Welcome back, Park Managers, to a new Species Field Guide!
In this series of articles we've been spotlighting some of the incredible prehistoric species from the Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Biosyn Expansion. It's been a lot of fun looking at these different species, and we hope you've enjoyed them as well!
Last time we shared more information about the gigantic Quetzalcoatlus, one of the largest flying reptiles of its time. It's truly an impressive species, one we're incredibly happy to have in the game. This week we're heading back down to ground level again to take a look at another feathered dinosaur, a massive herbivore with menacing claws: Therizinosaurus.
Therizinosaurus lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous period, in what is now known as the Nemegt Formation. The first remains of Therizinosaurus were found in 1948 by a Mongolian field expedition in the Gobi Desert, where they uncovered the huge claw bones that gives the dinosaur its name. Since then, only a few fossilised remains have been found, but it's known that its claws are some of the longest claws of any animal ever discovered, earning it a name that means "Scythe Lizard".
A large dinosaurs, it's believed that Therizinosaurus could weigh up to 5000 kilograms while it was alive. Its claws are believed to have been used mainly to feed, pulling in any vegetation within reach, but the prominence and size of its claws also suggests that they may have been used as defense against predators. Therizinosaurus was likely a slow moving animal, making it difficult to run away from predators. Evidence then suggests that it was more likely to try and stand its ground and fight back when facing a predator.
When housed in your parks and facilities, this dinosaur is fiercely territorial and will not tolerate any other species within its enclosure. These dinosaurs dislike everything, and they won't be afraid to show it. In a fight they will use their claws as weapons, and can even take down carnivores if they feel inclined. You'll need to do some gene modifications to even have them consider sharing their enclosures with anyone.
Therizinosaurus' diet consists mainly of Ground Leaves, but they'll obviously also need water to drink. Beyond that, providing them with enough trees to hide in will usually keep them happy and satisfied.
We hope you've enjoyed this introduction to the Therizinosaurus! Will you bio-engineer them for your parks?
The Jurassic World Evolution 2: Dominion Biosyn Expansion is out now! Share your thoughts about the new DLC in the comments and let us know what you think. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all things Jurassic World Evolution 2! You can also join the conversation with the rest of the community on our forums!