Corythosaurus casuarius

Coloration:
Male - A creamy white body, with orange splotches outlined in black and a vivid red crest.

Female and juvenile (both sexes) – Same as the male, but the crest is smaller and duller.

Diet:
Plants. Corythosaurus is not picky at all. Batteries of chewing teeth in its jaws make short work of tough fibrous vegetation.

Preferred Habitat:
Open plains dotted with clusters of trees.

Social Structure:
Corythosaurus live in herds, often mingling with other hadrosaur species to form mixed herds. These herds tend to stick close to sauropods such as Brachiosaurus for safety, and the hadrosaurs themselves may be trailed by groups of Gallimimus and Dryosaurus who in turn seek safety amongst the larger animals.

Description:
Large, heavy bodied, quadrupedal herbivore. Corythosaurus is easily recognized by its laterally-flattened, plate shaped crest. This crest is larger and rounder in males, and absent in juveniles. As well as being used for gender recognition, the crest also helps the Corythosaurus to produce calls different from any other type of duckbill. The sounds a Corythosaurus makes are loud, short, high-pitched honks.

Behaviors:
Being a target for many predators, Corythosaurus has very acute senses, especially its eyesight and smell. This hadrosaur species tends to be much bolder in the face of danger than its contemporary and close relative Parasaurolophus, and it is more likely to stand its ground against danger as opposed to running away. A threatened Corythosaurus herd will stand together, making it difficult for the predator to pick out a single individual, and produce ear-splitting honks to try and deter the predator from approaching. A synchronized wall of sound by a group of these duckbills can be very discouraging to a young predator in particular; and many carnivores have learned to associate hunting Corythosaurus with pain after having bad experiences with these noisy herbivores in their youth. If the noise tactic does not work, the herd will move toward the enemy as one, threatening to stampede and intentionally crush the predator or predators with their combined weight. Hunts may be abandoned if the risk of being trampled is too great. Even a lone, cornered Corythosaurus can be a challenge. Its large size and powerful tail and legs can prove to be dangerous weapons against smaller predators, such as Velociraptor. Ironically when mixing with Parasaurolophus herds, Corythosaurus tend to follow the lead of its relatives, and will run alongside the tube-crested hadrosaurs when the herd is under attack.

Corythosaurus breeding season coincides with the breeding season of Parasaurolophus, and it is during this time when the two species are more likely to form mixed herds. Corythosaurus females are known to incite males to display or to fight one another, using calls and body language. When a strange male approaches a female Corythosaurus, she will alternate between interest and disinterest and purposely look towards the other males of the herd. The male will be prompted to challenge these other males, hoping to gain the female's favor. Males fight using loud vocalizations and bodily shoving matches, and this allows the female to observe the males' performance and to evaluate them as potential mates. Generally, females prefer the biggest, strongest males with the largest crests and produce the loudest sounds.

After the mating, the Corythosaurus and Parasaurolophus herds lay their eggs in the Meadow. Their nests are colonial, with mounds being set close together to allow room for the adults to move in between. The eggs are incubated with vegetation, and the juveniles are brought food and protected by their parents until they are able to leave the nests and travel with the adults.

Although it usually grazes on all fours, Corythosaurus often raises up onto its hind legs in order to run; to observe its surroundings or to   reach up to browse from the lower levels of trees. Like Parasaurolophus, Corythosaurus display latrine behavior; with entire herds preferring to expel their waste together at a designated location - usually an area of dense forest.