Brachiosaurus brancai

Coloration:
Male - Mainly a pale green and gray mottling, with pale yellow striping on the body and a red crest. The reddening of the crest is a sign of maturity.

Female and juvenile (both sexes) - Brown and gray mottling, with some individuals having darker brown striping.

Diet:
Treetop foliage.

Preferred Habitat:
Brachiosaurus can be found in wide-open spaces where there is sufficient tree coverage, often close to a water-source such as a lake or a river, where it likes to bathe.

Social Structure:
Female Brachiosaurus live in small groups of  5-10 individuals dominated by a single matriarch. These herds are well-spread out so that they do not overgraze. Males are often solitary, seeking out the female groups when it is time to breed.

Description:
Giant quadrupedal herbivore. Brachiosaurus is by far the largest dinosaur on Isla Sorna - indeed the largest animal cloned by InGen. Despite its enormous size and weight, Brachiosaurus is  surprisingly graceful when in motion. Its long neck allows the animal to reach heights of up to 14-15 meters (even higher when the dinosaur  rises up on its hind legs), enabling it to feed on treetop foliage inaccessible to all other herbivorous dinosaurs. As well as its huge size and long neck, this sauropod is also distinguished from Brontosaurus and Mamenchisaurus by its considerably longer forelegs than its hind legs, resulting in its distinctive downward-sloping back. Unlike Brontosaurus and Mamenchisaurus - whose tails are long and tapered at the end - Brachiosaurus' tail is relatively short and stiff. Brachiosaurus' head is tiny and high-crested, with nostrils on the forehead. Its teeth are chisel-shaped.

Behaviors:
Brachiosaurus is a peaceful animal which can often be seen grazing in harmony together with various different species of herbivorous dinosaur, such as hadrosaurs and the other two species of  sauropod. Brachiosaurus keeps in constant contact with others of its kind through a variety of musical honks and bugles, as well as infrasonic booms which can travel incredible distances. The song-like calls are also used to settle disputes between individuals and to warn others of approaching danger.

Fights between Brachiosaurs are practically non-existent, with disputes normally being settled by their calls. In extreme circumstances, particularly between evenly-matched males competing for mates, they will fight, standing side by side and shoving one another until one backs down.

It is its massive size which makes this sauropod so dangerous - when agitated, it pays little attention to where it steps and it is capable of lifting itself onto its hindlegs to stomp the ground with its forelegs, potentially pulverizing a predator with its weight. Adult Brachiosaurus typically have little to fear from carnivores Ceratosaurus-sized or smaller. Even Tyrannosaurus tend to avoid them; with the pack hunting Allosaurus being the biggest threat to the adolescents. Adults may be pursued by packs of Giganotosaurus, but it is rare for Sorna’s biggest game hunter to kill a full-grown, healthy adult – instead the Giganotosaurus will bite chunks of flesh from the Brachiosaurus until their hunger is fulfilled, leaving shortly afterwards. The Brachiosaurus is able to survive these wounds and as a result many of Sorna’s oldest individuals are riddled with the healed scars from Giganotosaurus bites.

After mating, female Brachiosaurus will congregate together, often amongst Brontosaurus and Mamenchisaurus, to lay their eggs in mass nests in dirt or sand, close to forested areas. The adults then quickly move away to avoid the risk of crushing the eggs and hatchlings with their large feet. Some may remain at a distance in order to discourage predators; however the football-sized eggs are greatly sought after and a majority of the eggs and hatchlings are taken by small nest raiders such as Gallimimus, Herrerasaurus, Segisaurus, Troodon and Velociraptor, thus helping to keep the numbers of these gigantic dinosaurs under control. The hatchlings that survive remain hidden in dense forest, in constant danger from the myriad carnivore species. Their only defense is to eat and grow as fast as possible, and when they have grown large enough, the young Brachiosaurs move out of the forests to join the feeding groups of adults on the plains. Although still vulnerable to carnivores, they benefit from the protection the larger individuals provide. Only one in a hundred juveniles ever reaches full-adult size.