Alright, let's get going!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After getting the new residents moved in, the team begin the next part of their adventure.
This time, though, they're in for a rude surprise.
On the otherside of the portal, the world could not be more different from the one in their previous visit.
Gone were the mangrove trees, gone were the rivers, gone was the mud, gone was the grass. In their place was thick, sandy ground, a few odd trees, a tiny gully, and, tellingly, many, many, many types of cactus.
"So where are we now?" asked Violet.
"Isn't it obvious?" answered Tristan. "This is Arizona. We're home."
"...I thought it would be different." remarked Vera.
"Me too," replied Tristan.
"Well, at least this is something we can deal with," remarked Marcus. "NOW LET'S GET MOVING!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Back at the park, Bob's seeing the results of his work.
In the newly made swamps, the newest residents of the park were quickly settling down. The Aepycamelus were digging into the trees, the Barbourofelis and Nimravides were digging into fresh meat, while the Gavialosuchus were floating contently in a river.
Nearby, the Bathornis were exploring their own swamp. Some were taking drinks from the river, while one played in a shallow pool. Nearby, the Phorusrhacos were watching their relatives, unsure how to react.
Even a few of the older residents were benefitting from the swamps. Among them were the Angulomastacator. The crested dinosaurs had been given their own little swamp to live in and were already mobbing in quite nicely. Right now, they were sinking their teeth into several water plants. The soft plants offered a greater bit of variety to the animals normal diet, and they were not about to pass them up for anything.
"well, it looks like everyone is happy here. Better get movin', Nigel wants me to start expanding the desert exhibits. I wonder what's coming through next."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
While Bob gets out the sand and the cactus, Susan is hard at work elsewhere.
Suzanne is busy watching several animals in observation pens. Among them are hyenas, bison, and a pair of Parasaurolophus.
It seems the park is having some issues with keeping track of their residents.
"As it turns out, Nigel ended up rescuing a few more creatures than we noticed. Now, the mammals are hyenas and steppe wisent, or bison as Americans call them. This creatures came through with the Megaloceros and Cave Lion. THe Parasaurs, however, are another matter. YOu see, these ones aren't like any of thee rest in the park. They're full gorwn, too, so that means they aren't just an immature phase of our other ones. We found them with the Edmontosaurus, so these might actually be an undescribed species from Hell Creek. If they are, then this is an amazing discovery."
The parasaurs, oblivious to Suzanne's remarks, lie down to rest.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Back in Miocene Arizona, the team has made an interesting discovery.
Following the gully down river, they find themselves facing a herd of rhinos, along with what appear to be camels, albeit much bigger. The herbivores stare at them momentarily, before going back to feeding.
"Aren't those rhinos Teleoceras?" remarked Tai.
"They are, but I don't know what those camels are," answered Michelle.
"They're Titanotylopus," answered Tristan, "some of the largest camels to ever live."
"Why are they so tall, though?" asked Vera.
"They're the American version of giraffes," answered Alice. "They grow so tall because it lets them feast on the treetops, meaning they don't have to compete with things like horses for grass."
Just then, a low bellow resounded. The herbivores looked up for a moment, before promptly deciding to move down river. Their pace was relatively relaxed, indicating they weren't afraid of predators.
"Wait, where are they going?" asked Marcus.
"I don't know," remarked Nigel, "let's follow them."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Unknown to the humans, rhinos and camels on the ground, they were being watched. From a nearby ridge, a group of predators were staring down on them. Yet curiosity, not hunger motivated these creatures. They had just finished eating a horse when they first saw the humans. The strange creatures had perplexed the predators at first, but now, fear had given way to curiosity, and they were quick to follow the team.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
AN: Well, it looks like our heroes have a tail.
Now, to address some questions:
1. The reason why the Bathornis live in wetland areas is because, according to my research, they preffered wetter areas to drier ones, as it meant they were not competing with their giant cousins, Paracrax, for food.
2. The youngest known fossils of Parasaurolophus date back to 74.5 million years ago... except for one set of remains from Hell Creek. However, this is a rather patchy fossil and might not even be a lambeosaur. Still, I decided to give it the benefit of doubt and include a pair of paras from hell creek.
3. There is only one setting left to visit before the Great American Safari ends, so for those who are tired of waiting, the end is in sight.
SO READ! REVIEW! GIVE ME IDEAS FOR CHARACTERS AND EPISODES! READ OTHER PREHISTORIC PARK STORIES! AND PLEASE VOTE ON THE POLL!
This is Flameal15k, signing off.
