Ceratosaurus nasicornIs

Coloration:

Male – A red head and a paler, red-colored body with black stripes.

Female and juvenile (both sexes) – A brown body with pale stripes.

Diet:

Typically meat from small to medium-sized animals. Ceratosaurus is a very picky eater, and its aversion to feces means it tends not to consume the intestines of its prey. When it does, however, Ceratosaurus will shake the intestines vigorously to empty their contents before consumption. As a result of this dinosaur’s fussiness, it often leaves a lot of waste meat left on a kill, most of which other carnivore species will take advantage. The meat always has to be fresh, preferably from animals it has killed itself. Rotting carrion is never considered.

Preferred Habitat:

Dense forests and Jungles.

Social Structure:

Somewhat sociable, Ceratosaurus is more commonly found either alone or in small family groups consisting of a mated pair and their sub-adult young.

Description:

Medium, heavily-built bipedal carnivore. Prominent horn on snout, varying in size and shape between individuals and absent in juveniles. This horn is fragile and used for display only. Slightly raised ridges above each eye. There is a row of raised bumps running along the spine from the top of the head to the tip of the tail. Jaws capable of opening extremely wide and teeth are massive and blade-like. Front limbs short with four fingers tipped with sharp claws.

Behaviors:

Ceratosaurus is a nocturnal hunter. It kills its prey with a bite to the neck region, using its long teeth to sever vital arteries before backing off to wait for the victim to bleed to death. Unusually for a carnivorous dinosaur, Ceratosaurus will avoid scavenging from rotting corpses as it prefers fresh meat. It cannot stand the smell of dung and will even bury its own excrement as cats do. This also helps Ceratosaurus to avoid unwanted attention from larger predators.

A lone male Ceratosaurus seeking a mate will often go hungry for weeks while he searches out a female which is both alone and receptive. Some males may try to steal away females from other males, and this will often lead to noisy squabbles. The male puts on an elegant display and courtship dance for the female, emphasizing his body and bobbing or moving his head from side to side to show off his nasal horn. Females generally prefer the bigger, more assertive males with the most prominent nose horns. Males and females are evenly-matched in size and strength, and males tend to be very possessive over their mates. Females are just as capable of fighting back against a mate she deems unworthy of herself as aggressively as any male; and male/ female squabbles can be as loud, as noisy, and as bloody as any male-on-male fight.

After mating, it is the male who builds the nests for the eggs. After the eggs are laid and hatched the male will continue to tend to his mate, bringing back kills for her and their offspring. This continues until the chicks are grown enough to leave the nest and travel with their parents. At which time, the female and the male may separate and continue living solitary lives, or they may stay together and mate again at a later time, thereby forming a small social family group. The young are normally encouraged to find their own way in the world upon reaching sub-adulthood.

Lone Ceratosaurus are respectful of the territories of larger carnivores and are generally docile unless provoked, preferring to remain hidden during the day. A threatened Ceratosaurus may try to fight back, especially when parents are protecting their young. More often than not, Ceratosaurus avoids confrontation with animals its own size or larger. Sometimes a lone Ceratosaurus may be followed by one or several Herrerasaurus. These smaller carnivores know that the Ceratosaurus will leave plenty of leftovers from its kills.