Mountains

Circling the massive desert at the center of the island was a ring of mountains. Hidden away from the dinosaurs that didn't climb at all, a new group of animals ruled here: mammals. Despite the fact that dinosaurs didn't live on these towering mountains, there were still other giant, reptilian predators that took to the wing.


Terror Bat

Deinomordax gigas (Giant Terrible-Bat)

10-foot wingspan, 3 feet high

Dwelling in the mountains many caves were bats the size of most birds of prey with attitudes to match. Nocturnal hunters, they used their excellent nightvision to seek out prey in the lands down below. If they found a suitable prey item, Deinomordax would swoop down and either use its dexterous feet to seize its prey or use its sharp teeth to impale it.

Deinomordax lived in groups: up to fifty others could be in one cave or tunnel in the mountains. These mammalian flyers were surprising mothers, letting their young cling to them while they hunted. If the young remained with their mother while they were weaned, she would kill them.

Although they were considered bats, anatomically, there were differences. Unlike most bats, Deinomordax had both large ears and a leaf-shaped nose combined with large eyes, making them look more like a cross between a fruit bat and a leaf-nosed bat. Its teeth were also different from most bats, which had teeth that were like needles. The giant bat had fangs that jut out of its upper jaw like a miniature sabertooth. These fangs were used for its main specialty: killing.

Although Deinomordax looked helpless, save their teeth, they had one secret weapon. If a predator was too close, it would let out a screech to make ears bleed. The cry was so high-pitched and loud that a predator with sensitive ears would either be stunned or momentarily deafened, giving the bat enough time to escape.

Mountain-chenia

Petrochenia (Rock Llama)

9 feet long, 7 feet at shoulder

One of the most bizarre creatures on Ancient Island was the odd-looking Petrochenia. They had the basic build of mountain goats, but were the size of camels. They looked like they had a tapir's trunk, a camel's neck, and the feet of a klipspringer.

These animals were part of a long-extinct race that included the South American species Macrauchenia, which went extinct thousands of years before the island's discovery. These mammals were, in a sense, survivors of a long-lost race.

Petrochenia were surprisingly maneuverable, even on the mountains' rough terrain. Their feet were designed to not slip on slanted surfaces and remain fast at the same time. Petrochenia were also astonishing jumpers, able to leap at least ten feet high and fifteen feet in distance. They needed this agility to avoid their most common predator, the Rock Bear. These feet could even help them in balance; they could stand on surfaces as small as a teacup and not lose their footing.

Rock Bear

Ursus Petros (Rock-Bear)

10 feet tall upright

The largest mammalian predator on the island was this species of bear. Named for its pewter-colored fur, the Rock Bear used this as camouflage during hunts in the mountain ranges to stalk its prey. Unlike most bears, this one was a pure carnivore, but it still retained the stamina of its inland cousins.

The Rock Bear was surprisingly muscular, even more than its inland cousins, especially in its forelimbs. And it needed the power in its arms to climb the large rocks and heave boulders to look for food in its rocky terrain. These powerful arms could deliver a fatal blow to prey; one blow could break a prey item's back. Its claws were three inches long and are as sharp as razors, having no need to dig for food.

Rock Bears stood on their hind legs for three reasons. The first reason was to get a better look at something far away; the higher it went, the more ground it could see. The second reason was to sniff the air, because scent would sometimes drift higher with the right air current. And the final reason was to intimidate either other carnivores or each other, whether it be a territorial battle or an attempt to get at a carcass.

Rock Bears were prohibited to the mountains, away from the larger predators down below. It already had too much to worry about, and would rather not descend.

Giant Weasel

Lycaictis (Wolf-Weasel)

9-12 feet long

If the mountains were made for mammalian predators, this was a good example. Lycaictis was a ferret relative that was prepped to the size of a Siberian Tiger, making it the largest mustelid alive.

Lycaictis had a low-slung body similar to its domesticated cousin with paws made specially to grip rock. It had a surprisingly doglike head and semi-retractable claws. The reason for the sudden increase in size was probably to compare against other predators like the Rock Bear.

Lycaictis was a solitary predator, relying on stealth to sneak up on unsuspecting prey. It wasn't made to chase its prey down, so it surprised its prey with a single pounce and a bite to the neck. Not built to fight or chase, the giant mustelid specialized in smaller prey that it could kill easily and eat quickly. And that prey would be anything from a rabbit to an unsuspecting Petrochenia.

Male Lycaictis were thirty percent larger than the females and much more aggressive. Females gave birth to litters of as many as twelve kits, each one blind and helpless. They suckled on the mother's milk until they were three months old and were ready to hunt at ten months.

Condor

Aerornis rex (Air Bird King)

20-35-foot wingspan, 9 feet tall

The eagles and pterosaurs weren't the only aerial creatures with impressive wings. Ruling alongside them was a massive condor the size of a Cretaceous-age pterosaur.

Aerornis was closely related to the rare, Andean Condor with similar characteristics: a bald head, a hooked beak, and a pair of enormous wings. It could fly for several miles over the island without flapping its wings once, riding on the rising currents and keeping itself aloft on them.

Aerornis may have looked like a fearsome predator, but in reality, it was a scavenger, picking up whatever victims the treacherous mountains held. Its talons weren't made to hold things and it wasn't as muscular as its fellow birds of prey, the eagles. It would prefer a free meal over a fight any day.

Aerornis made nests of rocks and laid a single egg the size of an avocado. The mated pairs would take turn looking after it while the other would look for food. The egg had to be looked after constantly, for if one parent was off-guard, anything could happen from Deinomordax to the Rock Bear. If a predator discovered the nest, the parent guarding it would not fight, but take the egg in its beak and fly to another area. It would then build another nest and place the egg there.

Pterosaur

Ornithoptera (Bird-wing)

40-45-foot wingspan

Soaring above the island's massive mountains and coastlines was a magnificent pterosaur: Ornithoptera. However, like their ancestors, Quetzalcoatlus, they were the last of their kind.

Ornithoptera was one of the largest creatures to ever take to the air with a wingspan the size of a small airplane. However, these wings got in the way and they couldn't fold them like a bird. When they weren't flying, Ornithoptera sort of "waddled" around on all fours, its limbs bound together by the delicate wing membrane.

Male Ornithoptera were larger than the females and had longer crests. These crests were like a peacock's tail; used for display to find a mate or scare off rivals. Females laid eggs as live young would severely limit their flying capabilities. When the young hatched, they would impale their eggshells with their long beaks and eventually force their way out. If the mother wasn't there to feed them, they would often try to eat their unhatched brothers and sisters.

Ornithoptera's diet consisted mainly of fish and several could be found skimming the oceans with their beaks and snapping up any fish they touched. In the mountains, their diet consisted of carrion, small animals, and eggs. The mountains were good to scavenge meat or steal eggs as their high altitude would give the pterosaur a chance to take off.

After Ancient Island sank beneath the waves, Ornithoptera was one of the few creatures believed to have survived. The reason was their ability to fly great distances without stopping or flapping their wings very much. All humans can ask now is what land the pterosaur will call "home".

Airaptor

Aeroraptor (Air Thief)

4 feet tall, 14-foot wingspan, 8 feet long

If scientists wanted solid proof that dinosaurs came from birds, they didn't have to look any further. Darting across the mountain crags was the feathered Aeroraptor.

Aeroraptor was a new kind of dinosaur. It wasn't a bird, yet it was covered in feathers and capable of powered flight. It stalked its prey with highly-developed binocular vision. Its skeleton was honeycombed: light enough to fly, but strong enough to support its weight on land. Aeroraptor had long and lanky arms and only two claws, the third was used to support the feathers. But the amazing thing about it was that its wings weren't skin membranes like a pterosaur. It had wings that relied on feathers like a bird, but it had a long, stiff tail, non-gripping feet, and it also lacked a beak.

Aeroraptor nested on high rocks and would often take down prey as large as the Petrochenia. It would dive at its prey at speeds of up to a hundred miles per hour. When prey was in range, the Aeroraptor would use its feet to impale its prey, still retaining the sickle claw of its ancestors. If the prey wouldn't go down that easily, it would hold onto the prey with the claws on its wings and teeth, still hacking at the flesh with its sickle claw. Often, groups of Aeroraptor would work together and take turns bombarding their prey.

Aeroraptor mothers laid eggs the color of stone and made a nest of rocks to conceal them. The mother would guard the eggs with her life if she has to. Should a predator show up, she would attempt to scare it away with loud screeches and extending her wings to give the illusion that it is much more dangerous than she really is. If it fails, it will lead the predator away from the nest. There was no sense in breaking delicate bones, even when defending the eggs.

Dragon

Archaeodraco (Ancient Dragon)

16 feet tall, 40-foot wingspan, 40-45 feet long

When man explored this island, he sure was surprised to see this beast. Ruling the skies of Ancient Island was no bird of prey or pterosaur, but a giant, dinosaur relative with forty-foot wings and breath of flame. Archaeodraco was a mythology lover's dream come true.

Archaeodraco was a massive creature, easily the size of a predatory dinosaur, and as heavy as a grizzly bear. The reason it wasn't as heavy as creatures like the Tyrannosaur or Megaspinosaurus was that it had to remain light to fly.

Scientists were lucky enough to find the body of a dead dragon to find out why it could fly or breathe fire. It turned out that Archaeodraco could fly thanks to a pair of organs in its body that retained a lightweight gas that lightened the animal. The fire was also solved with different organs. Two glands in the animal's mouth released different chemicals that, when combined, would combust.

Archaeodraco resided in the mountains of Ancient Island, but would fly above grassland, lowland, and seashores in search of prey. If it should find a suitable prey item, it would swoop down and try to kill its prey with the sharp talons on its feet, which were more than a foot long. If it failed to kill its prey with its talons, violence ensued. It would kick at its victim with its talons or bite with its sharp teeth. It only breathed fire when there was no other option, because if they weren't careful, they could set the forest ablaze.

Male Archaeodraco were larger and more aggressive than females and they also had brighter colors on their wings and longer, more curved horns. While females were deep red and black, males had bright red mixed with their black skin to display dominance. The males had a vibrant display of color on the undersides of their wings; mixtures of yellow and black.

Females laid between one and three eggs that were easily the size of a football. The young hatched dependent on their mother and would remain that way until they were three years old. Juveniles had different colored wings than the adults: red patches in the shapes of eyes. When in danger, the juvenile would spread its massive wings to give the illusion that it was much larger than it really was. When they turned three, the young dragons were taught how to fly with a bit of help from the mother.

Sadly, these dragons disappeared back into mythology as the island sank beneath the waves. For the few scientists who saw it, it was an experience they would always remember.

Lizard-bat

Sauromordax (Lizard bat)

8-15 feet long, 19-25-foot wingspan, 6-8-feet tall at hip

Another of Ancient Island's ferocious and unique dragon species, Sauromordax was a smaller cousin of the monster known as Archaeodraco. Like all the island's dragons, its wings were separated by three digits like a bat rather than by a long finger like a pterosaur.

Sauromordax was a small-yet-ferocious dragon the size of the island's smaller dinosaurs. Nocturnal hunters, they spent daylight hours in caves, clinging to the walls in small colonies. There could be at least thirty individuals in a single colony.

Sauromordax hunted at night, snatching small prey from the ground in a hawk-like fashion or catching birds or bats while on the wing. A more dangerous meal was catching young Archaeodraco, often snatching one from the nest or catching it when it was learning to fly. If the parent caught the Sauromordax in action, it would lead to a dogfight or end with the bigger of the species getting a free meal.

The flying reptiles were highly maneuverable in the air, able to tip and roll to catch prey from the side or from beneath. Sauromordax caught prey using the huge talons on their feet or their razor-sharp teeth. It was not uncommon to see one burn prey with fire breath similar to their big brothers, but only when there was no other option.

Sauromordax was viviparous, giving birth to up to three chicks. They remained in the colony's cave as the mother went hunting and were fed the regurgitated remains. The mother would return with the body of a dead animal it has killed; by smelling the animal it has caught, the chicks would recognize what was safe to eat.

Eagle

Dinornis aeroptera (Air-winged Terrible Bird)

10 feet tall, 20-35-foot wingspan

Ruling the skies alongside the massive dragons on Ancient Island weren't pterosaurs. The skies were also patrolled by giant eagles that rivaled pterosaurs in size. These animals outcompeted the pterosaurs for food and the flying reptiles would have gone extinct had the destruction of the island not occurred.

The giant eagles' talons were their main weapon and it retained the hunting strategy of the smaller eagles of the mainland. They would attack their enemy from above, impaling the prey on its massive talons. And that prey could be anything from a Rock Bear to a dinosaur. When three eagles hunted large prey, they would take turns bombarding the prey with their talons until it drops form injury. Then they will dine, mothers saving pieces of meat in their stomachs to regurgitate for chicks.

Giant eagles were different from their mainland cousins in flying style. These eagles were highly maneuverable in the air, capable of performing a three hundred-sixty degree spin in midair and tipping onto their sides. They used their highly maneuverable flying ability to snatch prey from midair, catching them from above or from the underside.

The eagle's eggs were the size of footballs and mothers laid them in a rock nest high in the mountains. The mother would sit on them and turn them occasionally to ensure they kept warm in the chilly mountain air. Mothers were fiercely protective of their eggs; not even the father could go near them without assurance.


Well, that's it. I've gotten to every habitat on the island and every creature. It's the end of the story, BUT if you have any suggestions on creatures, I will gladly hear it.