Battle #11

ROUND 2

Prestosuchus vs. Giganotosaurus

Biome: Fernland

The female Prestosuchus uses her long snout to root through a thick bed of ferns, her forelimbs shoving aside nearby vegetation like a dog digging for a bone. She is looking for a nesting site. Unlike dinosaurs, pseudosuchians do not care for their young after they hatch. Instead, it is up to the female to find the safest place to lay her eggs so that hatchlings will not be snatched by predators.

She takes a long time to make up her mind about this site, testing the soil and surrounding vegetation for suitability as nesting material, and walking a wide perimeter around the site to make sure it is free of small dinosaurs that could easily poach the eggs.

Decision made; she is about to start digging when a commotion erupts in the ferns behind her. She jerks around, moving with surprising agility for such a large animal.

A large, herbivorous iguanodontid dinosaur comes crashing through the vegetation towards her, bellowing in alarm. This iguanodontid is larger than the Prestosuchus, but the pseudosuchian is sure she will be able to scare the dinosaur away from her nesting-site-to-be.

However, the Prestosuchus is not prepared for the size of the huge theropod that comes charging out of the vegetation after the iguanodontid. It is a Giganotosaurus, one of the largest predators to ever walk the Earth.

The giant predator snorts in frustration, knowing it botched this attempt to catch the iguanodontid for lunch. It is a skilled ambush predator but, because of its size, it cannot run especially fast. The moment the prey item takes flight, the chance of a successful kill becomes much smaller.

Having lost the iguanodontid, the Giganotosaurus turns its gaze upon the Prestosuchus, which has frozen in fear. Still frustrated, the huge therapod makes a lunge for the pseudosuchian, figuring it would make a nice meal instead. The Prestosuchus, rears up on her hindlegs to make herself more intimidating, snapping the air as a warning for the theropod not to come any closer. The Giganotosaurus shakes its massive head and lunges again, knocking the Prestosuchus sideways. She falls to the ground, but hastily scrambles to her feet.

Figuring that discretion is the batter part of valour, the Prestosuchus decides it’s time to beat a hasty retreat. She gallops into the ferns, out of the reach of the Giganotosaurus. She will have to find another nesting site.

The Giganotosaurus watches her for a moment, deciding against a pursuit. Instead, it lifts its nostrils to the wind and sniffs, hoping to pick up the scent of another iguanodontid to dine on.

Giganotosaurus wins!