Ankylosaur Ecology

by Fortuan

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Ankylosaur Ecology

B AH! Take your stinking war hogs and horses and go elsewhere! Ol' Rooter is stickin' with me! - Dwarven Cavalryman when questioned for his... unconventional mount

Introduction

Ankylosaurs are a large and rather docile herbivore. They unfortunately, are not very bright. They have only a few goals in life: eating, staying alive, and eating. They will mate if it suits them, but unlike most animals, they are not social by a lot of means. They do take a liking to routine, which makes them able to be trained as long as any food is involved; otherwise, they lose interest.

They seem to be very plodding and slow creatures, much like turtles, but they can make for a trusty mount, unlike turtles. Stubborn and sometimes moody, it takes a certain kind of rider with the right care to make it useful.

Physiological Observations

How to Identify an Ankylosaurus

At first glance, it seems that an Ankylosaurus is just a giant, more lizard-like turtle. This perception is not entirely accurate as Ankylosaurs are not attached to their "Shell" and can quickly move when they care to, fair warning this is not often. They stand about 5 feet tall and can be up to 20 feet long. They have short, squat, and broader than long heads that taper off in 2 small backward-facing horns. On their back is the giant "Shell" that extends to the end of their tail. This backplate is not like a turtle shell, as it is a hard bony plated area that extends a few inches off the sides of its body. Think of it like a cobra's hood down consisting of bony plates. The bones in these plates are hard yet spongier making them lighter than expected. The Ankylosaur shells make for good shields if forged correctly by skilled craftsmen. The end of the tail ends in a dangerous bulbous club of sorts. This weapon is made of solid hard bones with no nerves as they do not hesitate to use it even on castle walls if it desires. Some variations have been seen with spikes of horn-like material on the end of their tail also.

Leaf munchers

Their mouth is wide with a beak and flat teeth for eating and chewing soft vegetation. It seems that they are particularly fond of fruit, but since it is rare on the forest floors, they tend to stick to more delicate plants for their primary diet. They have an excellent sense of smell and hearing, making them alert to many dangers before many other animals. They do not rely heavily on sight as they seem not to be very sight driven in actions. They can see, but it seems to treat hearing and smell as humans would sight for their primary way of navigating the world around them.

Locomotion

Their legs are akin to land turtles since they are upright and not out of the sides like a sea turtle. This posture can account for Ankylosaurs', despite awkwardly wobbly from side to side when running, are deceptively quick for their pudgy looking nature. Ankylosaurs can run up to 20 miles an hour and easily maintain a speed of 10 for more extended traveling. While not nearly as effective as a horse for traveling, it's certainly good at defending itself.

Life Cycle

Young Ankylosaurs are hatched with their shells and are just as sturdy. Although they start small, they are fully capable once hatching from their eggs. They immediately begin searching for food once hatched. They grow up over 10 years and live to be about 70.

Habitat

Ankylosaurs prefer the softer vegetation on forest floors and jungles and thus stick to those kinds of environments. They are not generally found in colder regions although given proper care as mounts can traverse such areas. Ankylosaur riders need to keep their mounts warm just as much like themselves in these environments. Ankylosaurs are just as susceptible to freeze to death as any humanoids.

Social Observations

Intelligence

As for intelligence, they lack in comparison to other animals. They are stubborn and stuck in their ways by the time of adulthood. If a new creature or situation presents itself, an Ankylosaur is wary and even at times aggressive if it finds something dangerous. They mostly run on instincts, although Ankylosaurus riders would argue that there's more intelligence than most give them credit. Domesticated Ankylosaurs will have an understanding and bond with a rider after much training, but this seems to be the only complicated relationship observed.

Communication

Ankylosaurs are not particularly vocal animals. They have grunts and calls, but it only seems for rudimentary communication. It will call at an attacker with a low grating roar when on the offensive. It happily grunt when eating or content, but no other noises that we know.

Other Ankylosaurs

Ankylosaurs are inherently non-social animals. Even among their kind, they treat each other with indifference. They prefer a solitary life rooting around the jungle, eating as they go. A life of simple eating, sleeping, and finding more food seems to be the way of life from the onset.

Although frequently alone socially, other animals nearby usually don't agitate them. They've been found grazing with herds of other dinosaurs if the food is good enough. On rare occasions, a group of Ankylosaurs will eat together, but this is almost always coincidental. It may be multiple males finding a female in the mating season, but it seems to be a first come first serve situation. When it comes to mating season, the female will give off a pheromone, and eventually, a male will head the call.

Barely a Parent

Nests are fairly well hidden with dirt and vegetation by a mother. She will lay between 10 and 12 eggs and lightly cover them for hiding. Her responsibility as a parent ends there. She will then wander off back to a life of solitude. Younglings when hatching move off in the direction they see food. They are not competitive and mostly ignore each other.

Intra-Species Observations

Indiferance

Ankylosaurs are indifferent to most other creatures. They continue to feed walk or do whatever they were doing regardless. They aren't easily startled either, which leads some to believe they are oblivious to their presence. The truth is that an Ankylosaur is typically well aware of what's around it thanks to scent and hearing. They merely most of the time, don't care.

Attitude Towards Predators

When dangerous predators are near, they are a little more cautious. Anything considered an enemy should be wary of an angry Ankylosaurus. They face their enemies calling with low grumbling roars. The slant there bodies front down, exposing mostly their shelled back and waive their tail menacingly in the air. Larger predators typically are the only thing that immediately causes this behavior. Unfortunately, the Ankylosaurus doesn't handle multiple enemies well as it exposes it's underbelly to anything behind it. This exposure can be its downfall in many confrontations. If an Ankylosaurus is angry, it will put the club to swift use.

Battle Tactics

The club is hard enough to snap a Tyrannosaur leg in 2 or crush the skulls of raptors. They will swipe at enemies behind them but ultimately face the most significant threat. A downfall aside from the inability to adequately react to multiple foes is also that they rarely run. They will stand their ground no matter the adversary. This stubbornness can be useful to riders or cause serious issues, especially in groups.

Humanoids

While their interactions with humanoids in the wild have been far from interactions, it is possible to train an ankylosaur as a mount. The Ankylosaur needs to be raised from hatching or very soon after by the intended rider. This training takes a great deal of patience by the rider and a lot of work. They will learn much as any other animal using food as an indication of good behavior. Due to their thick hide, unlike horses, they cannot be "spurred" or physically indicated for action. All commands need to be verbal and by the rider. They are only attached to 1 being making them not usable by others. They will bear strangers as riders but will only obey the trainer. I NEVER advise the use of physical punishment on an Ankylosaur. Regardless of who or what it is, attacking an Ankylosaur will result in injury or death. They will fight, and most of the time, they will win.

Riding an Ankylosaurus

Riding an ankylosaur is far from a comfortable one, with their backs being wide and hard. Saddles can be strapped to the animal. The movement jostles the rider side to side, and the hard shell shifts left to right. Dwarves seem to be the only races that enjoy such a ride as other races are more akin to the grace of horses or such. It is helpful that an Ankylosaurus is just as dangerous as its rider to would-be aggressors.

Variant Species

Forest Ankylosaur

These are the most common and what the variant the article speaks of

Mountain Ankylosaur

These Ankylosaurs are smaller than their forested cousins with longer legs. They are excellent climbers and feed off of vegetation; most others won't reach high on a mountain. They have the unique ability to curl up in a ball to fall if they slip safely. They will bowl down an aggressor if it has the high ground by rolling into them.

Domesticated Ankylosaur

These Ankylosaurs are good at protecting herds or live stalk from would-be predators. While they don't actively care for the livestock, they are very aggressive towards would-be predators and keep the herd/flock safe. These are virtually identical to Forest Ankylosaur, aside from usually being bred for more dangerous tail clubs or even spikes.

DM's Toolbox

Ankylosaurs are a good creature for mounts if done correctly, as they can create some exciting moments for their stubbornness. Here are some possible scenarios:

  • Confrontation where a mounted Ankylosaur won't back down from a fight with an overmatched foe like a dragon?

  • Aggressive old Ankylosaur that doesn't like people as it learned the hard way not to trust humanoids

  • Maybe RPing the budding relationship between rider and mount

  • hunting a population for good armors and materials made out of the durable backplates.

Thanks for Reading!

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