Ferrucutus

Ferrucutus cerastes, is a large, powerful, competitive centrosaurine ceratopsid from the lowlands of Skull Island. It measures 24-34 feet long.

Among the most impressive herbivores on Skull Island are the mighty Ferrucutus. Heavily built grazers/browsers with massive shoulders and enormous frills of bone and spike, these powerful animals are dangerous prey for the island’s carnivores.

Despite their fearsome aspect and aggressive manner, Ferrucutus are exclusively herbivores, eating low shrubbery and using their nasal horns to uproot tall cycads to get to the fruit in the crown of the plants. Jungle cleared by Brontosaurus herds is quickly reduced to grassland by these shrub-browsing ceratopsids, their hard beaks making short work of the thorns and woody stems.

Ferrucutus herds can number up to around 12 individuals. Herds claim and defend small territories where eggs are laid, giving them time to develop in safety. Young immediately join the herd upon hatching and gain the protection of the group from such attackers as Lycaesaurus and pugbats. When threatened by a predator, even such a predator as Piranhadon if these herbivores are at a swamp, the herd instinctively closes around the young, presenting a ring of outward-facing horns and frills while the dominant male will then rush forward to challenge the intruder. Even the biggest and hungriest V. rex will think twice about tackling an enraged bull Ferrucutus.

Certainly a threat to would-be predators like Venatosaurus, the head armament of a Ferrucutus is primarily used in dominance fights between adult males contesting lordship of their small herds of females and young. Intensely territorial and pugnacious, adult bulls can grow to almost half again as large as a cow. They collect small harems and guard them jealously. Fights between males are frequent. Young bulls congregate in bachelor herds, honing their sparring skills with playful bouts until they are large and strong enough to challenge for their own harems.

Full dominance fights can be bloody, with injury not uncommon and death not unheard of. Even superficially wounded bulls can die of nasty infections later.

Skull Island dung beetles will follow herbivores like these and eat their feces.