mating occurs during the dry season, and a clutch of around 20 eggs are laid.