Meet the Animals-Cenozoic
Prehistoric Park exhibits a wide array of animals from after the extinction of the dinosaurs. Some are shown here but we have so many that we can only show you a few!
Passenger Pigeon
Habitat: Deciduous Forests
Age: Pleistocene-1914
Size: Males 39-41cm, Females 38-49cm
Diet: Berries, fruit, seeds, nuts, earthworms and snails
Distribution: Eastern United States
The Passenger Pigeon used to be a common sight east of the Rockies where they would migrate in flocks that numbered into the millions. A mixture of natural population decline, habitat loss and hunting caused the last Passenger Pigeon to go extinct in 1914. These brightly coloured birds can be found in the Carolina Aviaries where they live alongside the North Carolina Parakeet.
Did you Know?
Passenger Pigeons only breed in flocks in the tens of thousands. Prehistoric Park for this reason houses two flocks, one on Isla Nublar and one on Isla Sorna.
Eastern Cougar
Habitat: Dense forests
Age: Pleistocene-2015 (Officially classed as extinct)
Size: 2.4m long
Diet: Elk, deer, birds, small mammals
Distribution: Eastern United States
The Eastern Cougar was a subspecies of the North American Cougar that was officially declared extinct in 2015. Like other subspecies of cougar the Eastern Cougar is an ambush where a cougar will stay in dense undergrowth before pouncing on their prey. Our four cougars can be located in Holocene Heights on Isla Sorna where we have managed to recreate an Eastern American forest. Commonly you can find the cubs hiding in a makeshift cave overlooking the park.
Did you Know?
The Eastern Cougar is the first animal declared extinct to be released back into the wild. With it being a subspecies and not a species it was deemed easiest to release and now a population thrives in the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary in Massachusetts.
Dodo
Name Meaning: Possibly Portuguese origin with 'doido' meaning 'fool'
Habitat: Forests and wetlands
Age: Pleistocene-1681
Size: 1m tall
Diet: Nuts, seeds, bulbs, roots, crabs and shellfish
Distribution: Mauritius
Dodos are one of the most well-known extinct animals. Males will often fight other males using their hooked beaks over territory rights. Dodos will form mating pairs where both parents take it in turns to look after the single chick. Prehistoric Park houses are large collection of these plump birds in Peace Park on Isla Nublar where our flock live in a replica of a Mauritian forest with an inbuilt swamp. Last year each pair laid a nest causing a population explosion and this has put forward our program to release them into the wild.
Did you Know?
To help in their digestion Dodos will eat gizzard stones to help break down plant matter.
Brygmophyseter
Name meaning: Biting Sperm Whale
Habitat: Open oceans, males ocean depths
Age: Miocene, 23-5 million years ago
Size: 7m long
Diet: Fish and squid
Distribution: Japan
The Brygmophyseter was a distant relative of the sperm whale that lived in small pods near the surface of the ocean. Like modern sperm whales they would communicate using echolocation making them a highly sociable whale. Our pod lives in the sea between Isla Nublar and Isla Pena where they are most easily seen close to the sea surface. However our males swim in the deep depths so it is unlikely that you will see them except during the mating season when they come near the surface. We use sonar systems instead of a tank to keep them in but do not worry; the sonar gives them a large area for them to live in which would be unattainable with a traditional tank allowing them to live a better life.
Did you Know?
The Brygmophyseter was not top hunter in the seas of Japan. Smaller whales were often prey for the giant shark Megalodon.
Chalicotherium
Name meaning: Pebble Beast
Species at the park: antiquum and pilgrimmi
Habitat: Forest edges
Age: Late Burdigalian to Tortonian of the Miocene, 15-11 million years ago
Size: 2.5m tall
Diet: Leaves
Distribution: Asia, Africa and Europe
The Chalicotherium is probably one of Prehistoric Park's weirdest creatures. Walking on its knuckles ending in large claws this weird animal is closest related to horses. These long claws are best used for defending themselves from enemies and stripping branches of their leaves. We exhibit two species of Chalicotherium, pilgrimmi on Isla Sorna next to the giant Paraceratherium and antiquum on Isla Tacano. Chalicotheres are not good jumpers or climbers so their exhibits are surrounded by a small hill allowing them to have their own territory.
Did you Know?
Chalicotherium had weak molars so they could not chew grasses as horses could so they went extinct when grasslands replaced forests in their habitat.
Smilodon
Name meaning: Knife Tooth
Species at the park: populator and fatalis
Habitat: Grasslands and forest edges
Age: Late Pleistocene to early Holocene, 2.5 million years ago-10,000 years ago
Size: 1-1.2 meters high at the shoulder
Diet: Large mammals
Distribution: North and South America
The Smilodon, also known as the sabre-toothed tiger, is one of the most formidable hunters from nature. They live in prides led by a large alpha-male who can be easily identified by his large mane, muscular body and sharp canines which can grow up to half a meter long. We have three Smilodon prides consisting of two different species. Two of our prides are located on Isla Nublar in Santa Cruz Plains. Originally it was one pride until the alpha Half-Tooth drove the juvenile males out so they had to be given a separate plain. There are talks at the moment debating whether some females should be rescued for the males or whether the larger pride's young females should be moved into the male exhibit.
Did you Know?
Smilodon teeth a very brittle and can snap easily so when hunting they try to slice the throat of an herbivore to take it down.
Argentavis
Name meaning: Argentina Bird
Habitat: Mountains and Open plains
Age: Messinian of the Miocene, 7-5 million years ago
Size: 7m wingspan
Diet: Carrion and juvenile mammals
Distribution: Argentina
Argentavis is the largest known bird easily dwarfing the wandering albatross who have a wingspan of 3 meters. Argentavis will form mating pairs that will last for the rest of their lives. Their eyesight is so good that they can spot a dying animal from well over 5,500 meters in the air. Our Argentavis can be seen for miles around soaring over a mountaintop in their exhibit. Utilising warm air currents caused by volcanic vents across the island our Argentavis have managed to fly incredibly high in the sky. There have even been reports of people seeing the Argentavis from boats going to Isla Sorna!
Did you Know?
Argentavis will rarely hunt in order to minimise injury. Instead they will go for dying animals or will scare predators like Thylacosmilus from their kills.
Australopithecus afarensis
Name meaning: Southern Ape from Afar
Habitat: Forests and savannahs
Age: 3.9-2.9 million years ago
Size: Males 1.5 meters tall, females 1 meter tall
Diet: Fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, tubers, termites, eggs and some meat
Distribution: Ethiopia and Kenya
Australopithecus afarensis is thought to be our direct ancestor with it being one of the first apes to stand up tall. The Australopithecus live much like chimpanzees in large familial groups where they regularly play with one another. Some of our Australopithecus have even managed to learn some signs to communicate with humans! We have two troops of Australopithecus. Troop Alpha is led by the older Grey and Troop Beta is led by the much younger Hercules. Our troops forest is connected to the larger Ethiopian Plains exhibit and each troop is allowed to explore the exhibit at least once a week to keep them enriched. Our younger Australopithecus have even been seen trying to jump on the back of Deinotherium from trees to ride them!
Did you Know?
Paleontologists believe that Australopithecus evolved to stand upright was due to grasslands replacing forests forcing them to stand upright to spot potential predators.
Megalodon
Name meaning: Big tooth
Habitat: Open oceans
Age: Miocene to early Pleistocene, 16-2.6 million years ago
Size: 15-18 meters long
Diet: Large fish, sharks, cetaceans and seals
Distribution: Worldwide
The Megalodon is the largest known species of shark an average Megalodon being the same size as the largest known whale shark. They commonly hunt whales by going down deep into the ocean then stunning them with their nose in a great burst of speed so they can take a chunk out of the unfortunate whale. We exhibit three Megalodon at Prehistoric Park but only the young male can be seen from the Boat Tour. Our two adults, Bahamut and Lamia, can be seen from the Underwater Walkway after they became overly aggressive towards the Tour Boat. The adults normally swim deep down in the depths of their enclosure during the day so if you want to get a good look at them you have to go at night or come during the feeding show.
Did you Know?
It was once thought that Megalodon was a member of the Carcharodon genus which also contains the great white shark. We now know that it was in its own genus called Carcharocles.
Mammuthus primigenius
Habitat: Steppes
Age: Pleistocene to Holocene, 150,000 years ago-4000 years ago
Size: 3 meters high at the shoulder
Diet: Mosses, flowering plants, shrubs, saplings
Distribution: Eurasia and North America
The Mammuthus is commonly referred to as the woolly mammoth. The mammoth would travel from one side of the world to the other to graze on the steppes during the last Ice Age. They changed the habitat around them earning their reverence in the religion of both our ancestors and the Neanderthals. Originally Prehistoric Park's herd of mammoths consisted of two females, Martha and Ellie, and a male called Torn from Poland. When we rescued a small herd of young females from North America who had lost most of the elderly mammoths during a hunt they looked to Martha as the matriarch. Our mammoth herd is the pride of Prehistoric Park. In the early September of 2015 Martha gave birth to our first baby mammoth called Lech. The herd can be seen in Ice Age Mount on Isla Nublar where they happily play with our herd of Mastodon. Beware watching them though! Young mammoths are very cheeky and like to throw mud at people in summer and snow in the winter.
Did you Know?
Prehistoric Park is currently working with Russian researcher Sergey Zimov to release the woolly mammoth into the wild in a secure research facility in Siberia. However this will have to wait until the mammoth population is deemed to be stable.
Hyracotherium
Name meaning: Hyrax like beast
Age: Ypresian to Lutetian of the Eocene, 56-41 million years ago
Habitat: Forests
Size: 60 centimetres long
Diet: Fruits, shrubs and leaves
Distribution: All across the Northern Hemisphere
The Hyracotherium is a tiny prehistoric horse that lived across the world. Forests dominated the early Eocene which meant that the Hyracotherium stayed small as a result. We have a small population of Hyracotherium in the Eocene Trail on Isla Sorna. They like new people and have often been seen running eagerly up to people who enter the Eocene Trail but they run off in the other direction whenever a loud noise is heard. Hyracotherium at the park like to form herds with the other early horse Propaleotherium.
Did you Know?
The Hyracotherium does not have hooves but instead toes.
Titanoboa
Name meaning: Titan Boa
Age: Selandian of the Paleocene, 61-59 million years ago
Habitat: Wetlands and rivers
Size: 12.8-14.8 meters long
Diet: large fish, crocodiles and turtles
Distribution: Colombia
The Titanoboa is the largest known species of snake that inhabited the rivers and wetlands of prehistoric Colombia. It hunted like anacondas and pythons by first grasping its prey with its mouth and then constricting the prey with its powerful, muscular body. Currently we have two adult Titanoboa at Prehistoric Park and they recently laid a clutch of eggs to which three hatched. From our observation platforms you can get a good glimpse of our snakes without getting close to their mighty jaws. During the day you can see them in all their glory swimming around the mangroves in their enclosure but at night they curl up in secluded corners so they are much more difficult to spot.
Did you Know?
Titanoboa spent most of its time in water. Water allows the Titanoboa greater manoeuvrability as well as giving it an extra measure of camouflage from its prey.
Paraceratherium
Name meaning: Near horn beast
Species at the park: P. transouralicum
Age: Priabonian to Chattian of the Oligocene, 38-23 million years ago
Habitat: Open plains
Size: 4.8 meters tall at the shoulder
Diet: Bushes and leaves
Distribution: China, Mongolia, Kazakstan, India and Pakistan
The Paraceratherium, also known as the Indricotherium, is the largest terrestrial mammal and was so large it even dwarfed dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus and Europasaurus. Due to their large size they were mostly solitary or otherwise they would eat the land dry! Our Paraceratherium live on Isla Sorna but sometimes you can feel the earth shake as they move. Old Roy, the large male, has a habit of looking into the treetop hide to see who is in there although he does not know his own strength sometimes. It is advisable not to be in the hide when he puts his head in because he often gets overexcited!
Did you Know?
Paraceratherium have a hump on their shoulder which they use for storage like a camel on their long journeys searching for food.
New to 2016
Barbary Lion
Age: Pleistocene-circa 1965
Habitat: Outskirts of forests and open plains
Size: 2.5-2.8 meters long
Diet: Gazelles, deer, boar, birds and livestock
Distribution: North Africa
The Barbary Lion was once common across North Africa, especially around the Atlas Mountains, until deforestation, extinction of their common prey animals and hunting drove them to extinction. Like their southern and Asian relatives the Barbary Lion was easily the top predator where they lived. Recently Prehistoric Park has acquired ten Barbary Lions and can be seen in the Holocene Heights on Isla Sorna. Our young male Scar lives by himself like he would in the wild but we have a small pride led by our older male Barnaby nearby. Three cubs orphaned by a Roman poacher are currently being adopted by a golden retriever who now views them as her own pups. The lions are currently not available for public viewing.
Did you Know?
Since the reign of King Henry III of England a menagerie was kept in the Tower of London which often contained Barbary Lions. In 1835 the Duke of Wellington relocated the last Barbary Lions to the more humane London Zoo after a lion was accused of biting a soldier.