Welcome back, Park Managers, to the Species Field Guide!
In this series of articles, we're spotlighting some of the incredible dinosaurs and reptiles coming to Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Biosyn Expansion later this year. We are incredibly excited about everything we have to share in the coming days.
This week's entry is a dinosaur that's new to both Jurassic World Evolution 2 and the Jurassic World universe as a whole. This Late Cretaceous paravian dinosaur is characterised by its beautiful, bright red plumage, and is a long distant cousin of the Velociraptor. Say hello to Pyroraptor:
The Pyroraptor is a relatively recent discovery, first found in Provence, France, in 1992. A single partial specimen was found after a forest fire at the foot of Mont Olympe, which in turn gave it its name, which means "Fire Thief". Luckily, these bones were enough to give scientists a good idea of what the dinosaur could have looked like, estimating it to be a small, bird-like predatory theropod with well-developed forelimbs and large curved claws on each foot. The claws were likely used as weapons, against both prey and predators.
Its bird-like body is adorned with a bright red plume of feathers, which spreads out along its back and arms. The feathering continues down the dinosaur's spine, ending in a set of blueish-grey tail feathers that enhances its avian appearance.
Much like its distant cousin, Pyroraptor is a social animal preferring to be surrounded by at least a few others of the same species. Leaving one alone in an enclosure is a sure-fire way to ensure it will eventually escape and cause havoc in your park. Being carnivores, they won't hesitate to go after your guests if they can, and they'll rarely get along with other carnivores. They're best kept to themselves in a group, without anyone else to disturb their territory.
In terms of environmental needs, your Pyroraptors will mainly need a fair bit of open space, with some forest coverage. They'll also need prey to hunt, as well as water to drink. Make sure you care for these new additions to your parks and they will surely attract guests from both near and far!
We hope you've enjoyed this brief introduction to the Pyroraptor, coming to the game in Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Biosyn Expansion on 14 June. Share your thoughts of them in the comments below, and let us know what you think! Will you be bio-engineering them in your parks?
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