Chapter 2

Coming of Age

Part 1

Within the lush forest of the island during the early morning, a small lizard was scurrying along the path in search of insects to eat. The little reptile however was unaware that he was about to be on the menu of a more bigger reptile.

Right as it passed by a bush, the lizard was suddenly snatched up and swallowed whole by none other than Bruiser. Now two days old, the young Allosaurus was experiencing one of the many steps in the key to survival.

He was learning how to hunt for prey. Since he was not yet big enough to tackle large prey like his parents, he instead chose to focus on hunting smaller, more easier targets, preferably small mammals,insects, reptiles and amphibians. The lizard he had eaten was just a mere snack, but now he was in the mood for more.

His next target comes in the form of a small frog up ahead, having emerged out of hiding to forage for food. Using this opportunity to his advantage, Bruiser slowly began to advance towards the unsuspecting amphibian. Despite being young, Bruiser was a surprisingly fast learner, but while he was able to ambush prey, he still had a lot to learn about being an experienced hunter.

He continued to close in on the unknowing frog. But right when he was about to grab it, a second young hatch-ling emerged out of nowhere and beat him to the punch, snatching up the frog and shaking it in it's jaws before proceeding to swallow it . It was not Tyke, nor Sylvia, but instead another young Allosaurus, only this one was a female, and a beautiful one at that. She had bright red skin, a tan underbelly and light green eyes. Her name was Alex.

Sparked with interest, the male Allosaur approached the young female, chirping to her in an attempt to communicate. But all he got in response was some dirt kicked in his face, followed by a snarl from Alex, who clearly seemed rather displeased by Bruiser's presence. It was clear that she wasn't interested, but the ever persistent Bruiser kept on trying.

But suddenly, a large adult female Allosaurus arrives on the scene. This Allosaur is Alex's mother, and from her point of view, Bruiser was not a welcomed guest.

Not wanting to risk getting killed, Bruiser went scurrying away after the mother Allosaur drove him off. Even at a young age, he knew better than to be in places where he was not wanted. But after his first experience with a female, he couldn't help but feel that he would see her again one day.

Out in the more tropical habitats on Isla Sorna, a herd of herbivores were feeding on the lush vegetation that grew around the area. Most types of plants around here included ferns, cycads, sequoias, red pines and many others.

The herd consisted of herbivorous dinosaurs of many kinds, including some which were hardly even known to the world.

But one of the most well known species of plant eaters were the Hadrosaurs. Coming in many forms and sizes, Hadrosaurs were frequent in most areas, often travelling together in large herds for protection, which makes up for their lack of defenses. While they mostly walked on all fours, they were more than capable of running on two legs. Some species such as Parasaurolophus, Corythosaurus, and Lambeosaurus had crests on their heads which allowed them to communicate with each other.

Another more acknowledged type of dinosaur was the Ceratopsians. Unlike the Hadrosaurs, these Cretaceous herbivores were no pushovers in the face of danger. The most famous species, Triceratops, meaning *Three Horned Face*, was commonly known for using it's massive horns to fight off predators of all kinds.

But not all plant eaters were big and well armed. These areas were also populated by smaller and more agile dinosaurs like Dryosaurus, Microceratops, the omnivorous Gallimimus, Leallynasaura, and even the distantly related Othnelia, who stayed by the larger herbivores for protection.

But where there was a herd of herbivores, there were also carnivores waiting to strike. And one such carnivore was on the lookout for a good meal.

Watching from afar was none other than Axel, the 60 foot long Carcharodontosaurus, the exact same giant carnosaur who murdered Bruiser's biological mother. The wounds previously inflicted by the mother Allosaur had healed overtime, including the scratch across his eye which had healed into a scar.

With a loud and frightening roar, Axel went charging forward, sending the plant eaters into a massive panic. He kept an eye on the fleeing herbivores as he attempted to pick one off from the herd. Upon catching up to a Lambeosaurus, Axel swung his head into the herbivore's side, knocking it off balance. He pinned the struggling herbivore down and sank his deadly teeth into it's throat, cutting off it's oxygen and killing it.

As the rest of the herbivores escape the area, Axel takes the time to feast on his well deserved meal. Unlike most carnosaurs, Axel was no ordinary predator. At 60 feet long, he was more bigger than normal Carcharodontosaurs, who usually grew to around to 43.5 feet long. But, how Axel even managed to grow beyond his natural size limit is still a mystery, even to the scientists who studied him.

He suddenly heard a roar coming from the opposite direction. Axel lifted his head up to see a pair of Tyrannosaurus Rex approaching, having been attracted by the smell of blood from the carcass. Tyrannosaurus, (meaning*Tyrant Lizard King*) was a 43 foot long, 19.5 foot tall and 11 ton Late Cretaceous carnivore, the top predator of it's time. With a rock hard skull and deadly jaws that could crush bone, T-Rex was a predator who could not be taken lightly.

Despite being powerful enough to kill them, Axel was in no mood for a fight. Rather than risk serious injury, Axel backs down, leaving his meal to the Tyrannosaurs. He would have to wait a while to find more food, but at least now he could find a place to rest after a long travel.


Elsewhere...

Bruiser and his family were out navigating through a large, deep jungle, having left their home near the forest to seek out a more better one. Along the way, Bruiser, Tyke and Sylvia all decided to scamper off ahead to explore the area, with their parents making sure to keep a close eye on them.

At an early age, carnivore hatch-lings remain with their parents for about a year until they become old enough to fend for themselves. For now, they had to rely on the adults for protection from threats of all kinds.

Bruiser was more than eager to learn about this new environment, and he wanted to explore as much of it as possible. But he had a feeling that things would become more surprising overtime. These jungles were the path to a more bigger and wide open area, a place where even most carnivores like himself would even dare to travel.

Beyond this jungle is a land where the true titans roam.

The Great Plains. This is the homeland of the giants, known to the world...as Sauropods. These colossal, long necked dinosaurs were most common around these areas. They were so big that even the most experienced predators would take caution when approaching them. Every step these giants took would shake the ground beneath them.

In addition to their size, Sauropods required a large daily supply of food to sustain themselves. Their long necks enable them to reach for the most nutritious vegetation in some of the trees near the plains.

One of the more notable species was Brachiosaurus (meaning *Arm Lizard*), a giant 85 foot long sauropod from the Jurassic period. This massive herbivore spends most of it's time feeding off large trees to help satisfy it's massive appetite. Adult Brachiosaurs rarely ever get attacked by predators, as their immense size intimidates them.

Another more gigantic sauropod was the Early Cretaceous Argentinosaurus (meaning *Argentine Lizard*). At 98-115 feet long, these giant sauropods were a sight to behold. Other types of sauropods that thrive on the plains include the Jurassic Camarasaurus, Diplodocus, Apatosaurus, Mamenchisaurus and Shunosaurus, as well the Cretaceous Amargasaurus, Saltasaurus, Rapetosaurus and Paralititan.

Like most herbivores of today, Sauropods are herding animals. And during the annual migration, the herds they travel in are immense.

But out here on the plains, not everything was safe and sound. There were many kinds of carnivores that lived out here as well, some of which were perfectly built for attacking large and formidable prey. And today, such an encounter was no exception.

Watching the herd from nearby was a pack of six Giganotosaurus ( meaning *Giant Southern Lizard*), a large South American meat eating carnivore of the Late Cretaceous. Standing at about 43 feet long, 19 feet tall and weighing over 8 tons, this carnosaur was a ferocious hunter, with an aggression almost equal to that of T-Rex. Compared to other carnosaurs, like it's cousin Allosaurus, Giganotosaurus was more perfectly adapted for attacking and bringing down enormous sauropods. They've been stalking the herd for the last three hours, tracking the scent of a sick old male Argentinosaurus, waiting for the right time to strike.

Soon, they made their move. The pack charged into the herd, striking panic among the sauropods as they try to pick off their target. Four of the pack members provided a diversion while the leaders, a male and female, continued the rest of the way.

The Argentinosaur braced himself. He stood his ground as the two carnosaurs approached him with killer intent. Even with his bad health, he still had enough strength to stand and fight. The Giganotosaurs roared and snarled as they sized up their prey, looking for the opportunity to attack. The giant sauropod reared up on his hind legs and stomped the ground in an attempt to intimidate his enemies.

Unknown to the sauropod, the Giganotosaurs weren't the only predators in the area.

Standing by was another pack, made up of three Mapusaurus, another equally lethal Late Cretaceous carnosaur from South America, a close cousin of the Giganotosaurus. On Isla Sorna, Giganotosaurs and Mapusaurs commonly cooperated in hunts on the open plains, working together to bring down giant sauropods.

Catching the sauropod off guard, the first Mapusaurus charged in and attacked from the right, biting off a chunk of flesh with it's razor sharp teeth. In a desperate attempt to defend himself, the Argentinosaurus lashed out with his powerful tail. One tail swing from a giant sauropod is more than enough to injure or possibly kill any unlucky carnivore. The Mapusaurus hastily evades the tail, steering clear of possible injury.

Taking his chances, the male Giganotosaurus went in for an attack, tearing into the sauropod from the left, followed by the female attacking from the right. Not long after, the rest of the pack arrived to provide extra muscle, instantly surrounding the herbivore. As the attack went on, the Argentinosaur began to grow weaker due to losing so much blood. He didn't even have enough strength left to fight off the carnivores, who continued to tear away at him with their deadly jaws.

Then finally, the carnosaurs patiently stand and watch as the wounded sauropod begins to slowly succumb to his injuries. Despite putting up a fight, the old herbivore ultimately paid the price with his life. As of now, he was just a freshly caught meal for a gang of predators.

Such a gruesome sight causes great discomfort for the rest of the herd, who begin to move away from the disturbing scene. This is clear proof that even the biggest of all dinosaurs on Isla Sorna were not safe from predators.

From afar, Bruiser and his family had witnessed the entire scene on the sidelines before moving with their travel. He didn't know it, but Bruiser was looking at his own future as a big time hunter. Once his time had came, he would embark on his first real hunt, putting his skills to the test.

To Be Continued


Well, here's the second chapter of my story. Sorry for the long hiatus, I've been pretty busy.

But anyway, I apologize for it not being as long as the previous one.

Rest assured, the next chapter will be much longer and more understandable.

Tune in next time for:

Coming of Age Part 2

Later everyone.