King of the Jungle

[Vastatosaurus Rex]

This is a story that has a Tyrannosaurus rex for a protagonist. It is a fantasy story, not historical fiction, so it may have some inaccuracies.

King of the Jungle

Beams of morning sunlight pierced the emerald canopy of leaves, illuminating an otherwise dark and shadowy understory. Supporting the canopy were towering trees with big, buttress-like roots and gnarling branches dressed with lianas and epiphytic plants. A rich diversity of ferns, cycads, and broad-leaved flowering plants sprouted from the moist, leafy forest floor. The squawking of birds, the croaking of frogs, and the whining of cicadas together formed an ambient chorus.

On the jungle floor slept a Tyrannosaurus rex. From his massive head to the tip of his long, tapering tail, he was forty-two feet long. His jaws were lined with teeth like curved, serrated spikes. His arms were short and two-fingered, but muscular, and his legs were long, muscular, and ended in bird-like feet with sharp claws.

The rex opened his fiery yellow eyes and pushed himself into a standing position. For a moment he surveyed the surrounding jungle, smelling the air. His species may have been the apex predators of this world, but even he had to be wary, for there were always other rexes who might challenge him for game or territory. Right now, he detected no sign of them nearby.

His belly groaned loudly and vibrated violently. The rex knew this was a sign of intense hunger. He had gone hunting last evening, chasing after a herd of long-crested Parasaurolophus, but they had successfully evaded him. Now he needed to eat badly. If he failed to find food today, he would starve.

The rex turned and headed south. He knew that if he continued in that direction, he would find a meandering river where herbivores would often gather to drink. In his mind, he had created a map of his territory. Every tree, plant, and rock in the jungle was a landmark on this mental map, helping him judge his position and distance from one place to another.

As the rex moved through the jungle, he put great effort in being as inaudible as possible. He watched every step he took so that his feet did not land on sticks that could snap. At the same time, he carefully avoided brushing against the fronds and leaves of understory plants as much as he could.

Almost every one of the rex’s senses was on full alert. He sniffed the air constantly in search of the scent of game. When not watching his steps, he scanned the jungle, studying every shadow and detail. He listened carefully to the jungle chorus for bellowing or the rustling of leaves.

After half an hour of hunting, he detected a scent ahead of him. It wasn’t an especially pleasant odor---in fact it was dungy---but it excited him. It was the smell of Triceratops, his favorite prey.

The rex lowered his body and stalked with even greater stealth than earlier. His dark green and black scales blended well into the dark, shadow-shrouded jungle undergrowth. As he stole forward, the scent of the trike grew stronger. Soon he could hear the sound of something scraping against wood. That meant he was getting closer.

Finally he found the trike.

Normally the rex had seen these three-horned ceratopsians living in herds, but this time he saw only one, a solitary young bull a little over twenty-five feet in length. This individual had been kicked out of his herd of birth when he had reached sexual maturity, as were all males of his species, and he had yet to find a new herd to join. Right now, the trike was sharpening his nose horn by rubbing it against the trunk of a gingko tree.

From his hiding position, the rex watched his target, calculating an attack strategy. For most prey species, he went for the neck, but trikes made that tactic difficult with the bony shields projecting from the back of their heads. If he was going to do a neck bite here, he would have to move really fast, before his prey could cover his neck.

No, it would be easier if the rex went for another body part. Maybe the back would be better. It was not well-protected, and he could still cripple his victim.

Very well, he would go for the back.

With jaws agape, the rex burst from hiding and charged towards the trike, eyes locked on the back. Before the predator could bite, his prey dodged him with agility that belied his size. The trike then brandished his heavy head and slashed the rex’s left side with his horns.

With a loud roar that echoed off the jungle trees, the rex expressed his pain. He turned to glare at his foe and plan another attack. He wondered whether he could weaken his opponent’s ability to attack by biting off one of his horns. Of course, he’d have to move fast, lest the trike dodge him again or, even worse, gore his mouth. Could he pull it off?

He felt his belly growl again, reminding him how hungry he was. He’d do anything to fill that stomach.

The rex lunged towards the trike’s head and bit onto his left brow horn. Then, with a yank, he tore the horn off. The ceratopsian let out an agonized half-bellow, half-roar and then angrily slashed his attacker’s belly with his remaining horns.

The theropod jerked backward, then sidestepped in a semicircular path. He was trying to reposition himself for an attack on one of his prey’s flanks. Unfortunately for him, the trike kept rotating himself so that the two dinosaurs were still facing each other no matter how much they moved.

At last, the trike charged towards his adversary, bellowing ferociously. With a quick sidestep, the rex successfully evaded him. The carnivore then turned and chomped down on the ceratopsian’s spine. The pressure of his jaws, combined with his strong teeth, crushed the trike’s vertebrae. Then, pulling his head back, the rex tore off a huge, gory hunk of flesh and bone. The trike made one last bellow before collapsing onto the jungle floor.

The rex swallowed his mouthful with one great gulp and then continued to ravenously devour the rest of the carcass. The trike’s flesh was the most delicious meat the theropod had ever tasted. It was just what he needed after going hungry last night.

Suddenly, as he ate, the rex caught a distant smell amidst the aroma of fresh meat. It was a mammalian scent, almost like the scent of a monkey, but stronger. It was the body odor of humans.

The rex growled, anger creeping into him. He loathed those two-legged, almost hairless apes. They poached his prey and cleared the jungle to make room for their villages and farms. Having such destructive creatures intrude into his domain was intolerable. He had to drive them out.

After finishing his meal, the rex left what remained of his kill behind and stole westward, following the human scent.

To be continued...

[Simon_Jester]

OK. Clearly something other than bad paleontology is going on here to explain the human/dinosaur crossover. This has the potential to be interesting. I'm not qualified to comment on the scientific accuracy.

I think you've done a decent job of pointing out one of the key factors about large predators: they live in a world that isn't always sight-dominated the way ours is. We generally see things much more than we hear or smell them, so it's natural to think in terms of their appearance first. Smell and sound are likely to be very important to an animal though, especially one who operates in rough terrain. You could have done more to emphasize this (describing the smells in more depth), but it's a start.

Practically, I do not know whether it is possible for (for example) a carnosaur to break off a ceratopsian's horn like that. Or whether carnosaurs needed to eat on a day-to-day basis- that has a lot to do with metabolism.
________

Out of curiosity, how much of this is you knowing paleontological research results, and how much is the result of your going with depictions in popular culture? Did you do more research for this than you did for your gladiator piece? Less? The same amount?

The reason I ask is because while a fantasy story may differ from reality, it should only differ from reality in ways that the author knows it differs. It's all very well for you to write something that doesn't exist in real life, but you should know you're doing it... which requires that you do research on the real thing. Moreover, the research can give you a very wide supply of ideas on what to say about the subject.

[Vastatosaurus Rex]

Practically, I do not know whether it is possible for (for example) a carnosaur to break off a ceratopsian's horn like that. Or whether carnosaurs needed to eat on a day-to-day basis- that has a lot to do with metabolism.

T. Rex was not a carnosaur. It belonged to a different branch of the theropod family tree known as the coelurosaurs.

Out of curiosity, how much of this is you knowing paleontological research results, and how much is the result of your going with depictions in popular culture? Did you do more research for this than you did for your gladiator piece? Less? The same amount?

Well, to tell you the truth, I'm much more well read on dinosaurs and prehistoric life than I am on anything in the era of written history, so I have to answer "more research". However, since we know far less about dinosaurs than, say, Roman gladiators, there is more room for creative speculation about the former than the latter.

[Simon_Jester]

Practically, I do not know whether it is possible for (for example) a carnosaur to break off a ceratopsian's horn like that. Or whether carnosaurs needed to eat on a day-to-day basis- that has a lot to do with metabolism.

T. Rex was not a carnosaur. It belonged to a different branch of the theropod family tree known as the coelurosaurs.

I sit corrected.

Well, to tell you the truth, I'm much more well read on dinosaurs and prehistoric life than I am on anything in the era of written history, so I have to answer "more research". However, since we know far less about dinosaurs than, say, Roman gladiators, there is more room for creative speculation about the former than the latter.

A point. More research is almost always better, because when you've done the research you know where there is room for creative speculation.

[LadyTevar]

I like it. I'd like to see more.

[Vastatosaurus Rex]

Here's an updated version of the first scene. The ending has changed, and the rex now has a name (Ah Balam):

##

Beams of morning sunlight pierced the emerald canopy of leaves, illuminating an otherwise dark and shadowy understory. Supporting the canopy were towering trees with big, buttress-like roots and gnarling branches dressed with lianas and epiphytic plants. A rich diversity of ferns, cycads, and broad-leaved flowering plants sprouted from the moist, leafy forest floor. The squawking of birds, the croaking of frogs, and the whining of cicadas together formed an ambient chorus.

On the jungle floor slept Ah Balam, a Tyrannosaurus rex. From his massive head to the tip of his long, tapering tail, he was forty-two feet long. His jaws were lined with teeth like curved, serrated spikes. His arms were short and two-fingered, but muscular, and his legs were long, muscular, and ended in bird-like feet with sharp claws.

Ah Balam opened his fiery yellow eyes and pushed himself into a standing position. For a moment he surveyed the surrounding jungle, smelling the air. His species may have been the apex predators of this world, but even he had to be wary, for there were always other rexes who might challenge him for game or territory. Right now, he detected no sign of them nearby.

His belly groaned loudly and vibrated violently. Ah Balam knew this was a sign of intense hunger. He had gone hunting last evening, chasing after a herd of long-crested Parasaurolophus, but they had successfully evaded him. Now he needed to eat badly. If he failed to find food today, he would starve.

The rex turned and headed south. He knew that if he continued in that direction, he would find a meandering river where herbivores would often gather to drink. In his mind, he had created a map of his territory. Every tree, plant, and rock in the jungle was a landmark on this mental map, helping him judge his position and distance from one place to another.

As Ah Balam moved through the jungle, he put great effort in being as inaudible as possible. He watched every step he took so that his feet did not land on sticks that could snap. At the same time, he carefully avoided brushing against the fronds and leaves of understory plants as much as he could.

Almost every one of the rex’s senses was on full alert. He sniffed the air constantly in search of the scent of game. When not watching his steps, he scanned the jungle, studying every shadow and detail. He listened carefully to the jungle chorus for bellowing or the rustling of leaves.

After half an hour of hunting, Ah Balam detected a scent ahead of him. It wasn’t an especially pleasant odor---in fact it was dungy---but it excited him. It was the smell of Triceratops, his favorite prey.

The rex lowered his body and stalked with even greater stealth than earlier. His dark green and black scales blended well into the dark, shadow-shrouded jungle undergrowth. As he stole forward, the scent of the trike grew stronger. Soon he could hear the sound of something scraping against wood. That meant he was getting closer.

Finally Ah Balam found the trike.

Normally the rex had seen these three-horned ceratopsians living in herds, but this time he saw only one, a solitary young bull a little over twenty-five feet in length. This individual had been kicked out of his herd of birth when he had reached sexual maturity, as were all males of his species, and he had yet to find a new herd to join. Right now, the trike was sharpening his nose horn by rubbing it against the trunk of a gingko tree.

From his hiding position, Ah Balam watched his target, calculating an attack strategy. For most prey species, he went for the neck, but trikes made that tactic difficult with the bony shields projecting from the back of their heads. If Ah Balam was going to do a neck bite here, he would have to move really fast, before his prey could cover his neck.

No, it would be easier if he went for another body part. Maybe the back would be better. It was not well-protected, and he could still cripple his victim.

Very well, he would go for the back.

With jaws agape, the rex burst from hiding and charged towards the trike, eyes locked on the back. Before the predator could bite, his prey dodged him with agility that belied his size. The trike then brandished his heavy head and slashed Ah Balam’s left side with his horns.

With a loud roar that echoed off the jungle trees, Ah Balam expressed his pain. He turned to glare at his foe and plan another attack. He wondered whether he could weaken his opponent’s ability to attack by biting off one of his horns. Of course, he’d have to move fast, lest the trike dodge him again or, even worse, gore his mouth. Could he pull it off?

He felt his belly growl again, reminding him how hungry he was. He’d do anything to fill that stomach.

The rex lunged towards the trike’s head and bit onto his left brow horn. Then, with a great yank, he tore the horn off. The ceratopsian let out an agonized half-bellow, half-roar and then angrily slashed his attacker’s belly with his remaining horns.

The theropod jerked backward, then sidestepped in a semicircular path. He was trying to reposition himself for an attack on one of his prey’s flanks. Unfortunately for him, the trike kept rotating himself so that the two dinosaurs were still facing each other no matter how much they moved.

At last, the trike charged towards his adversary, bellowing ferociously. With a quick sidestep, Ah Balam successfully evaded him. The carnivore then turned and chomped down on the ceratopsian’s spine. The pressure of his jaws, combined with his strong teeth, crushed the trike’s vertebrae. Then, pulling his head back, the rex tore off a huge, gory hunk of flesh and bone. The trike made one last bellow before collapsing onto the jungle floor.

Ah Balam swallowed his mouthful with one great gulp and then continued to ravenously devour the rest of the carcass. The trike’s flesh was the most delicious meat the theropod had ever tasted. It was just what he needed after going hungry last night.

Suddenly, as he ate, Ah Balam caught a distant smell amidst the aroma of fresh meat. It was also a meaty scent, but a rancid, rotting one, like the mouth of another carnivorous dinosaur---a Carnotaurus, to be exact.

Anger creeping into him, the rex growled. He despised carnotaurs, those obnoxious little poachers of his game. He would never tolerate their presence in his territory. He had to drive them away.

When he was finished with his meal, Ah Balam left the remains of his kill behind and stormed westward towards the source of the carnotaur scent.

[The Romulan Republic]

While my knowledge of dinosaurs is a bit rusty, I detected little in the way of obvious scientific errors. The points that do stand out to me are as follows:

1. Carnotaurus was a South American type, while Tyranosaurs lived in North America. This is according to Wikipedia, but it fits with what I recall from other sources. Also, it may have predated Tyranosaurs, but I haven't yet found a source.

2. The horn-biting is questionable as already discussed, but then again, Tyranosaurs are known to have been able to bit through bone. I just wouldn't have thought one would be foolish enough for a head-on attack on a Triceratops. Which brings me to my third point:

3. I find it odd that a Triceratops would be a Tyranosaur's favorite prey. Maybe in terms of taste, but surely not the most common prey, given how much easier Hadrosaurs would be to kill.

There's also a bit that's pure speculation of course, namely the Tyranosaur's color and the parts about the dinosaurs' social behavior.

However, its well-written (much better grammar and spelling-wise than many on-line fics I've seen), with a fairly well-written fight scene. Also, I'll add my approval for noting the importance of smell for a predator as well.

As a dinosaur lover, I look forward to future chapters. Also, if you have any questions about scientific accuracy, I'll be happy to help answer them as well as I can.

One last question: are you a supporter of the warm-blooded dinosaur theory? This will effect how often a dinosaur has to eat (an issue Simon_Jester already brought up), among other things, and so is quite relevant.

[Vastatosaurus Rex]

Carnotaurus was a South American type, while Tyranosaurs lived in North America. This is according to Wikipedia, but it fits with what I recall from other sources. Also, it may have predated Tyranosaurs, but I haven't yet found a source.

Carnotaurus is from the Maastrichtian epoch of the Late Cretaceous, the same as T. Rex. Also, IIRC, there was a point during the Cretaceous when North and South America were connected, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility of the two dinosaurs' ranges overlapping just yet.

[The Romulan Republic]

Carnotaurus is from the Maastrichtian epoch of the Late Cretaceous, the same as T. Rex. Also, IIRC, there was a point during the Cretaceous when North and South America were connected, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility of the two dinosaurs' ranges overlapping just yet.

No proof, but theoretically possible. Conceded.