Isla Sorna[]
Illustration by MissDNA of JPLegacy
Length: 33 feet
Height: 13 feet
Weight: 1.8 tonnes
Coloration:
- Male: Black with a beige underbelly with red stripes running down the neck, back and tail.
- Female: Beige overall coloration with brown mottling covering the body.
- Juvenile (both sexes): Same as female but with a thin layer of white or grey fuzz.
Diet: Meat. Albertosaurus mainly preys on soft hadrosaurs and small, fleet-footed ornithopods, however it will attempt to tackle ceratopsians and sauropods when hunting in packs. Albertosaurus will also kill and eat the sick and injured members of its own kind.
Preferred Habitat: Roams both forests and plains.
Social Structure: Surprisingly accepting of others of its kind, Albertosaurus live in small to medium-sized groups of varying ages. These groups display no real hierarchy.
Albertosaurus is similar to its relative Tyrannosaurus, albiet only half the size. The muzzle is longer, lower, and narrower than that of Tyrannosaurus with more teeth; and the arms are short with two clawed fingers. Albertosaurus is relatively gracile in build and its long legs allow it to pursue prey for long distances; as well as unleash powerful, defensive kicks. Juveniles are long-legged and even faster than the adults. There are brow hornlets above each eye, slightly more prominent in males. Females tend to be a little more robust than males.
Albertosaurus is a formidable predator, and an unexpectedly fast runner for its size. Prey animals often underestimate the Albertosaurus’ ability to run for long distances without tiring; in fact Albertosaurus often wears its prey out with a chase before attacking. The predator paces itself, picking up speed only when it realizes its prey is slowing through exhaustion. The prey is then killed with a powerful bite or a disabling kick.
Unlike Tyrannosaurus, Albertosaurus are commonly found in moderate-sized groups. To avoid over-hunting of its prey, small packs of one to three individuals break off from the main group to hunt while the other members remain behind to guard the territory and the young. Small prey, hunks of flesh and meat stored in the dinosaurs’ crop are brought back to the community and shared out between the members that require it most, namely the mothers and young.
The adults care for their young in nesting communities similar to hadrosaurs, and when the juveniles are old enough they are taken on hunting expeditions with their parents and/ or older siblings. The faster-moving young flush out the prey and drive them towards the jaws of the adults waiting in ambush.
Albertosaurus is a major competitor of the similarly-sized Allosaurus, which shares its habitat. Battles between the two are commonplace due to the tyrannosaurid's high aggressiveness, and entire packs can get involved in gang fights.