Dimorphodon macronyx



Coloration:

Adult & juvenile (both sexes) - mostly a drab brownish gray body, with orange wing membranes. The sides of the snout and the area around the eyes are tinged with pink.

Diet:

Mostly invertebrates, but also small arboreal mammals including monkeys, sloths and ocelots; as well as lizards, snakes and frogs. Spending at least some of its time living on the backs of large sauropods also gives Dimorphodon an opportunity to feed on wounds left behind from carnivore attacks. It may also scavenge on the remains of fish left behind by adolescent hippocratesi Pteranodon.

Preferred Habitat:

Mostly forested regions of Sorna. In open areas, colonies of Dimorphodon seek refuge on the backs of large sauropods.

Social Structure:

Quite social, living either in mated pairs or small to medium-sized colonies.

Description:

Small pterosaur. Wings short in proportion to its body. Unlike the other pterosaurs of Sorna, Dimorphodon has a long tail, tipped with a thin diamond-shaped vane composed of soft tissue. The neck is short and the head is quite large, the jaws containing many sharp, fang-like teeth. The toes on its feet are long with sharp claws. The pterosaur’s back and the top of the head are covered with filamentous fibres.

Behaviors:

Sorna’s smallest pterosaur, Dimorphodon is incapable of soaring, instead relying on rapid wingbeats in order to stay airborne and using its long tail as a stabilizer when in flight. It is quite agile on the ground, moving in a scampering motion on all four limbs. It is also an adept climber and lives most of its life in trees or on the backs of large herbivores, using its long, grasping toes and sharp claws to keep a hold. Primarily a predator of small invertebrates, mammals, lizards and amphibians, Dimorphodon snatches its prey with a rapid snapping motion of its jaws. It has large eyes for spotting prey, as well as predators such as the arboreal dinosaur Herrerasaurus.

Dimorphodon does in fact share a symbiotic relationship with Isla Sorna’s largest sauropods, using the massive dinosaurs as platforms on which to rest and breed. The pterosaur hunts the insects that are disturbed by the movements of its larger hosts, or uses its interlocking teeth to pick off parasites lodged in skin. The pterosaur may feed on the flesh and blood from wounds left behind from predator attacks. While keeping wounds clean of insect larvae and thus helping to prevent infection, it can also prolong the healing process. However Dimorphodon is highly active and rarely stays on a single animal for long. It is constantly on the move, travelling between host to host. A sauropod dying from a Dimorphodon infestation is unheard of.

Dimorphodon mated pairs share life-long bonds. The pair constantly renew their bonds through rapid chattering and snout-rubbing, and often mate on the backs of sauropods. When the female is ready, she and her mate retreat into dense forests, choosing a large tree in which to build the nest. The female uses her sharp, slightly outward-pointing teeth to tear a hole in the bark wide enough to fit herself and her young. The male will help by bringing back nesting material and mud with which to seal up the hole to protect the nest inside, leaving a gap wide enough for him to pass food through to the female and young. The female lays two or three eggs. When the room inside the hole has reached full capacity due to the growing chicks, the female will break out, and the young are able to practice their flying skills under the watchful eyes of their parents. The same Dimorphodon pair may use the same nesting hole each breeding season.

Small groups of Dimorphodon may sometimes be found accompanying adolescent hippocratesi Pteranodon that have been evicted from their family group, benefitting by scavenging the remains of the Pteranodons' prey. Owing to the increased aggression of the full-grown individuals, Dimorphodon tends to give the adults a wide berth.

Dimorphodon is moderately aggressive and particularly protective of nests and young. It has been known to go after young Tapejara and small dinosaurs the size of Dryosaurus, and even use diversionary tactics to confuse and harass the predatory Herrerasaurus.