The adros -or 'scaly bull', as it is known in East Africa- is the descendent of the hadrosaurs of the late Cretaceous. Depending on species it can weight anywhere between 1500 pounds to as much as 4 tons; nearly as much as the African savannah elephant. All known species are herding animals, gathering in groups as large as a couple hundred or more. Though the usual herd size is around 50 to 100 animals.
The adros is a tropical animal for the most part, prefering semi-arid or arid grassland. One species, the tricorn of Namibia, is a desert dweller, sometimes found in the Namibian brush.. All are herbivores.
The adros looks pretty much like a slender ceratopsian. Around 50 million years ago the ancestors of the modern adros began to develop a frill. This replacing the crest previously borne by the ancestral hadrosaur. Soon after horns began to appear. The first proto-adros appeared around 20 million years ago, complete with frill and horns. The first true adros date back some 15 million years.
At their height there were some 30 different species, ranging from Central Asia to the Great Plains of North America, with the bulk found in Africa. Tales to the contrary, no sign of adros has been found in South America.
At present there are four species, three in Africa and and in North America. Thanks to poaching and competition from rhinoceroses and elephants the African species are considered endangered. The North American species is actually faring better than its Old World cousins, but only because most specimens are kept in captivity for their hide and meat.
There is good news where the North America adros is concerned. ranching and farming land in the Northern Great Plains has been allowed to revert to prairie. This allowing for the recovery of such as bison, mammoths, and adros to some extent.
The adros is a warm blooded animal. The North American adros is feathered (a primitive type of feather much like the down of a chick) while the African species have greyish, scaled skin. All have a frill of bone, flesh, and skin projecting back from the skull reminescent of the ceratopsians of the Cretaceous. Only two species have frill horns (both African) while all have one nose horn and two brow horns projecting out above the eyes.
The Namibian species is a preferential browser, dining on leaves and twigs. The other two African adros will switch between browsing and grazing as opportunities permit. The North American species is a preferential grazer, browsing only in the Spring when tender leaves become available. All species love apples.
The adros is a fast, agile animal, capable of running as fast as 45mph. It is also smart, for a dinosaur. While the typical adros brain is around five times the size of that of a hadrosaur, it is still substantially smaller for the body size than the brain of a mammal. Still, it doesn't do to underestimate an adros' smarts.
The adros can also be agressive when pressed, or during mating season. Otherwise they are pretty easy going. When angered they have been known to chase off elephants and young dragons.
They are egglayers. During the summer time for the African animals, spring for the North American, they gather together near a reliable source of water in great numbers and build nests. Regardless of species they lay around 30 to 50 eggs each. The eggs about the size of a moa's. The mothers are attentive and protective, but still losses in some years can reach as high as 95%. Along with adult deaths throughout the year this can sometimes mean a serious loss of population. Fortunately, a good year can usually make up for those losses.
Up until recently attempts to train adros have proven just about impossible. The animal was considered too stupid and too obstinant to be a good candidate. About ten years ago things changed.
In 1992 a number of people decided to try 'horse whispering' with the North American adros. They spent months studying the animals' ways, especially how they communicate. Today captive animals are used in heavy hauling when local conditions preclude the use of heavy equipment., transportation of tourists, and circus parades (though no one has been very successful in teaching them tricks). Lessons learned with North American adros have been applied with mixed success to African specimens.
Currently the North American adros is slowly growing in numbers, while the Namibian adros is steadily declining. The two East African species are holding steady overall, but a series of bad years could put them on the brink of extinction.
For the sake of completeness I must mention the adros cryptids. There is said to be a miniature forest species in West Africa, though other than reported sightings no specimens have been captured and no remains found. At the same time stories have come out of Central Asia concerning a species of mountain adros said to reach a weight of 6 tons. Again, no specimens or remains have been discovered. Finally, there is the mountain adros of North America. Found in the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas according to the tales. Other than a bit of film taken in 1963 showing a large animal moving through the southern Oregon forest (which could be a bear), there isn't much on this animal.
There you have a brief look at a Dragon Earth animal. I really don't have them stated up, so feel free to do your own versions. For my next interstitial we'll probably be taking a look at the miraphant, Dragon Earth's other remaining large dinosaur.
The adros is a tropical animal for the most part, prefering semi-arid or arid grassland. One species, the tricorn of Namibia, is a desert dweller, sometimes found in the Namibian brush.. All are herbivores.
The adros looks pretty much like a slender ceratopsian. Around 50 million years ago the ancestors of the modern adros began to develop a frill. This replacing the crest previously borne by the ancestral hadrosaur. Soon after horns began to appear. The first proto-adros appeared around 20 million years ago, complete with frill and horns. The first true adros date back some 15 million years.
At their height there were some 30 different species, ranging from Central Asia to the Great Plains of North America, with the bulk found in Africa. Tales to the contrary, no sign of adros has been found in South America.
At present there are four species, three in Africa and and in North America. Thanks to poaching and competition from rhinoceroses and elephants the African species are considered endangered. The North American species is actually faring better than its Old World cousins, but only because most specimens are kept in captivity for their hide and meat.
There is good news where the North America adros is concerned. ranching and farming land in the Northern Great Plains has been allowed to revert to prairie. This allowing for the recovery of such as bison, mammoths, and adros to some extent.
The adros is a warm blooded animal. The North American adros is feathered (a primitive type of feather much like the down of a chick) while the African species have greyish, scaled skin. All have a frill of bone, flesh, and skin projecting back from the skull reminescent of the ceratopsians of the Cretaceous. Only two species have frill horns (both African) while all have one nose horn and two brow horns projecting out above the eyes.
The Namibian species is a preferential browser, dining on leaves and twigs. The other two African adros will switch between browsing and grazing as opportunities permit. The North American species is a preferential grazer, browsing only in the Spring when tender leaves become available. All species love apples.
The adros is a fast, agile animal, capable of running as fast as 45mph. It is also smart, for a dinosaur. While the typical adros brain is around five times the size of that of a hadrosaur, it is still substantially smaller for the body size than the brain of a mammal. Still, it doesn't do to underestimate an adros' smarts.
The adros can also be agressive when pressed, or during mating season. Otherwise they are pretty easy going. When angered they have been known to chase off elephants and young dragons.
They are egglayers. During the summer time for the African animals, spring for the North American, they gather together near a reliable source of water in great numbers and build nests. Regardless of species they lay around 30 to 50 eggs each. The eggs about the size of a moa's. The mothers are attentive and protective, but still losses in some years can reach as high as 95%. Along with adult deaths throughout the year this can sometimes mean a serious loss of population. Fortunately, a good year can usually make up for those losses.
Up until recently attempts to train adros have proven just about impossible. The animal was considered too stupid and too obstinant to be a good candidate. About ten years ago things changed.
In 1992 a number of people decided to try 'horse whispering' with the North American adros. They spent months studying the animals' ways, especially how they communicate. Today captive animals are used in heavy hauling when local conditions preclude the use of heavy equipment., transportation of tourists, and circus parades (though no one has been very successful in teaching them tricks). Lessons learned with North American adros have been applied with mixed success to African specimens.
Currently the North American adros is slowly growing in numbers, while the Namibian adros is steadily declining. The two East African species are holding steady overall, but a series of bad years could put them on the brink of extinction.
For the sake of completeness I must mention the adros cryptids. There is said to be a miniature forest species in West Africa, though other than reported sightings no specimens have been captured and no remains found. At the same time stories have come out of Central Asia concerning a species of mountain adros said to reach a weight of 6 tons. Again, no specimens or remains have been discovered. Finally, there is the mountain adros of North America. Found in the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas according to the tales. Other than a bit of film taken in 1963 showing a large animal moving through the southern Oregon forest (which could be a bear), there isn't much on this animal.
There you have a brief look at a Dragon Earth animal. I really don't have them stated up, so feel free to do your own versions. For my next interstitial we'll probably be taking a look at the miraphant, Dragon Earth's other remaining large dinosaur.
