Velociraptor antirrophus "nublarensis"

Coloration:

Male – Orange body with black stripes and pale white underbelly. Eyes are greenish yellow with slitted pupils. Female – Brown and gray mottled body with paler brown underbelly. Some individuals may display darker brown patterns, such as  stripes or spots. Eyes yellow to green with slitted pupils. Juvenile (both sexes) - Pale brown, almost cream colored body.

Diet:

Carnivorous, able to take small mammals and reptiles as well as Dryosaurus when alone and hadrosaurs when in packs. V. nublarensis is also the most likely raptor subspecies to turn to  cannibalism, attacking the young and other weak members of the pack especially when prey is scarce.

Preferred Habitat:

Wide range of habitats from jungle, grassland and wetland, even taking up residence in abandoned InGen sites. May also be found in the Caverns however here it is often outcompeted by Troodon.

Social Structure:

Hierarchical packs similar to that of a wolf, with an alpha male and/or female. They will only pack with their own kind.

Description:

Small bipedal carnivore. The jaws are lined with many sharp, serrated teeth and the grasping three-fingered hands are equipped with strong, sharp talons. A raptor's most infamous feature is  an enlarged "killing claw" on the second toe of each hind foot, resembling a scythe. The claw is capable of being swivelled in a downward, slicing arc to stab and slash at prey. V. nublarensis appear more lizard-like in facial structure than the more bird-like V. sornaensis, and lack the snout ridges and quills. Females tend to be larger than males. The Velociraptors are actually engineered from the genes of Deinonychus, which attributes to their larger size.

Behaviors:

The Velociraptors are among the deadliest and the most intelligent of carnivorous dinosaurs cloned by InGen. Pack-hunters, Velociraptors stalk their prey slowly and patiently. One member of the pack will deliberately show itself, unnerving the victim in order to distract it from the oncoming attack from the other raptors hidden at  the victims' sides and rear. A raptor's claws are used in conjunction with its teeth to rip and tear into the victim's flesh, inflicting terrible wounds from which it dies a slow, painful death through blood-loss or shock. A raptor may also employ its claws as hooks to climb up onto the bodies of large prey in order to reach the more vulnerable areas, such as the neck or spine. Raptors have powerful hind legs which give them the ability to run at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour on open land as well as leap to incredible heights. They can also issue powerful kicks to send its killer claw slicing through the belly of its victim, spilling the intestines. Nublarensis raptors have been known to kill for sport and seem to take great delight in making their prey suffer. A telltale Velociraptor's kill is often torn and shredded beyond recognition.

Raptors mate for life. Couples within a pack will typically take the alpha pair's lead to mate at the same time, so females lay their eggs together. This boosts the chances of their offspring surviving and encourages socialization between juveniles. Nests are built quite close to one another, often in difficult to reach areas far from the stomping grounds of much bigger predators. The chicks are able to move about with the adults soon after hatching, but being too young to accompany the adults on hunts, they are hidden in burrows or other small, cramped spaces where they wait until the adults return. The adults store regurgitated meat in their crops specifically to feed the young, and the alpha's chicks always take priority.

As they grow stronger and more active, the juveniles begin to hunt small prey such as lizards, mammals, and invertebrates by themselves, learning co-operative behavior and vital life skills as they do so. V. nublarensis displays more aggression towards its own kind than its Sornaensis relatives. As they grow into adolescence, the chicks will proceed to fight one another, culling the weak until only the strongest remain. New adults may choose to remain with their natal packs or leave to join or form other packs elsewhere. As the alpha pair grows older, it is not uncommon for them to be displaced and chased out or killed by younger, stronger individuals. To avoid inbreeding within their ranks, raptor packs replenish their gene pools by frequently accepting fresh blood in the form of rogue adults. A thorough inspection is always carried out beforehand, involving the alpha pair sniffing around the newcomer while the rest of  the pack forms a tight ring around the newcomer to prevent escape. The newcomer needs to be healthy, strong, capable, and submissive to the alphas of the pack; and the alphas will often snap or lash out to provoke the newcomer into a reaction. If the alphas are satisfied, they will allow the newcomer to stay, although a close eye will be kept on the new recruit for a time afterwards. If the newcomer is deemed too old and weak, diseased, not compliant enough to the alpha's standards or there is simply no room within the pack, it is likely the newcomer will be rejected, either being killed by the pack or chased from the territory. If a pack grows too large for local resources to accommodate its needs; or if tensions are running high between its members (typically after the death or displacement of an alpha), the pack will either attempt to kill off one another to reduce its members, or it will disband, with members often seeking out new packs elsewhere or simply going rogue for a time.

Sometimes the pack forms again with at least a  few of the same members within the same territory, when food becomes abundant again. Raptors are well known for their high intelligence, having the ability to solve basic puzzles such as opening doors and testing weaknesses in fences; as well as setting basic traps for their prey. They are capable of advanced communication with others of their kind, enabling them to better plan out attacks on their prey, and they are also among the most vocal of Isla Sorna's bestiary, capable of communicating with over 2,000 different sounds including barks, hisses, chirps and screams. The Nublarensis Velociraptor is generally more active at night. Its coloration is less vibrant than its sornaensis relatives, allowing it to blend in well against the darkness, and its cat-like eyes allows it to  see with exquisite clarity.

Important Notice to Our Players:

Mixed packs and hybridization between V. nublarensis and V. sornaensis is prohibited in this RP. While Live the Legend allowed hybrid characters, its successor Return to New Lands does not. Please respect the decisions of the staff. Thank you.