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Struthiomimus
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Highlights:
- 2 populations have their own special behaviour and rituals.
- Cross-population courting is rare but possible.
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Group Limits
- Flock - Plains/Arid population
- Up to 25
- Raft or Shock - Forest population
- Up to 10
Nest Limits
- Plains/Arid
- Prefers nesting in caves
- Blooming Season: 5 eggs, 3-hour Interval
- Scorching Season: 8 eggs, 3-hour Interval
- Wilting Season: 3 eggs, 3-hour Interval
- Frosting Season: 1 eggs, 3-hour Interval
- Forest
- Prefers nesting in caves
- Blooming Season: 5 eggs, 3-hour Interval
- Scorching/Frosting Season: 1 eggs, 3-hour Interval
- Wilting Season: 3 eggs, 3-hour Interval
Sexual Dimorphism
- Sexual Dimorphism is mandatory.
- Plains/Arid population
- Males will be bold colourful colours. Females are more dull.
- Albino Females are seen as male, Melanistic males are seen as female.
- Forest Population
- No dimorphism - dull colours only
Variant Difference
- Arid Subspecies: Calvitius
- Forest Subspecies: Altus and Plumas
Habitat
- Plains/Arid population
- Prefers: Sparse Woodland, Desert, Mesa, Hills and Valleys
- Dislikes: Dense Woodland, Mountainous, Beach and Marshland
- Forest Population
- Prefers: Dense Woodland and Sparse Woodland
- Dislikes: Desert, Mesa, Hills and Valleys, Mountainous, Beach and Marshland
Preferred + Disliked OR Neutral = Neutral
Neutral + Disliked = Disliked
Activity
- Plains/Arid population: Diurnal
- Forest Population: Nocturnal
Diet
- Plains/Arid Population: eat anything possible
- Forest Population: Will eat all plant material but not insects
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Growing Behaviours
Hatchling
- Plains/Arid Population
- Both parents guard the nest and take care of the Chicks. Chicks are able to walk as soon as they hatch but are often timid in nature and prefer to remain in the nest. Chicks will remain quiet due to their timid nature.
- Some more bold individuals may venture out of the nest but if they do they will no longer be under the protection of their parents as the parents will focus their attention on the majority of the chicks in the nest.
- The only time the parents will protect a bold chick wandering away, would be if it was the only offspring.
- Both parents guard the nest and take care of the Chicks. Chicks are able to walk as soon as they hatch but are often timid in nature and prefer to remain in the nest. Chicks will remain quiet due to their timid nature.
- Forest Population
- As the chick bursts from their egg the first face they will see is their father. The mother has not stuck around and has gone to lay more eggs into another male's nest. Male Struthiomimus will remain feeding and protecting their young.
- Chicks will remain in the nest for 3 bars of hatchling, for the last few bars they will be able to walk and leave the nest. When leaving the nest they will remain close to their father, not straying far from him.
Juvenile
- Plain/Arid Population
- Juvenile Chicks will form a small herd of juvenile Chicks containing both related and unrelated young throughout the herd. They remain in the heart of the herd protected by the adults. Juvenile Chicks start to become a bit more bold and will start to play a game of tag with their siblings nipping their tails and running away.
- Certain individuals with bolder personalities may venture further from the heart of the herd but risk being predated on by predators if they stray too far.
- Juvenile Chicks are often quite loud and are often heard before they are seen.
- Juvenile Chicks will form a small herd of juvenile Chicks containing both related and unrelated young throughout the herd. They remain in the heart of the herd protected by the adults. Juvenile Chicks start to become a bit more bold and will start to play a game of tag with their siblings nipping their tails and running away.
- Forest Population
- Juvenile chicks are still under the care of their father but start to gain more courage and will explore their environment, foraging and investigating their surroundings. Juvenile chicks will often play with one another, often racing each other over the tree roots of the forest. At the first sight of danger, Juvenile Chicks will run back to their father 4 calling. But danger to a juvenile chick is often anything that can move.
Adolescent
- Plain/Arid Population
- Adolescent chicks have very similar behaviour to that of Juvenile chicks, the only difference being that they are now bolder, leaving the heart of the herd and watching and learning the behaviours of the adults.
- Forest Population
- As Chicks grow older they start to realise that not everything that moves is a threat.They will also find their taste in food, some preferring fruits and others roots.Chicks still have their curious and inquisitive nature and will approach anything that interests them, but will still flee from any creature they have not seen before.
Sub/Adult
- Plains/Arid Population
- Once Struthiomimus reach sub/adult they get a bit too bold and will immediately try to challenge the head Struthiomimus of the herd, often losing due to inexperience. This will often deter most Struthiomimus from challenging again.
- But if a Struthiomimus is extremely bold, they may never stop trying to challenge until they become the leader of the herd.
- Challenges continue until one struthiomimus forfeits. If neither Struthi forfeits then these challenges can often lead to death.
- This is usually because these individuals are extremely bold and fierce, not wanting to give up the chance to be a leader.
- Once female struthiomimus reach sub adult they begin to practise their dance moves. They will often display themselves in front of their male siblings (if they have some) as a sort of mock courtship. The males will watch their female siblings in interest and will 2-call if he is pleased by his sibling's display or 4-call if he is disappointed with her display.
- If a female Struthi gets too many 4 calls during her mock displays, then she may become discouraged from female courting all together and instead may try to pretend to be a male Struthi. This is done so that other females may be discouraged as well as she will 4-call any female that tries to court her. This behaviour often occurs all throughout her life.
- Female struthiomimus can only pretend to be a male if they were rejected by their siblings during mock displays, otherwise will retire if it was caused by real courting.
- Female struthiomimus must leave the group as an adult to find another raft to court into.Male struthiomimus will be taught male specific behaviour by their fathers to help their sons in courting.
- Male struthiomimus may stay in the group.
- Once Struthiomimus reach sub/adult they get a bit too bold and will immediately try to challenge the head Struthiomimus of the herd, often losing due to inexperience. This will often deter most Struthiomimus from challenging again.
Orphan Behaviours
- Plains/Arid Population
- Orphan Struthiomimus chicks when freshly hatched will often hide in any bush they can find. This need to hide often leads to the chick's demise though as if a predator approaches then struthiomimus chicks will not run, thinking that if they remain hidden they cannot be seen - no matter whether the predator has actually seen them or not.
- Although if the orphaned chick has a bolder personality, then they may explore their environment instead of hiding and if they spot a predator, they will flee from that predator, therefore having a higher chance of survival.
- Juvenile chicks will now start grouping with any other Juvenile and above struthiomimus for shared protection, they will also be very nomadic as they search for a large struthiomimus herd to join.
- Bold Juvenile chicks will actively avoid grouping with other Struthiomimus because they believe that the other Struthiomimus hold them back. Instead they will travel alone in search for more suitable Struthiomimus to group with. This therefore means bold chicks will only ever group with other bold chicks.
- Bold chicks will greet other struthiomimus by 3 calling at them.
- Orphaned Adolescent Struthi will act similar to orphaned juveniles.
- Orphan Struthiomimus chicks when freshly hatched will often hide in any bush they can find. This need to hide often leads to the chick's demise though as if a predator approaches then struthiomimus chicks will not run, thinking that if they remain hidden they cannot be seen - no matter whether the predator has actually seen them or not.
- Forest Population
- Orphaned hatchlings will often not survive as they are unable to walk for half of their hatchling life and therefore are often predated on or starve. But if one does manage to survive, they will likely be malnourished and extremely timid, often hiding at the sight of anything. This timid behaviour almost always stays and the orphaned Struthi is often an outcast to their peers due to them 4-calling to anything that moves. Once orphaned Struthi reach juvenile and above, they will start to explore a bit more, but at any sign of movement will dart to the closest hiding spot.
Social Behaviours
- Plain/Arid Population
- Struthiomimus are highly social, and can often be seen playing a game of tag with one another and having mock battles to 50% health.
- Struthiomimus will often be seen grooming each other as well, making sure nobody in the herd has parasites.
- Struthiomimus enjoy running and you can often see entire flocks running across vast open spaces.
- Forest Population
- Struthiomimus are often quite anti-social. They often keep to themselves when possible, and will group together for mutual benefit but will not socialise a lot. The only social behaviour displayed by Struthiomimus would be preening each other's feathers.
- Struthiomimus are not aggressive towards one another.
Interspecies Behaviours
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Territorial Behaviours
- Plains/Arid Population
- During courting, Male Struthi will claim a small territory (3 Body lengths) which he will protect and guard from other males.
- Struthiomimus is also food aggressive and will claim food sources such as berry bushes and ant hills, and will try to defend such food sources from any dinosaur Medium and below.
- Forest Population
- Forest struthiomimus do not claim territories as they live a mostly sedentary lifestyle.
Hunted Behaviours
- Plains/Arid Population
- Stuthiomimus, if it spots that its being hunted, will 4-call and a stampede will ensue. Struthiomimus will stick close together and will start running away from the predator. Often the oldest and weakest struthiomimus are preyed upon, allowing for the younger and fit to survive.
- If there is offspring present, 6 struthiomimus, usually their parents, can defend them no matter the size of the predator.
- Stuthiomimus, if it spots that its being hunted, will 4-call and a stampede will ensue. Struthiomimus will stick close together and will start running away from the predator. Often the oldest and weakest struthiomimus are preyed upon, allowing for the younger and fit to survive.
- Forest population
- Struthiomimus will only run from a hunt if it is a sub-apex and above, otherwise 6 of the strongest struthiomimus will defend the rest from the threat until it has fled.
- If there is offspring present, 6 struthiomimus, usually their parents, can defend them no matter the size of the predator.
- Struthiomimus will only run from a hunt if it is a sub-apex and above, otherwise 6 of the strongest struthiomimus will defend the rest from the threat until it has fled.
Engagement Limits
- 6 in an engagement
Courtship
- Plains/Arid Population
- During courting, the leading struthiomimus gets the first pick of mate choosing who they see fit enough to have their children with. Male struthiomimus will often claim small territories, which they will use as a stage to show off to females. Male Struthiomimus will kick and jump to display themselves to females in hopes to impress them. Female struthiomimus often enjoy the colourful males displays but will always try to pick the most colourful male of all as it implies he must be the strongest and fittest of them all.
- Albino males have an advantage in courtship as the bright white often catches the eye of the females.
- During courting, the leading struthiomimus gets the first pick of mate choosing who they see fit enough to have their children with. Male struthiomimus will often claim small territories, which they will use as a stage to show off to females. Male Struthiomimus will kick and jump to display themselves to females in hopes to impress them. Female struthiomimus often enjoy the colourful males displays but will always try to pick the most colourful male of all as it implies he must be the strongest and fittest of them all.
- Forest Population
- Male struthiomimus, when ready to nest, will build their nest in a secure location that is under foliage or in a cave. Once built, he will broadcast signalling to female struthiomimus that he is ready to be courted. Interested females will approach the male and display themselves with kicks and jumps to show their strength and resolve. If the male is interested in her display, he will 2-call. The female will lay her eggs in his nest and move to the next ready male. If the male is disinterested in her he will 4-call.
- If a female is rejected too many times, she can be discouraged from courting and will often retire. If rejected 5 times in a row she has retired.
- Melanistics have an advantage in courtship as they blend into the shadow of the night better than other Struthiomimus.
- Albinos have a disadvantage in courtship as their bright white stands out too much.
- Male struthiomimus, when ready to nest, will build their nest in a secure location that is under foliage or in a cave. Once built, he will broadcast signalling to female struthiomimus that he is ready to be courted. Interested females will approach the male and display themselves with kicks and jumps to show their strength and resolve. If the male is interested in her display, he will 2-call. The female will lay her eggs in his nest and move to the next ready male. If the male is disinterested in her he will 4-call.
- Mixed
- It is often rare, but cross breeding of the 2 populations is possible as both populations share sparse woodland as a habitat. The forest female will build her nest in the foliage or caves in sparse woodlands. She will wait at her nest broadcasting trying to attract another female forest Struthi. Sometimes this can attract male plains/arid Struthi and they will claim an area in front of her nest to display himself to her. Due to once dormant instincts, the female finds this male quite attractive due to his bright plumage and decides to accept his courting advances instead of rejecting him like she would normally do.
- Female forest Struthi will always reject Melanistic male plains/arid Struthi as she will believe they are female.
- Male plains/arid Struthi are also attracted to the calls of male forest Struthi and will try to display to them as well but are always rejected by male forest Struthi as they despise their bright plumage.
- Melanistic male plains/arid Struthi may get accepted by male forest Struthi due to their dark plumage, but this courting often dissolves quickly when the male forest Struthi realises the melanistic is actually male and cannot lay eggs.
- Cross breeding is only possible when a female forest Struthi is pretending to be a male and is being courted by a Plains/Arid male Struthi.
- Offspring from the cross breeding must follow the population's behaviour that their subspecies represents but doesn’t have to follow normal dimorphism and can choose either population's dimorphism.
- Most offspring are split up as juveniles between populations.
- It is often rare, but cross breeding of the 2 populations is possible as both populations share sparse woodland as a habitat. The forest female will build her nest in the foliage or caves in sparse woodlands. She will wait at her nest broadcasting trying to attract another female forest Struthi. Sometimes this can attract male plains/arid Struthi and they will claim an area in front of her nest to display himself to her. Due to once dormant instincts, the female finds this male quite attractive due to his bright plumage and decides to accept his courting advances instead of rejecting him like she would normally do.
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Notes
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Terms
- Chick = Struthiomimus offspring
Stat Changes
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