Dinosaur Life

by Animal Behaviorist

These are the stories of some of the most incredible creatures that have ever existed on our planet. 220 - 65 million years ago. Some of these characters could be called, or known as, "Magnificent", or "Monstrous", perhaps "Misunderstood". But only a few of them... could be called, or known as, "All Three".

14. Story of a Tarbosaurus

Note: "The story of this chapter is NOT based off of the two-part South Korean 2012 film, Tarbosaurus: The Mightiest Ever, although, it does boast a tremendous amount of similarites."

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Synopsis: "This story will document the life of a male Tarbosaurus named Patch, and we shall follow him as he grows from hatchling to adult."

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Somewhere between the Jingangkou, Djadochta and Nemegt Formations/South Korea and Mongolia

80 - 70 million years ago/Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous

Somewhere along the edge of a Cretaceous forest, bordered by open plains, in a nest made of earth, twigs and leaves, is a clutch of eggs. It is the end of the dry season, and there are already signs of life. Inside one egg, a tiny little creature is trying to break through its shell, escaping his egg chamber. He manages to break free of his egg and hatch right into the world, which he is welcomed to by a warming shine of sunlight. As for what species he is, he has three-toed feet, a pair of two-fingered hands with claws on each, two tiny little, but really well-muscled, arms, and a pair of jaws with sharp little teeth. This is a baby Tarbosaurus bataar, one of the largest and most vicious and dreadful carnivores to ever walk the Earth, and both the Asian forest and desert equivalent of T-Rex. About 13 meters long, 16 feet tall, and up to about 5 tons, like its slightly larger, more famous, North American cousin, it was the apex predator of its environment, but this little guy with a spotted face is just already 2 minutes old and about 70 centimeters in length. His name is Patch, and he's going to lead us around and throughout his world of 80 - 70 million years ago, to tell us, not only his story, but also the story of the dinosaurs that lived in the land that will one day eventually become the countries of Mongolia and South Korea. Right now, all of his brothers and sisters are also starting to hatch from out of their eggs as well. Together, they call out, confusing him. Just then, a huge mated pair of Tarbosaurus, who have heard the squeaking of the hatchlings, approach the nest. They are all at their mercy. Fortunately though, these are their parents. The slightly shorter one to the left is their mother, and the slightly taller one to the right is their father. Patch stumbles out of the nest to meet them, and is awestruck by their size. His parents welcome him to the world by nuzzling him before doing the same to his siblings. For now, he can rely on his parents' protection, but, within weeks, he will have to learn to stand on his own two feet. In about five to six years, he could become a gigantic predator like his parents, but the odds on him surviving that long, right now, are low.

2 days later...

Patch and his siblings have been staying very close to the nest. But if anything, it is starting to become much less of a safe place to be. Nearby, a pair of predatory Velociraptor mongoliensis watch the brood, waiting for their chance. The mother and father Tarbosaurus are 60 times their weight, so they will not venture too close while they are present. However, the smell of all these new hatchlings will soon attract other larger predators. So eventually, the mother and father decide that it is time to lead their unruly brood away.

3 hours later…

After his family have moved to a new, safer, place, Patch has wandered away from which and into the forest. He pops out from his hiding place and into view. He then notices a lizard and takes interest in it, and then chases after it the minute it takes off running.

All this fuss has woken up the Microraptor hanqingi, the sleeping beauty of the forest. To find out who the noisemaker who woke her up is, she takes flight and glides through the forest before landing safely on another tree and climbing up to another branch. Though a skillful flyer, this colorful creature is actually a dinosaur. With feathers on her body, including special ones on her arms and legs that make her a dinosaur with four wings. These feathers are designed for one thing only: Flight. With these, she can glide long distances with poise and grace. She then notices Patch down below, close by, and Patch then curiously notices her, as well.

The pilot princess is adamant about protecting her territory. Someone has invaded her territory and she flaps her wings to frighten him off. Confused by this, Patch then heads off on his way, while the Microraptor lightly squawks out as she flaps her wings one more time.

1 minute later…

Patch soon comes across a nest full of some eggs. Though he has the blood of Tarbosaurus, the young Patch shows no signs of it. Patch then investigates the eggs, and even rolls one out of the nest and curiously plays around with it. He's still a mischievous and playful youngster. Just then, a giant, familiar-looking, foot lands down in front of him. But this is not his lucky day, as he is about to find out. Patch finds himself facing down the owner of the nest and eggs, which turns out to be a Velociraptor, an agile and fleet-footed predator, 2 meters long, with sharp, sickle-shaped, claws on its feet. And by the looks of it, she is proven to be none too pleased to see her eggs being tampered with.

Angered, she lunges at Patch, who dodges her and flees for it, with the Velociraptor chasing after him. Once she catches you, there is little hope of escape. Every time the Velociraptor gets close enough to lunge at and grab Patch, she goofily messes up by either slipping or tumbling, and at other times, Patch evades her by slipping through tight and narrow spaces that she can't fit through. Her eggs have been stolen many times before, and this time, she was ready to pounce on the thief.

The minute she makes another slip whilst chasing him, Patch seizes an opportunity. Patch knows he can't run away forever, so he tries to find shelter in the narrow space under a stump. The Velociraptor knows this, but fortunately cannot reach him, though she still attempts to do so with her vengeance. One slice from any of the Velociraptor's 10-centimeter-long claws, including the sickle-shaped ones on her feet, will mean the end of Patch's, possibly, short life.

Knowing exactly what else to do, Patch lets out a cry as he calls out for help, which echoes throughout out the forest, attracting and alerting his mother, who has just recently made a kill to provide food for her family, and his father, who is the one who is currently watching over the hatchlings, and realizes that one of their children is missing and in danger, the moment he hears Patch's cries for help. But his saviors are not far away. Patch's mother and father are coming to the rescue. As soon as he hears his mother and father approaching, Patch makes his escape out the back of the tree stump. This buys him a little bit of time for a head start of the Velociraptor, before she then realizes this, and then continues her pursuit of him. Yet, all the while, Patch's mother and father meet up and continue hurrying to try and find and rescue their son. But Patch's escape route takes him right into the den, or lair, of the Velociraptors. Two more of which join the vengeful mother in pursuing him. It's only a matter of time before he is caught. Then, as the Velociraptors pursue him over a fallen tree branch, while still fleeing from them, Patch then bumps into something, which appears to be a giant foot. Which also turns out to be that of his mother, whom he then notices, along with his father. Patch literally runs into his mother, a Tarbosaurus with a body 13 meters in length, as well as his father, who lowers his head down and sniffs him to make sure he is okay.

The Velociraptors then show up and appear right in front of them, but are prevented from reaching Patch by the intimidating size of his parents, who then fearlessly put themselves between their son and his pursuers with their roars. The massive, dreadful mother and father Tarbosaurus have no nemesis within this forest. But that doesn't mean the Velociraptors will give up their prey so easily. Even though, they will never be able to catch it now. In addition to being the Wolves of the Cretaceous, because of their pack-hunting behavior, the noisy and persistent Velociraptors are like the Hyenas of the forest. They try to separate Patch from his mother and father. But unfortunately for them, both parents won't let that happen so easily either. The Velociraptors are furious, having lost their prey when they were oh, oh so close to catching it. Then, with one last fierce loud roar from both parents, The Velociraptors then flee, knowing a lot better than to risk attacking the apex predator of Late Cretaceous Asia.

5 minutes later...

80 million years ago on the continent of Asia, many kinds of amazing dinosaurs coexisted. The herbivore 20 meters in length was named Pukyongosaurus millenniumi, after the Pukyong University, in Busan Korea. Another residence was Therizinosaurus cheloniformis, who's name means, "scythe lizard". The Protoceratops andrewsi was also found in wide numbers. And as to the Tarbosaurus, the mightiest predator of the dinosaur kingdom of Late Cretaceous Asia, and the main focus of this episode, their nest is located in a spot with a commanding view of the entire Patch and his parents return home, back to their new nest, Patch reunites with his siblings and their mother then feeds them by regurgitating the meat of Protoceratops she has just killed before. Both she and her mate can regurgitate up to 40 kilograms of meat at a time. Not all the siblings are invited to eat this bounty at the same time, there is a hierarchical pecking order that must be followed. The smaller, younger siblings can't even come close, they are prevented from even approaching by their older ones. If they all don't find a way to overcome this harsh treatment they will each and all slowly die of starvation.

The Next Day…

The parents switch places in caring for their young with the father out hunting and the mother back at the nest, keeping an eye on the young. All day long, the youngsters busy and entertain themselves with play-fighting. It's through this kind of practice that they will acquire the hunting skills that they need for their own survival when the time comes that they'll be ready to hunt on their own and live independently. But it's highly likely that not all of them will grow up to be ferocious beasts like their mother and father. Except for those who are strong and lucky. Most will likely starve to death or end up as prey for other carnivores.

1 week later…

The mother Tarbosaurus has gone out in search of another meal for her family, while her mate is back at the nest guarding and keeping an eye on their young. She's been searching through the forest for about two whole minutes now, then, she notices something that could be promising. She spots a Therizinosaurus, browsing in the trees. This dinosaur spends most of the day picking at leaves from trees. He must consume about 400 kilograms of leaves a day in order to maintain his enormous size. He may be a herbivore, but he is by no means an easy target. The mother Tarbosaurus roars loudly to get his attention, and so, he stops eating and turns to face her. Though he spends most of his day peacefully munching on leaves, he can turn into a ruthless warrior if his territory is invaded. His 7 ton weight and his 2 pairs of three, 70 centimeter long, claws give him the power to take down even an Tarbosaurus. They each try to intimidate the other with their roars, but in the end, they choose not to fight. These strong beasts don't recklessly pick fights, unless there is a good reason. So, the mother Tarbosaurus heads off to find something else that would be more easier to hunt.

She leaves the forest and heads back out onto the open, where she arrives at and walks along the shoreline of a huge lake, which is the local watering hole. The air around the lake is refreshing, with just the right amount of humidity. The wind carries with it warm air mixed with the balmy smell of leaves. It is rejuvenating. Just then, she notices something flying overhead. One of the creatures enjoying the warm breeze and the lift of the airstream is a giant species of pterosaur, flying reptiles called Haenamichnus uhangriensis. The mother Tarbosaurus watches as some of them come down from the skies and land in the shallows along the shoreline of the lake to feed. The age of the Dinosaurs saw many of these majestic flying creatures, but unlike most species of pterosaurs, this one in particular was uniquely known for its webbed feet. It was discovered near the town of Omni Haenam County, Korea. It is from this location in particular that one of the latest additions to the pantheon of pterosaurs gets its name. With all the Velociraptors around, mealtime will be anything but peaceful as, nearby, a trio of them appear from the trees and rush towards the Haenamichnus. In the end, they don't need to worry, when the earth-bound predators start to come, the pterosaurs simply flap their long wings and take flight, which is exactly what the Haenamichnus do the minute the Velociraptors are close to attacking one of them, as the mother Tarbosaurus watches them leave. The Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for about more than 165 million years, during that reign, the Pterosaurs were the Emperors of the Skies.

Meanwhile at this very moment, back at the nest, danger lurks all around Patch and his siblings, despite being under the guard and protection of their father. Just then, they all notice something that their father immediately detects the scent of. A roving rival male Tarbosaurus is approaching their home. Patch and his siblings hide behind their father's legs and feet as he keeps his attention on the intruding rival Tarbosaurus. He then orders his offspring to immediately head for cover and they quickly hide behind a large boulder in their nesting area and go dead silent. And the intruding male enters their nest... he moves to protect his young and confronts his rival. He growls a warning to keep away from his nest and young, but the rival intruder isn't the least bit intimidated. The hungry rival Tarbosaurus is overcome by instinct and won't hesitate to devour the young of its own species if they're not his own offspring. Which they aren't. And if he overthrows their father, he will make quick work of them if he finds them. In fact, such cannibalism helps him gain an upper hand in the competition for food. And most of all, it's a chance to eliminate future rivals.

Fortunately for Patch and his siblings, this would-be attacker is old and sick and his sense of smell has become dull, which is something his rival, their father, has the advantage over, since he is a young and healthy individual with a much more keen sense of smell. Though he is unknown of their whereabouts, this is a tense moment for Patch and his siblings. One of Patch's siblings then starts calling out in order for their mother to hear him, hoping that she is nearby, allowing the rival male to finally locate them, but still be unable to reach them because of their father. But the tension doesn't last long, their young mother hurries back to the nest after hearing the calls of her kids and smelling the predatory unwelcome outsider. When she arrives, the rival is surprised and her mate is relieved as she joins him by his side. Now, there are two protective parents for the rival male to deal with. A fierce confrontation erupts between these two titans and their nemesis. And with one loud and long thunderous roar from the mother Tarbosaurus, it quickly becomes evidently clear who the winner would be. Or in this case, "winners". The mother and father Tarbosaurus both give out one last warning roar out to the intruder before turning to their young. The tired, old, hungry dinosaur that wandered here is no match for the young and healthy mother and father Tarbosaurus. It's over for now, but this rival predator will likely return, now that he knows where this nest can be found.

Later...

The mother and father Tarbosaurus have no other choice, they must find another safe new home for their offspring. Along the way, they pass by a tree that has a Microraptor on it, who watches them pass by, though Patch briefly halts and looks back and up at the Microraptor as it stares back at him. Along the way, they pass by a tree that has a Microraptor on it who watches them pass by, though Patch briefly halts and looks back and up at the Microraptor as it stares back at him. Patch must now leave his forest home; the place of memories and excitement where he encountered the gliding "sleeping beauty", Microraptor, and was chased by the predatory Velociraptor. After bidding farewell to the Microraptor, Patch then rushes off to catch up with his family. This is how he came to find himself in a wild and harsh world. As the family leave the forest and venture out into the open, whilst searching for a new place to live, after noticing some giant footprints close by him, Patch is beginning to see that this a new and dangerous, but incredible, world, very different from the relatively safe environs of his forest home. And while he doesn't know it now, just yet, he will one day realize that he will be about to both find and take his place... in a great big world.

Patch witnesses a small herd of Pukyongosaurus standing in the river whilst drinking from it and also browsing on the trees on the other side. Just then, one of the giant sauropods notices him as it turns around, and as its shadow looms over him, Patch then screeches and then immediately heads off to catch up with his family.

2 days later...

As the dry season begins, the plants of the forest begin to wither, as the temperature climbs to 50 degrees Celsius. It is a difficult time for all the region's dinosaurs.

Meanwhile, the Tarbosaurus family have found themselves another new home, and Patch and his siblings have all grown to 1.5 meters in length. Despite their increase in size, they haven't eaten anything for the past week. During this period of growth, starvation is a more serious matter than the oppressive heat. The mother and father must do as what they can and head off for a hunt. Elsewhere, a herd of Protoceratops are foraging for food, as well as socializing with each other. The home territory of the Protoceratops is located on the outskirts of the forests. They live in herds and eat tree roots, plant bulbs and tubers to scrounge for food during this time of the year. The Protoceratops, around 2 meters tall, is sometimes known as the Pig of the Cretaceous. The mother and father Tarbosaurus arrive and begin to silently stalk them from close by. Even when prey seems easy pickings, no matter what size it is, a predator on the prowl must focus its attention on the hunt. And that's exactly what the Tarbosaurus parents do right now. They scan the herd carefully, looking for an individual that they can choose as their chosen victim, and at least try to cut out from the herd. The mother and father Tarbosaurus have chosen their target, it is the one off by itself, trying to take a mud bath and avoid the annoying flies. For the mother and father to be successful, they must be extremely cautious.

At this moment, danger is approaching Patch and his siblings, who are all anxiously awaiting the meal that their parents will bring. A Velociraptor is soon spotted nearby, and it is the return of this type of vicious, predatory dinosaur that is always bringing trouble for Patch. Patch and most of his younger siblings quickly hide behind some bushes, as the Velociraptor wanders ever closer. But the youngest sibling is caught up with chasing and trying to catch a dragonfly, and so, he has no idea what's going on.

After waiting patiently, The mother and father Tarbosaurus make their move. Their heavy frame vibrates the ground as they rush toward their prey, as it immediately flees, since they are too small to defend themselves against large, top-shelf predators like them. But the Protoceratops are not an easy target, what they lack in size and power, they make up for in speed and agility, something their pursuers also have, but not as much as they do. And eventually, exhausted from the heat, the mother and father Tarbosaurus fail to catch their victim, allowing the Protoceratops to escape with their lives. Although Tarbosaurus are fast runners, and are able to accelerate explosively, they are not built for long high-speed pursuits.

Back at home, an even bigger problem is waiting for them. The youngest of Patch's siblings is still trying to catch the dragonfly he is chasing, and this immediately gets the attention of the intruding Velociraptor. While the sibling is searching for the dragonfly he has been chasing, From out of nowhere, the Velociraptor appears and catches it off-guard as it grabs and shakes it in its mouth as it shrieks in horror and pain. The youngest one is in trouble and it's too weak to escape or defend itself, in the end, it is sacrificed to the Velociraptors, as two more appear and Patch and his other siblings all watch in horror as they begin to feed on their sibling.

Later, at dusk, after failing to make a kill and finding out that one of their offspring has been killed and partially eaten by Velociraptors, before being driven off by them, the mother and father Tarbosaurus are resting with their remaining young. The dry season has left the land parched, and the parents have become too weak to make a kill, despite the many endless, attemptful pleas from their kids. All they can do now is wait and hope for the best. Patch then looks up at the sunset-lit sky. But even at a desperate moment like this, Mother Nature sometimes sends a sign of hope for her creations.

6 months later...

As the weeks passed, dark storm clouds began to form in the sky and thunder begins to rumble. And then, at last... a miracle happened.

After six long months, the seemingly endless dry season has now, at last, finally come to a close. And now, the very-much-needed wet season has returned to take its place, once again. The thirsty forest is once again damp and vivacious. Marriott waterfalls rejuvenate every inch of the forest as they steadily flow downward. The wind carries the fragrance of the forest to far away places.

Even in this desolate land, the profound vitality of nature brings new wonders to bear. For instance, a large herd of dinosaurs are seen migrating in search of new lands. These creatures have traveled over a thousand kilometers across bleak terrain to the north. Led by a biological compass in their brains, instinct has led them to this land, which is now softened by the rain. Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus, herbivorous duck-billed dinosaurs that live and travel in herds like today's Wildebeest, are 10 meters in length and weigh up to 3 - 4 tons. They've migrated quite some distance to this land in search of food and a safe place to raise their young for when breeding season arrives. Moving in large numbers in search of substantial quantities of food and a safe communal nesting ground can make them easy targets for predators, which just so happens to be as the Tarbosaurus family, who are watching them from a distance, have set their sights on an individual Tsintaosaurus that is having difficulty keeping up with the rest of the herd.

The mother and father Tarbosaurus know from decades of experience that this is the best area for hunting, even before they met each other. Unfortunately, their youngsters have gone with little or no food for so long that they are having difficulty keeping up with their parents. Even before they arrive, their competitors are already on the move. A pack of Velociraptors have already arrived on the scene. Like today's Wolves and Hyenas, the Velociraptors are very good at pack-hunting. The Tarbosaurus family must hurry if they don't wanna lose out in this competition for food. But there is something wrong with one of Patch's siblings, who is starting to fall behind. Finally, he collapses from thirst, hunger and heat exhaustion. Just a few miles from food, after 10 days of starvation in the bitter heat, this young dinosaur has finally given in and collapsed. Patch and his other siblings turn back to go check on their sibling, but their mother and father cold-heartedly urge them to keep on moving. Knowing that there is nothing they can do to help him, Patch and his remaining siblings have no other choice but to leave their dying sibling behind. And so, with one last mournful backwards glance, the family moves off and continues forwards. Being the top/apex predator of your environment means having to make cruel decisions like this. The sibling left behind will die alone from thirst and starvation if not killed by other predators.

Meanwhile, in the Tsintaosaurus herd, the particular individual who is lagging behind is starting to fall further and furthermore behind the rest of the herd than usual. On such long journeys, at least one will fall behind. They become easy targets for the predators found all around them. These Velociraptors have been waiting for just the right moment. They're highly-organized and skillful hunters brandishing deadly sharp teeth and claws. Directed by their leader, or alpha, like a military operation, The Velociraptor shock troops rush towards the target. These patient, careful planners definitely know where to go from their attack positions and they never rush to judgement. After figuring out their condition of the target, the frontline Velociraptors block any escape route. This causes their prey to slow down. After this, a few other Velociraptors surround it and cut off any chance of retreat. Their hapless target is now trapped, he may be bigger, but it will be difficult to escape this sea. The Tsintaosaurus turns back in order to avoid confrontation with the vicious Velociraptors, but this was part of their plan. The bravest of the pack have set up an ambush and are waiting their chance to pounce. They target the legs because that's the Tsintaosaurus' means of locomotion. If they can inflict a serious-enough amount of injuries on them, it would be hopefully enough to weaken it and bring it down before he even knows what hit him. Now that they smell blood from the wounds, the vicious Velociraptors become even more tenacious and excited. Raptors like Velociraptor are typically, at first, cautious creatures, but once they smell or taste blood in a fight, they are overcome by adrenaline. Almost nothing can make them break off the attack. Their brains focused on only one thing: finishing their prey. This would ultimately send them into a fighting frenzy. The Velociraptors know how hard it is to take down such a colossal creature, but if they keep taking turns at taking shots, their persistence will pay off and it will collapse on its own. That's how they hunt. But one pack member is struck hard, and possibly killed, by the Tsintaosaurus' tail. The rest of the pack keep attacking, by still targeting the legs. In the end, their leader/alpha is the one who gives the final blow. And the Tsintaosaurus then collapses to the ground.

But the Tsintaosaurus is thousand kilometers search for praise all for not. Just as the Velociraptors move in and prepare to finish their prey, with this new turn of events, their victory proves to be short-lived. The mother and father Tarbosaurus rush toward the quarry as if it had belonged to them all along. The Velociraptors are surprised, but they immediately scatter when the mother and father Tarbosaurus get close enough and scare them off with their roars. They've already lost two of their children to these predators and starvation, and they're not afraid of anything. The mother then clamps her jaws down on the fallen Tsintaosaurus' neck as she finishes it off, while the father roars fiercely at the Velociraptors, who watch as they are none too pleased of having their kill stolen, as he keeps them at bay. All the while, Patch and his remaining siblings watch from a distance closeby, as they also witness some Hanaemichnus flying as well. Whilst watching from a distance, Patch's experience shows him one thing. The law of nature is clear that only the strongest will survive.

5 years later…. (Patch's Fifth Year)

Five years have passed, and Patch and his siblings have each grown into a teenager. At age 5, Patch's body has grown to 5 meters in length, while his siblings are all at the ages of 3 and 4, and their bodies have each grown to 3 and 4 meters in length. He is now in the prime of his life, along with his brothers and sisters, a fact easy to see by his fast growth rate; 2.5 kilograms a day. His curiosity as a youngster has been replaced by his instinct as a predatory hunter. He then encounters and then tries to strike at a flock of Haenamichnus drinking and feeding from the lakeshore, but then accidentally trips and stumbles to the ground, making his attempt an unsuccessful one, as the Haenamichnus then realize him and instantly take flight. But to the Haenamichnus, and most of the other residents of the forest and plains, Patch is still a novice hunter, just like his younger siblings. A green one who must prove himself in the days to come before he becomes an adult.

But there are plenty of opportunities.

Nearby a small group of Protoceratops is grazing on low-lying plants and also digging for roots to eat too. The Tarbosaurus family begins to stalk them from nearby. Fortunately though for them, the Protoceratops' attention is focused on feeding on the fresh vegetation and digging around the ground for food. But no one seems willing to make the first move, even the mother. Or, at least, almost no one. In his parents' and siblings' stead, being as both the eldest and most confident of which, Patch dares to take on the challenge of the hunt today. He begins to move slowly towards them trying to be as quiet as he possibly can, with the exception of the sounds of his footsteps and hissing of his breath. His mother, father and siblings all watch him carefully. These creatures are small, but they're not easy to take down. Patch will likely fail, unless he finds their weak point and quickly overpowers one.

He gets as close as he possibly can, still unnoticed, then, once he feels that he is within striking distance, he breaks cover, roaring fiercely, and springs into action! The Protoceratops scatter, but Patch quickly chooses his target, and grabs it by its weak point, having already found it. He then crushes it to death with his powerful bite force, killing it in an instant, before throwing it to the ground. For Patch, this is his first successful hunt. He roars victoriously.

His mother and father are most impressed and approach him and proudly nuzzle him to offer their congratulations, before his brothers and sisters all do the same. He has proven himself to be a successful hunter. Tomorrow, he will learn how to be a successful pack hunter, hunting with his parents and siblings. It will soon be another month or so before Patch and his siblings will finally be ready to leave their parents and make their own way in the world. Some will live alone, while others, who have a strong bond with each other, will live with each other for survival.

3 weeks later...

Patch now hunts alone, with only two of his brothers and two of his sisters, who are twins, for companionship. They have left their parents, and have also parted ways with the rest of their siblings, and are now thriving real well. Although, at first, they struggled to survive a bit, but, since then, have slowly improved. Right now, they are expanding their home territory, which includes mostly forests and plains, but also deserts and freshwater swamplands. And whilst doing so, they are also currently searching for their next meal. There's a wide variety of choices to make in their forest homeland. A flock of small Anserimimus planinychus look ideal, but there is a big problem. A heavily-armored Saichania chulsanensis is grazing on low-lying desert plants nearby. The Anserimimus feed off the smashed ones he leaves behind. This means they're sticking very close to him. Too close for a group of small predators to get in between and attack. A mother Velociraptor attending her nest nearby may prove more promising. But the small Tarbosaurus and his siblings are about to find out they're no match for an overprotective mother. The Velociraptor snarls, hisses and screeches at them as she attempts to ward them off. Knowing better than to get too close, the pair walks off to find something else that could prove more promising. Nearby, a flock of Gallimimus bullatus offers Patch and her siblings one more chance. They seize the moment and charge straight at them, but they scatter the minute they notice them, causing them to fail, and roar in frustration. They have all forgotten that they are ambush predators. They have also ended up too near the edge of the forest.

Several hours later...

Arriving at one of the main rivers that connects to the lake, Patch and his brothers and sisters come upon and witness a small herd of Pukyongosaurus wading in it whilst browsing on the lush vegetation on the other side. These 65 foot tall massive sauropods live alongside small pterosaurs called Nemicolopterus crypticus, which eat ticks and other parasites from the giants' skin and help relieve itchiness. They live symbiotically, helping each other. Just then, one of the sauropods notices and lowers his head towards Patch and his siblings, and sees them off with a deep rumbling bellow. Patch and his sibling pack then arrive at the lake and look out over it as they all watch the sunset.

2 years later…. (Patch's Seventh Year)

Somewhere in the middle of Patch's primeval kingdom is where both forest and desert meet, or the borderline of which, for that matter, anyway. And in the desert part is where many of the residents of Patch's territory roam. For one example of which, a large herd of hadrosaurs called Saurolophus angustirostris, a relative of Tsintaosaurus who also lives in North America, is feeding on the desert plants all around them. As the biggest plant-eaters in the area, at over 30 - 40 feet long and weighing up to 8 tons, they are both very local and residential to deserted areas like this, and are very well-adapted to living in desert environments as well. This herd has been on the move for many, several weeks now, having eaten very little since their long seasonal migration first began. So they must make a quick pit-stop in order to regain their strength for the long trek ahead of them. As one of the many prey animals for Tarbosaurus, with very few defenses, they are easy pickings.

Nearby lies Patch, who is now 7 years old, and one of his two younger brothers, at age 6. The rest of their siblings are back at their nest/lair, guarding and protecting it from rival intruders. They've been watching the herd for up to an hour and a half now, but as the herd refills their tanks and resume their epic journey, they know that it is time to press forward and carry on with their territorial patrol.

An hour and a half later...

Across the scrublands of Patch's territory, there are several freshwater lakes, like the huge one Patch and his family live near back at the forest. At one of them, several species of dinosaurs drink from it, including Saurolophus, as waterholes such as these are a magnet for all animals, both prey and predators alike. Just then, the Saurolophus sense the presence of predators in the area and begin to nervously head out as Patch and his brother then arrive at the lake for a drink. But they are both interrupted when they then notice a Therizinosaurus, who has also arrived onto the shore of the lake. With its arrival seen as a challenge to them, the two Tarbosaurus brothers menacingly approach the Therizinosaurus, who accepts their challenge, and a battle soon erupts.

In the ensuing conflict, the Therizinosaurus pushes the two Tarbosaurus brothers back a bit and scratches Patch's brother on the face, by slashing him across it, with one swipe of its formidable claws in the process. But this only leaves minor wounds. Nevertheless, Patch and his brother wisely turn and walk away in defeat and head back to their part of the lake. They then notice a whole herd of Therizinosaurus appearing from the forest and browsing on the trees. And after what they just went through, they now wisely know not to get too close, as they know there's no way they can take on a whole herd of Therizinosaurus. After they finish drinking they then wisely leave and continue their territorial patrol before heading back to their nest/lair where their brother and twin sisters are waiting for them.

2 years later…. (Patch's Ninth Year)

At age 9, Patch is now 2 times bigger than he was in his early teen years. Right now, he is currently seen, once again, patrolling the borderlines of his homeland territory, when he then senses something going on beyond his territory, along the borderline, and curiously goes to investigate.

When he arrives, he comes across a full-grown adult male Tarbosaurus creeping up behind a lone Pinacosaurus grangeri, a relative of Saichainia, and another type of Asian ankylosaur. As it gets closer, the Pinacosaurus then realizes its attacker, and instantly goes into defensive mode by reacting automatically and aggressively and swinging its clubbed tail. Patch watches the fight from the brush nearby. He can recall many encounters he and his brothers and sisters have had with well-armored prey like ankylosaurs, such as Saichainia and Pinacosaurus, in the past, and he knows just so well, by far, how dangerous they are to take on. But this Tarbosaurus is desperate for a meal, and so, just as it begins to launch its attack, the Pinacosaurus then quickly swings it tail and strikes the Tarbosaurus by breaking it leg with its tail club, causing to roar loudly in pain and then limp away in agony and defeat.

2 days later...

Patch and his family are once again on the hunt, and are currently prowling through the desertous regions of their kingdom, when they then notice something; another male Tarbosaurus, trespassing on their territory. None too pleased to see him do so, they secretly follow him to see what he's up to while thinking of a way to drive him out of their territory before he can usurp them. The intruding Tarbosaurus then comes upon something that peaks his interest. A third species of ankylosaur that Patch and his siblings have encountered before, called Tarchia teresae, is seen browsing on desert bushes nearby, and the roars of the intruding Tarbosaurus soon get its attention. But just like its relatives, Tarchia is no wimp, and can use its tail club to cripple and even kill any would-be attackers. It then reacts the way all ankylosaurs do when faced with danger, as the Tarboaurus then roars out loudly at it and then approaches it.

A fight ensues between them, with both dinosaurs headbutting and pushing each other in the sides, as Patch and his siblings watch from nearby. Then, the Tarchia manages to defeat the Tarbosaurus by whacking its tail club into its leg, breaking it, just like the Pinacosaurus did with the other Tarbosaurus, 2 days back. Only this time, instead of limping away, it falls over onto its side and probably won't be getting back up again. As the Tarchia then leaves, without a backwards glance, Patch and his brothers and sisters also move off, leaving the wounded and downed intruder to his fate.

1 year later…. (Patch's Tenth Year)

A year passes, and Patch has now turned 10, with his brothers and sisters at the ages of 8 and 9. At the moment, they are on the hunt as usual, and then come upon a herd of Charonosaurus jiayinensis, another species of Asian hadrosaur, and one that resembles the North American hadrosaur, Parasaurolophus, and have set their sights on an individual, drinking from a shallow pond, that has isolated itself from the rest of the herd. They decide that that's the one which will be their target and all move carefully into their positions.

Patch starts off the hunt by stalking the prey while avoiding the watchful eye of the guard. Then, when he's ready, he breaks cover and attacks. In the process, he manages to split three Charonosauruses away from the herd, including the individual that he had been originally stalking, and then drives them towards his two younger twin sisters. When the time is right, they, too, break cover, and join Patch in chasing the Charonosauruses to the final ambush spot where Patch's two younger brothers are lying in wait. Waiting for the right moment, they then burst out of their hiding spot as one brother grabs one of the three Charonosaurus by the neck in his jaws while the other one pins down the struggling prey, so that the final killing blow can be made, as the other two Charonosaurus keep on fleeing without looking back.

Patch and the twins rejoin their brothers as Patch then places one foot on their kill and then roars triumphantly, with his siblings following suit, before they all begin to feed on the corpse of the Charonosaurus.

5 years later…. (Patch's Fifteenth Year)

A herd of Tsintaosaurus gathers around the lake to feed on the lush vegetation that grows all around it. Even their mundane activities are a spectacle to behold. Like most large dinosaurs, these creatures spend most of their day eating in order to maintain their 4 - 5 ton mass. They are among the most prolific dinosaurs found in this region. The key to their prevalence is a dietary habit peculiar to these types of dinosaurs. Before the Cretaceous period, herbivorous dinosaurs, that were mostly sauropods, simply swallowed leaves whole, which were digested by bacteria and ground up by stones called gastroliths inside their stomachs. But hadrosaurs, like Tsintaosaurus, have developed hundreds of tightly-packed flat teeth called molars inside their mouths, which are shaped like a duck's beak. This evolutionary improvement enables them to properly chew vegetation, allowing them to absorb more nutrients and, thus, be more successful at survival and breeding.

But less they overpopulate the land, nature has its own way of handling the herbivores, like the Tsintaosaurus. Its predators.

The fearsome-looking Tarbosaurus watching them from the forest edge within the trees, along with his younger brothers and sisters, is Patch, the one and only King of the Forest. He is now 15 years old, and has now grown into a young adult, with his younger brothers and twin sisters at the ages of 14 and 13. They all home in on their usual target; the careless one that has wandered off from the rest of the group. As the alpha male of his sibling pack, Patch will start the hunt off alone, and then give his younger siblings the special signal by his command to join in and help him out with the rest.

When on the prowl, Patch never rushes. His opponents usually take turns to post as lookouts in this vicinity. If Patch and his siblings are spotted, the lookout will alert the others through a shrill noise, produced by the 40 centimeter protuberance on its head, which gives these dinosaurs their name. Fortunately for Patch, the lookout hasn't noticed him yet, though it's only a matter of time before he or any of the others do. Patch's target doesn't sense the danger approaching nearby, and instead focuses on drinking up the water from the lake. It's a golden opportunity for Patch and his siblings to snatch up their next meal. So, he seizes it and comes bursting out of the trees and rushes straight towards his quarry! By the time the Tsintaosaurus notices him, it's too late. Patch grasps onto its neck with his jaws and teeth and holds onto it. Once he gives them the signal, his siblings also come running out of the trees and join the attack. The hapless prey struggles in vain. Once caught, no creature can escape the 7 tons of pressure from the jaws of the Tarbosaurus. His 60 strong teeth are like hooks boring into flesh. One of Patch's sisters clamps her jaws down on the Tsintaosaurus' hip region while the other one bites down on its tail and one of his brothers grabs its left arm with his jaws. Then, with all his strength, Patch wrestlefully throws the struggling dinosaur to the ground, where it is instantly killed upon impact of hitting which. 80 - 70 million years ago in primeval Asia, this violent display represented the majesty of the Tarbosaurus. Having perfected another kill, the Tarbosaurus siblings then begin to feed on the carcass.

The other Tsintaosaurus wail at the sight of their herd mate's death. But their plaintive cries are nothing more than background noise to Patch and his siblings. They're starving and need all the nutrition they can muster up now, so they can survive the harsh dry season that will soon be upon them. The other Tsintaosaurus continue to mourn the loss of their member and scold Patch and his siblings, but this only infuriates Patch to a certain breaking point. He then roars angrily in annoyance at them to get them to shut up, forcing them to reluctantly leave, and he then returns to feasting on the carcass with his siblings.

Patch and his siblings can eat hundreds of kilograms of meat at a time, they can each rip off more than 20 kilograms in one bite. By now, the smell of blood has wafted through the forest. The hungry Velociraptors that have just arrived, won't miss this opportunity. The Velociraptors live and hunt in packs, they never pass up an opportunity to invite themselves to a feast. But even these unwelcome guests respect Patch and his siblings' royal position as the apex predators of this environment. They know they must wait for the King of the Forest and his family to finish their meal before they start theirs. Eventually, the Tarbosaurus siblings have eaten their fill and they abandon the carcass for the Velociraptors to pick over. Having consumed a whopping 200 kilograms of flesh, Patch and his siblings will now be able to go for more than a week or so without hunting. Patch and his siblings have been having a lucky day. Likewise for the Velociraptors, who can all now devour this bounty in peace.

Later, Patch and his sibling family are taking the usual, scenic route back to their nest, which is also their lair.

Patch's Tarbosaurus ancestors have lived in this place for more than 10 million years. And Patch's descendants will follow in their footsteps for more than 10 million more, carrying on the mighty role of King of the Primeval Forest. Along the way through the forest, Patch even manages to briefly catch up with an old Microraptor friend of his, before continuing along. Eventually, they reach their nest/lair and Patch then stands on the edge of which and looks out over the entire landscape as his brothers and sisters begin to settle in. These master dinosaurs prefer to choose to make their nests in a spot that looks over the entire forest, with the best view of the lake, as well as the forest, desert and plains, and a few hundred square kilometers that surround it. It's a privileged position for the ultimate rulers of this ancient kingdom. Patch then roars out as he looks over his entire territory.

Just then, some squawking is heard in the distance.

A Haenamichnus takes advantage of the air blowing across the lake. With a wingspan of 12 meters in length, no bird in history was ever this large, yet, it weighs only 70 kilograms. His bones are hollowed out, like those of many pterosaurs, allowing him to easily take flight. Just then, the Haenamichnus flies low over the surface of the lake and then catches a fish to eat. He is able to snatch up fish with his beak and the flexible movement of his wings allows him to gracefully fly to any point in the world. As he rejoins his flock, one member of which tries to steal his fish, which then causes him to drop it and it is then caught by another.

Elsewhere, other Haenamichnus are gathered in a muddy area that provides another thing in their diet as two more then land and join them. Their flight may be graceful, but, one by one, they then come in for an awkward landing. And this just happens to be so as another Haenamichnus tries to land properly, but then trips and awkwardly falls forward onto the muddy ground before getting back up again. In addition to fish and other small aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates, they also typically live on worms and clams found in these mudflats that they often pay visits to. Like all pterosaurs, they have a unique, yet surprisingly competent, way of moving on land; they may appear to be walking on their two webbed hind feet, but they're also crawling along, using their hand-like forefeet located in the middle of their wings, which are kept turned straight upwards and tightly folded against their arms.

The Haenamichnus continue feeding as one snatches up a clam in its beak and then swallows it whole. The unique quadrupedal stance is found with most species, including this one in particular, discovered near South Korea's Haenam County. That's why they're scientific name sounds more Korean than Latin.

1 year later…. (Patch's Sixteenth Year)

The sun begins to rise over the prehistoric deserts of Patch's homeland kingdom. Even though some animals are well adapted to desert conditions, like these, their survival is often on a knife-edge. Especially here in Asia, where, in the height of summer, temperatures soar above 60 degrees Celesius. And water evaporates in an instant. Among the many rocks of the Asian desert, a lizard basks in the early morning sun. There are ferocious-looking reptiles here too. But this little lizard is just a few inches long. A fly buzzed around as the lizard crawled. Here, getting a meal is never easy. The lizard soon chased after the fly and follows it. The lizard eventually comes across an old rotting carcass, with 5 azhdarchid pterosaurs circling overhead. This immense carcass could be promising. A dead Sauropod. A potential feast for many. But, strangely, all is quiet.

Then, a snore from a sleeping giant was heard as it looked around. Nearby, Patch, at age 16, is seen resting. He then lifts his head up and yawns. And close by, his brothers and sisters, at the ages of 15 and 14, were resting as well. They keep everyone else away, but for the lizard, they might bring an opportunity. If there is one thing that attracts flies more than a carcass, it's a sleeping Tarbosaurus that has been feeding on that carcass. Seeing the number of flies attracted to the carcass and the smelly faces of the Tarbosaurus siblings that've recently fed on the carcass, the lizard sees the good feeding opportunity, and musters up some courage to go after some flies, running on and around one of the Tarbosaurus siblings, in this case, Patch, trying to catch some of the flies that gathered around his face, taking caution not to awaken the large theropod. Time to be bold. Close by, a familiar-looking foot that carries a famous sickle-shaped claw on its big toe quietly takes a step as the owner of it carefully approaches. A Velociraptor. Just then, it rushes in and snaps up another lizard in the area. Time to be careful. Because Velociraptors usually hunt together in packs. A second Velociraptor, eyeing another lizard in the area, rushes at the little creature, but the lizard manages to run away in time. Carefully, the Velociraptors sneak around the sleeping Tarbosaurus siblings, seeking out more lizards to eat. Finding another one, one of them goes after it, but the lizard rushes underneath Patch, causing the Velociraptor to bump into him, thus, waking him up. Patch then reaches out in an attempt to snap at the Velociraptor, which rushes off with its pack mate as he gets up, causing his brothers and sisters to also wake up. They eventually decide to leave the carcass, which has not that much left on it for them anymore, and so, the Tarbosaurus siblings move on. Having consumed a lot of meat for many days, Patch and his siblings will definitely be able to survive the rest of the dry season. And now the pterosaurs can come down, and claim a share of the carcass. As it scampers away from the area, running across the desert once more to look for food, for the little lizard, the opportunity... has gone.

Several hours later…

Sunset shines over the Asian desert. Making the most of fleeting chances is key to surviving in the desert, and some dinosaurs manage to do so, very effectively, indeed. The shadow of a small feathered dinosaur looms on the desert cracked ground. As it looks around.

Mononykus olecranus is a desert specialist. This one is a female. She looks around and travels through the desert landscape. Like many desert animals, she must patrol a huge area if she is to find enough food. The Mononykus then wanders through the desert as she looks for a meal. Bare legs help keep her body cool. Feathers on her body shield her from the sun's rays, and they provide her with a super sense. They form facial discs that help her detect the faintest of sounds, just like those of modern-day Barn Owls. The Mononykus faintly chitters as she looks around as she uses her hypersensitive directional hearing. And she soon spotted a log nearby that could be promising for food, and so, went over to the log and hops on it and listens carefully through the bark. Such hypersensitive directional hearing gives her a mental map of this hollow log and what lies within. She uses her hearing to mentally map out a termite's nest and determines the right position to dig through, as she moves across the log and gets to a section and chitters as she held her ear over the bark.

She now uses the weapon that gives this hunter its name; Mononykus, "Single Giant Claw". The Mononkyus then starts scratching and scraping through the bark with her claw. Just what she needs to open a termite's nest. And soon, the Mononykus breaks through the wood into the nest. And she has another special piece of equipment; a flexible tongue twice the length of her head. The Mononykus slips her head through the gap, and then she slurps up termites with a long skinny tongue, just like with modern-day Anteaters, Aardvarks and Pangolins. The tongue of Mononykus can also actually wrap around her skull, just like that of a modern-day Woodpecker. The Mononykus soon backs her head back and tossed the termites a bit and swallows them. And soon lowers down to slurp up more termites. An excellent protein-packed meal, if only termites weren't quite so irritating. The Mononykus lifts her head as she has a few termites on her face, and soon starts shaking them off and soon scratches the last one off with her foot.

Specialists like Mononykus can thrive in this arid desert. Just then, thunder rumbles in the distance as the Mononykus warbles and then heads off. But such conditions don't always stay the same. Storm clouds start to gather. On rare occasions, cooler mountain winds sweep in and mix with the rising hot air. A desert storm, bringing with it welcome rain. Soon, it starts to rain. And the Mononykus soon watches as rain started to truly come down. As she then rushes off to find shelter, it continues raining heavily as a heavy flow of water washes through a dried up streambed. The Mononykus soon got to some rocks as she took shelter in a shallow opened gap of the rockface and watches as the rain keeps coming down. She may never before have seen the land soaked like this. It transforms this landscape in unexpected ways. The Mononykus soon lays down and hunkers down as the rain keeps pouring down.

Elsewhere among the desert landscape, spouts of plants shoot up. Seeds that have been lying dormant burst into life. After the rains have passed, flowers begin to bloom along with other desert plants. They transform this arid landscape in a matter of days. And with the vegetation comes an abundance of food, if you know how to catch it. Eventually, the female Mononykus reappears and skitters through the desert plants as she warbles and squeaks. A beetle crawls on the sand as the Mononykus appeared from behind a bush and looks around. She pokes her head from behind a log, and soon nears a scorpion and squeaks as it turns to her. Then, she stalks a flock of Cretaceous birds. Enantiornithines, an ancient type of bird… The Mononykus then rushed towards them as the birds quickly flew off. …but perhaps a little too big to tackle. The Mononykus warbles as she then rushes off. She soon nears a rock with a beetle on it. It can be hard adapting to such a different and unfamiliar world. A deep sound was heard nearby as the Mononykus looks around, and the beetle crawls off as the Mononykus soon saw it was gone.

Oh, dear.

The Mononykus looks around and warbles as she finally snatches a beetle in front of her. Finally, she's got something. The Mononykus soon rushed off. But these new challenges will be brief. One thing is certain in the desert: Searing heat and scorched earth will soon return. Flowers will be nothing more than a distant memory.

Elsewhere in the vast Asian deserts, the wind howls over the sand dunes stirring the sand. It's not just the unrelenting power of the sun that makes deserts so inhospitable. So too do winds. The wind continues blowing over a flat section of desert. Here in central Asia, they rip across the landscape, drying out the land still further and uprooting vegetation. The wind blows as a sand funnel twirls. Nearby, a herd of hadrosaurs are on the move as they were migrating. Large dinosaurs keep on the move to try to cope with these harsh conditions. These duck-billed dinosaurs are Barsboldia sicinskii. They are long-distance specialists and can go without water for an astonishing length of time. But on rare occasions, there is an abundance. After trekking for quite some time, the herd then finally sees a rare desert hotspot of life. An oasis with dozens of dinosaurs gathered to drink water from Barsboldia, Charonosaurus, Saurolophus, Tsintaosaurus, Azhdarchid pterosaurs landing to drink, Tarchia, Saichania, Pinacosaurus, Protoceratops, Therizinosaurus, Pukyongosaurus and Nemgtosaurus as bellows fill the air. When rain does fall, it can seep into the land and travel great distances underground. Until, in some special places, the water rises to the surface and creates an oasis. Open water attracts desert animals of every kind from many miles away. Among the oasis, a flock of Mononykus warbled as they rushed by a wandering Barsboldia.

Some dwarf everyone else.

Nearby, approaching the oasis, a herd of desert giants is on the move as they make their way towards the waterhole. And they were a herd of Titanosaurs.

The Mongolian Titan.

The nomadic herd of Mongolian Titans made their way towards the oasis as they might have smelled the water from several miles. And a few birds flew by as one rests on the neck of one member of the herd. They are colossal. Weighing over 70 tons, they dwarf even the giant Pukyongosaurus, as they are among the biggest animals to have ever walked the Earth. A risky place for a tiny Mononykus to come for a drink. A Mononykus rushes by, and weaves through, the legs of a Mongolian Titan as it marches. The Mongolian Titan herd approaches the waterhole as one nears the shore of the water as a few Barsboldia move out of its way. And the Wild Kratts managed to sneak through the crowd to get a better look of the giant as it lowers its head and neck down to drink. There may be a crowd, but if you've got the longest neck on Earth, you can jump the queue. The Mongolian Titan lowers its head down to the water and starts drinking.

All around the oasis, dozens of dinosaurs drink from the oasis, from the tiny Mononykus to the giant Mongolian Titan. But as you and I know, such a gathering attracts attention. As they drink, a shape, followed by four more, appeared from a ridge on the sand dunes. Patch and his siblings stand on the ridge of the dune and stare at the oasis below, and soon start descending down the dunes as some of the Barsboldia noticed them as they lowed. The Tarbosaurus siblings continue their way towards the waterhole as a Barsboldia watches them. 2 Barsboldia resting by the shore soon saw the Tarbosaurus siblings approaching, and soon the herd started slowly and carefully moving aside as the Tarbosaurus siblings approached. And they turn to both sides of the herd as they near the shore of the watering hole, and the herd lows and grunts. But the Tarbosaurus siblings show no signs of hunting behavior as they didn't look interested in a meal, and stood in their place, lined up next to each other, for a few moments. And soon, Patch bends down and starts lapping up water as he drinks, and his siblings follow suit. But like everyone else, the hunters are here just for water. The Tarbosaurus siblings continue drinking as the herd relaxed a little and starts drinking alongside them.

(As several days pass by...)

As the sun rises and falls over the sand dunes of the prehistoric desert in the next coming days, eventually, the oasis is drank dry. With so many thirsty mouths drinking day and night, the water doesn't last long. All that was left of the oasis was only a few scattered patches of damp ground. The animals disperse, even Patch and his siblings, and once again, the harsh, arid conditions return.

But it's not just forests, deserts and plains that make up Patch's territory.

In parts of central Asia, including another part of Patch's kingdom, heavy seasonal rains fill the rivers until, eventually, they overflow their banks. The surrounding plains are flooded, turning them into a vast floodplain of wetland swamps. And through the water wades one of the most bizarre of all dinosaurs. Nearby, a large black shape moves by the plants, and 2 dragonflies flew off. And a reflection casts on the water surface showing a large 3-fingered hand. And the dinosaur grunts as its neck lifts up. The dinosaur also lifts its head up, showing that it has a spoonbill-like head, a sail-like hump on its back, incredibly large arms, and is covered in a thick black and lightish-tan brown feathered coat almost looking like thick fur. As it was, indeed, one of the strangest dinosaurs to have ever lived.

Deinocheirus mirificus. It's even taller than T-Rex, as well as Tarbosaurus, but nowhere near any bigger than. And its massive duck bill-like snout is very effective in gathering water plants, on which it feeds. This male feeds voraciously, having eaten very little during the long dry season. The Deinocheirus then lowers his large arms underwater. Water plants are rich in nutrients. And his huge, curved claws, eight inches long, enable him to dredge them up from deep beneath the surface. He soon finishes dredging the plants, and lowers his head to the water and grabs a mouthful of water plants. It's thought that Deinocheirus could probably eat as much as 500 pounds of water plants a day, which is equal to a truckload of plants. Plants make part of its menu, as it was found to actually be an omnivore. While studying the skeleton of Deinocheirus, and its skeletal remains as well, scientists found rocks where the stomach would be, and they found fish bones as well. Some of the first evidence of a dinosaur with an omnivorous diet.

He himself is a source of food for smaller creatures. Bloodsucking flies, which infest his coat of feathers. They were buzzing around him, and they seemed to be bothering him as they swarm the 8 ton giant as he shakes his head and scratches near the base of his neck with his hand claws. The flies also swarm around the face of the Deinocheirus as he shakes his head and scratches himself by his neck and head. They're irritating and even painful. And while his huge claws enable him to have a good scratch… there are always some spots that are just out of reach. The Deinocheirus grunts more as he tries to scratch himself from the swarming flies. To get to them, he needs assistance. The Deinocheirus looks around and then noticed something. A dead tree. That could be the answer. The tree looked like it got the Deinocheirus' full attention, as he then made his way over to the tree, and arrives as a bird watches the giant. And then the Deinocheirus slams his side against the tree trunk as the bird shrieks flying off, and the giant starts using the tree as a scratching post as he gives himself a good scratch as the wood of the tree cracks. That's much better. The Deinocheirus stops for a moment and turns to a branch and then slams his head on a branch causing the tree to jostle. He grunts as he continues scratching himself against the tree and soon finishes.

And now he can get back to feeding. He then lowers his bill into the water grumbling, and soon lifts his head up with a mouthful of plants in his bill. But a diet that consists almost entirely of wet vegetation does have one inevitable consequence. The Deinocheirus gnaws on the water plants working them to the back of his mouth to swallow, and then a splash was heard. Underwater, a dropping sinks down. What was food for one becomes fertilizer for many others. The Deinocheirus then swished and swayed his tail side to side. And a giant as big as Deinocheirus can produce over 20 tons of dung every year. And soon, he heads off.

5 days later…

The badlands of the Prehistoric Planet tests even dinosaurs to their limits. Like the desertous ones in Patch's widespread territory. For instance of one example, this strange landscape carved by scouring winds and vast ancient rivers might appear empty of life. But here, hidden in these narrow canyons... is a new family of Velociraptors.

A brood of 10 - 12 baby Velociraptor chicks are seen huddled together and one then stands up. The young are just a few weeks old. One of the baby Raptors yips as its other brothers and sisters huff and squawk as it then walks off. And soon, its siblings got up and join it as they all chitter and squawk. And one chick then bumps into the foot of an adult Velociraptor as it drones and the chick gets up again. And turns to the lethal, cunning, intelligent hunter it will one day become. It might seem that in such a barren place, they face an uncertain future. Their survival relies on a strange event, not here, but miles from their home.

Elsewhere, across the baking desert of Patch's kingdom lies a forest trapped in a sea of sand. A change in the seasons brings rare water to this region. Huge stands of poplar trees mark its arrival with a flush of nutritious leaves. A magnet that draws many hungry animals. For example, nearby, a herd of nomads is on the move, heading towards that particular oasis, as it is a large, mixed herd of two different species of Asian sauropods. Long-necked Nemegtosaurus mongoliensis are joined by Mongolian Titanosaurs. And with them, much smaller Prenocephale prenes, a type of small, Asian pachycephalosaurid.

But one thing stands in their way. This immense plateau. And the only way to reach the forest is through this seemingly endless maze of canyons. As they enter, the herd becomes nervous. It's a good place for an ambush. The herd of Titanosaurs press on through the canyon path as the Prenocephale follows closely alongside them, careful not to get in their way of getting trampled. The Velociraptors are waiting. A pair of them watch the herd of giants pass by as it continues on through the seemingly endless maze of canyons. But they can't possibly tackle a titanosaur. Success will depend instead on other hunters on the prowl.

Elsewhere among the pathways of the canyons, roars and growling from predators were heard as they were beginning to stir. Bigger ones. With the herd, there was a hold-up as they stood as they were growing more nervous as every moment increases the risk. Their calls echo through the canyon pathways as the foot of a large predator lands on the hard ground as it walks by. The herd starts to crowd more as the giants grow more anguish. Nearby, a familiar predator growls softly baring its 64 teeth. The herd of crowded Titanosaurs continues growing more nervous with each second from their hold-up as two Mongolian Titanosaurs bumped necks against each other as one grunts. And close by, the predator begins to stalk closer. The Mongolian Titans were carefully scaling down a six-foot ledge as they herd crowds up more. The titans carefully scale down the shallow ledge, As they know that if they were to place a foot wrong, their leg will cripple under their own immense weight. Nearby, some familiar-looking Tarbosaurus were beginning to approach the herd, as they were, indeed, Patch and his brothers and sisters. The Tarbosaurus siblings begin their approach as the back of the herd continues on meeting with the crowded hold-up. Patch and one of his siblings watch the herd go by, and one of them, Patch, roars as they and their siblings begin their approach, looking for a weakling amongst the herd as they are more than capable of tackling a giant.

As the predators approach, panic spreads. The herd was soon aware of the Tarbosaurus siblings, and while a full-grown, 70 ton Mongolian Titan is relatively safe due to its size, the sight alone of even one Tarbosaurus is still threatening and nerve-wracking. Soon the canyon walls echo with the panicked bellowing from the Nemegtosaurus and Mongolian Titanosaurs. The Prenocephale herd was also nervous as they were easy snacks for Patch and his brothers and sisters, and, as one Nemegtosaurus carefully climbs down the ledge, a nervous "Mongolian Titan got to the edge and it's left front leg bumps the smaller Sauropod. The strength in the giant's leg alone was enough to nudge the Nemegtosaurus as it slips as it tries to regain its footing and then falls on its side.

With a potential target down, the Tarbosaurus siblings begin to approach as the Titanosaurs quicken their pace and scale down the ledge and tread off as fast as their legs will allow them. And with the Tarbosaurus siblings closing in, the Prenocephale flee to the canyon walls with a shallow angle for them to get away. Only the Prenocephale can escape to higher ground. The Prenocephale herd chitter and grunt as they rush up the slopes as a rock rolls down. And then, one of the Velociraptors rushes from its hiding spot and chases after them. And this is what the Velociraptors have waited for. The Prenocephale herd flees and then peels off as one member is singled out by the Velociraptor as it continues running as rocks roll down the canyon wall. Up ahead, a second Velociraptor is laying in wait for the Prenocephale. Now, the Velociraptors can finally spring their ambush. The waiting Velociraptor got ready as the Prenocephale appeared and the Raptor lunges from hiding, hissing with it's feathered arms out along with its claws and kicks the Prenocephale as it squawked and then stumbled back a bit as the Velociraptor fell on it's side as the Prenocephale fell over the edge as the Raptor got up and looked over as a thud was heard below. Below, the lifeless Prenocephale lies where it landed.

At last. The Velociraptors begin to approach their prize. Working together, they have secured a meal for the whole family. Nearby, the Tarbosaurus siblings have also had success. The herd of Nemegtosaurus and Mongolian Titanosaurs were already long gone by now, and Patch and his siblings gathered around a prize of their own. The fallen Nemegtosaurus. Amongst the chaos, it got trampled by the larger Mongolian Titans. And so, Patch and his brothers and sisters begin to feed on the Nemegtosaurus carcass, and with 18 tons of meat, they will feed on the Nemegtosaurus for several days. For predators, it's actually a time of plenty. And for the Velociraptors, the perfect time to start a family. The chicks start to gather around the Prenocephale body as a few of them climb on the corpse. And the family pack of Velociraptors chitter as they begin to feed.

An hour later...

In the deserts and badlands of Patch's expanded territory, the relief of cooler nights is always all too soon followed by the return of the intense heat of the sun's rays. The temperature on the surface of the sand can soar to over 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Any water here soaks away or evaporates in seconds. This is one of the driest places on earth. Without water, no animal can survive. Yet this is home to these young Tarchia. They are desert-living ankylosaurs. Heavily armored with huge, clubbed tails. Dark patches protect the Tarchia's eyes from the glaring sun. As they continued on, one of the Tarchias huffs. And this is the sound of Tarchia's very own air conditioning system. Their large nose cools the air as it leaves the body, condensing and so conserving valuable water with every breath. It allows them to survive long periods without drinking as they search for a meal.

The two young Tarchia brothers continue on their trek through the harsh desert landscape. The high temperatures here create scouring winds which carve the rocks into extraordinary shapes. But they also strip the ground of soil. The Tarchia brothers soon arrived at the entrance of a rocky, canyon-like gully where a few plants stood looking dry. Some plants, however, manage to take root in cracks between the rocks. One of the Tarchia brothers went up to a bush and starts feeding. Any meager mouthful is worth competing for. The other Tarchia brother soon joins him by the bush, and then he lightly nudges him aside, wanting the bush for himself. And soon, his brother continues forward as he heads to the gully, knowing that his brother will catch up with him later.

With every minute, the sun climbs higher. Soon, all shade will be gone. And even these masters of the desert welcome a drink sometimes. The young Tarchia walks through a narrow path in the gully. Like many nomads, the Tarchia have a mental map of the desert and can travel across empty landscapes with unerring accuracy. The Tarchia makes his way through the pathway in the rock walls of the gully and soon reaches the other side. They remember the rare places where there are natural springs. Desert oases like this one. A lifesaver for animals that can find them. Ahead was a pool of spring water with scrubs of plants where another herd of Prenocephale were drinking. They chitter as they enjoy their drink which could be the first drink of water they had in days. The Prenocephale herd continues drinking and then noticed the young Tarchia as he approaches and then lowers his head down to the water and begins drinking. Tensions often run high around an oasis... One Prenocephale nears the young Tarchia and then hissed and mobs the Ankylosaur as he turns to the smaller dinosaur grunting as the whole group unites and mobs him. ...but a display of strength can prevent a dangerous battle. Getting into a defensive stance, the young Tarchia then simply slams his tail club on the sand hard. As it was enough to have the Prenocephale in momentary silence before they then backed off, intimidated.

In the end, the Prenocephale are little more than annoying. But an adult Tarchia is another matter. A full-grown Tarchia, sleeping in a cave closeby, soon stirs, and the younger male soon senses its presence and growls. The young Tarchia then backs away a bit as the bigger adult Tarchia gets to his feet. Especially one almost twice the youngster's weight. The young Tarchia stood his ground with his tail up as the adult Tarchia drones, confronting the youngster. It wields a club weighing almost 50 pounds. The adult male swings his tail as the two ankylosaurs confront each other, and the bigger male roars as he doesn't look interested in sharing. If this comes to a fight, the juvenile can't win. The two Ankylosaurs confront each other as the juvenile looks to be close to backing down. But reinforcements are on the way. The youngster's brother soon arrives after his snack and growls as he saw his brother in the middle of a confrontation with the larger male. And he soon stands shoulder-to-shoulder with his brother ready to face the bigger brute. The pair are reunited. Now there are twice as many swinging clubs for the adult to deal with. The adult Tarchia steps back as the two brothers confront him and was now faced with two opponents. He then roars and then backs down. He decides that perhaps there is enough water here for everyone to share.

The adult Tarchia turns walking off as he heads back to his cave, and the two brothers head to the spring and finally get their share for water. At their hiding place, the Prenocephale watched as the young Tarchia brothers drink. The young Tarchia can finally drink in peace. But they may not be able to enjoy their rest for long. In badlands, conditions can change with astonishing speed. As the day went by, the sky darkens as clouds heavily gathered and grew immensely as lightning crackled. Rising summer temperatures fuel electric storms hundreds of miles wide.

3 weeks later…

At this time of year, in Spring, large herds of herbivores gather to feed on the new plant growth of these vast open plains along the edge of the forest that create excellent feeding grounds for them. But where there are large numbers of plant eaters… there are great hunters, or meat eaters. Patch and his siblings watch from close by, observing the herds and probing for any opportunities. Like most predators, their kind usually ambush their prey. But with so many watching eyes, they know that this is not the right time to attack. They'll wait for nightfall, and the cover of darkness, which will give them an advantage over their prey.

Several hours later…

As darkness falls, some of the herds that had been grazing and browsing out in the open retreat into the forest for shelter. Now, the odds switch in favor of the predators, like Patch and his siblings, who are resting nearby. Patch wakes up and slowly and silently gets to his feet. All predatory theropod dinosaurs like them have relatively much larger eyes than their prey, which gives them superb low-light vision, but only somewhat better than that of their prey. Patch gently nudges his brothers, waking them up. His brothers yawn and get to their feet. Patch and his brothers then nuzzle their sisters, who also wake up and get to their feet. Soon, they're on the prowl, once again. And like all their cousins and relatives, they're able to move through the forest in near-silence, thanks to cushioned pads on their feet.

They come upon a group of Saurolophus grazing in the forest. They lack armor, but they're almost as big as Tarbosaurus, and just as fast. To catch one, in these types of conditions, needs cunning. Each of the sibling hunters carefully moves into position. Then, one of them, Patch, deliberately makes a noise. The Saurolophus are officially alarmed. They now know that hunters are close, but they don't know exactly where they are out there in the darkness. Time to spring the trap.

Patch's twin sisters rush out! They chase the Saurolophus straight to where they want them! The herd panics, and bolts to where Patch and his two brothers are waiting…. in ambush. They burst out of hiding and Patch gets a hold of one by the neck. Then, they all work together to knock over their prey and pin it down so they can make the final killing blow. The rest of the herd continues running for their lives without looking back.

A perfectly executed plan. Now, another meal has been provided for Patch and his siblings. He grabs it in his jaws by the base of its neck and he and his brothers and twin sisters take their kill back to their lair, where they can eat it in safety and peace.

1 month later…

A month has passed, and the dry season has just returned to this region. There are already signs of the fact that is starting to take its toll. This male Pukyongosaurus, around the age of 60, has just recently died of that very reason in particular, as well as heat exhaustion.

As hours pass, his immense corpse has now become a magnet for scavengers, like these Velociraptors. But biting through a 3 inch thick hide is beyond any of their power. Very frustrating. Just then, to make matters worse, Patch and his siblings arrive, as they have been drawn here by the scent of the corpse as well. Together, they establish their dominance and the Velociraptors immediately clear out. Then, they begin to feast on the corpse. With their 6 inch long teeth, tearing through a Pukyongosaurus' tough skin is not a problem. No matter how many times the Velociraptors sneak in and steal pieces of meat, Patch and his siblings always catch them and drive them off. Patch's species might be able to bully Velociraptors, but a carcass as big as this soon attracts more formidable competition.

Hanaemichnus, a giant pterosaur. One of the few creatures that will challenge an adult Tarbosaurus. One strike from its 5 - 6 foot long beak could easily cost any of the Tarbosaurus siblings an eye. Even so, he knows better than to push his luck since he's alone and outnumbered, and it seems that none of them are going to back down. Just then, more squawking is heard. But the arrival of two more Hanaemichnus… changes the odds. After all three beaks are deadlier than one.

The pterosaurs start to slowly approach their rivals, but as soon as Patch and his pack begin to lunge at them, they then change tactics, they split up, with one distracting each of the Tarbosaurus siblings, then one flies up onto the Pukyongosaurus carcass. This gets the Tarbosaurus siblings' attention and they approach and then aggressively roar, growl and snarl at him. And the pterosaur, in return, screeches and squawks back at them. Then, they all regroup and start to fly around the Tarbosaurus siblings, and then start mobbing and pecking at them.

For Patch and his siblings, this is now too dangerous. With no other choice to win this, they abandon the carcass to the pterosaurs, and one aggressively squawks loudly at them one last time. As tempting as they are, some fights just aren't worth the risk. For now, the flying giants have, temporarily, won. They quickly eat all they can. But, Patch and his siblings will certainly be back to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. Once their flying rivals either leave, or, with full stomachs, make themselves more easier to attack.

1 year later…. (Patch's Seventeenth Year)

A year passes, and it is now a very special time of year for all the region's dinosaurs. As the forest keeps getting greener and greener, amongst this emerald hue, however, there are many signs that a revolutionary biological event is taking place; the advent of flowers. By the Cretaceous period, flowers ended up playing a crucial role in the spread of broadleaf plants and grass into environments once dominated by conifers from the Jurassic period. As the flowers bloom, it is a sign that love is also in the air. Which implies that it is the mating season. And this is the time of year when the forests and plains become very lively. When it's time to mate, each male of every species must do whatever it takes to win the affections of the females.

For example, when it's time to mate, male Protoceratops try to attract females by showing off the large frills on their head. But other dinosaurs have different ways of attracting a mate.

Meanwhile, Patch is also prepared for the mating season. At age 17, he has now finally reached sexual maturity. For him and his brothers and sisters, who are now at ages 16 and 15, this season signals the chance for them to create and raise a family of their very own, and a long and lonely journey for Patch, as he proceeds to head off into the wilds of his homeland kingdom in search of a mate, leaving his siblings to safely guard and patrol their nest and lair until he gets back. Since he, alone, along with his siblings, dominates such a wide swathe of territory, he must travel quite some distance, and for quite some time, in order to find a female with whom to mate.

Elsewhere, since male Tsintaosaurus outnumber females, the males must go through a fierce competition to win the affections of a female. They bellow and grunt at each other and even peck one another with their duck-like bills. The more vicious ones might even lash their competitors with their tails. All the while, the females quietly wait to see which males will be their chosen partners. For one dueling pair, both males still go at it for about a couple more minutes, until, eventually, after one last hard head-butt, in the end, the younger impatient male walks away after being defeated by the more experienced and skillful elder, who bellows in victory.

15 days later...

Patch has spent 15 days searching for a mate, and along the way, he has recently made a kill of a young teenaged Barsboldia a couple days back as a gift for whom if he finds one. But his quest, so far, is a failure. Right now, he is resting underneath some trees. The long trek, and lack of sustenance from which, has exhausted him. He can barely move and just waits as time passes.

But then, at the moment...

He then detects the mating call of a female Tarbosaurus that continues to echo throughout the forest, and has heard them loud and clear. And so, he responds to her calls by returning them to let her know that she has been heard. The roar-like call is music to his ears, after searching hundreds of kilometers of forest, he had become desperate, but now, finally, at last, he has found a mate. He then picks up his gift for her in his jaws and continues on his way to find her.

Eventually, after following the female's response for about 10 minutes, he finally finds her at last. She is standing on the outskirts of his territory, as she has waited for who she attracted here to arrive. Throughout the mating season, the Tarbosaurus had become concerned and wary. But with his future mate, he has turned into a gentle giant. She's about the same age and size as Patch, and just as powerful. Now, Patch just has to impress her by showing off his best possible moves to win her over. They display their interest by sniffing each other and gently rubbing their faces against one another's. She seems interested, but Patch can sense, and knows, that she is wary. So, a little persuasion might have to be necessary. He knows that there's no guarantee that he'll be successful, but Patch is determined. But he knows that he still needs to be careful. Because he also knows that if she misjudges the approach, then it could all be over in a matter of seconds. He must first prove to her that he has what it takes when it comes to producing the next generation. In addition to being a prize from a recent hunt and a gift to appease her, the dead teenaged Barsboldia also suggests that he is a good hunter, and carrying it all the way here has proved that he's a strong male. Then, he begins to perform a type of courtship mating dance. She watches him carefully. He slowly bobs his head up and down and produces a deep romping sound, before bowing down and raising his tail up and swaying from side to side. Then, he raises his head up all the way and also makes a soothing vibrating with his throat. His mesmerizing movement and deep romping calls seem to be eliciting the right response, thus impressing her. And she mirrors his courtship dance. But the ultimate sign of trust is exposing his neck. At last, she shows him that she accepts him as a mate by gently rubbing his face with hers and gently brushing her neck on his. And they both make a type of deep low rumbling sound as they nuzzle each other. They form their relationship, and then, Patch places his gift for her at her feet and then gives her some space. The female inspects his present for a few seconds and then begins to feed from it, as she has accepted him for who and what he is. Even so, until she finishes eating the teenaged Barsboldia, Patch still keeps his distance. When she finally does, Patch and his new mate then head off together.

5 hours later…

After a long and arduous 15-day journey, Patch and his new wife have returned to his nest and lair. And so, Patch then introduces his younger brothers and sisters to his mate. She greets them each with a gentle nuzzle. This is her way of showing that she approves them, along with Patch, as a trustworthy family.

Later that evening, Patch and his new wife begin to mate. And this is the beginning of his life-long contribution to fatherhood. They will keep doing this for about the next few weeks, until she is fully well-fertilized. Eventually, in the not too distant future, she will soon lay a large clutch of eggs that, in about 2 months time after that, will hatch into a whole new generation of Tarbosaurus.

1 year later…. (Patch's Eighteenth Year)

Two months ago, each species of dinosaur laid a foundation for the future. And so, as a result, lots of the eggs that have been laid have hatched. For a couple examples, the Pukyongosaurus nesting ground is once again teeming with new life; up to thousands more of hatchlings. Without their mothers' protection, they will have to go it alone and immediately fend for themselves, staying completely safe and well-hidden, until they're both big and old enough to join their herd. The nesting grounds of the Asian hadrosaurs, Saurolophus, Tsintaosaurus, Charonosaurus and Barsboldia, are also full of new life. The young from last year have grown, and test out their newfound strength.

But in one nest, its clutch of eggs were not so lucky, except for one. The nest's owner is a Velociraptor, she has been committed to making sure that her offspring survive, though, unfortunately, all of her eggs, except one, have either been eaten through or stolen to eat by egg thieves. But, after two months of care and patience, she notices a little movement in the only one that had survived. Finally, it hatches. After everything she had been through, the Velociraptor has managed to bring a valuable new life into the world.

In Patch's forest, and lair, there are also signs of new life. By age 18, Patch is now fully grown and weighs 5 tons. His mate is the same as him. And his younger brother and sisters are at the ages of 17 and 16. Against the odds, Patch and his mate have managed to produce five offspring. They're all about ten weeks old, and can already move around quite well. Patch's brothers and twin sisters are now the proud aunts and uncles of his children, and it will be their job to guard and protect them whenever he and his mate are off hunting. Tarbosaurus was the undisputed top predator, and mighty king, of Asia, and dominated its forests, deserts and plains for 80 million years. But by about 70, it eventually became extinct. And then, in two million years time, a new, slightly larger relative/cousin of its, who it had predated for 10 million years, had evolved; the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. So, until then, for now at least, Patch and his family will protect and raise their young, and also teach them how to hunt, until they're old enough to hunt with them and, eventually, live by themselves. For now, though, Patch takes his eldest son with him to the edge of their heightened nest/lair and they look out over the whole of their entire kingdom together as the sun sets from above the horizon. As his mother and father once did, Patch, and his family, must submit to the law of survival that rules this cruel, primeval forest. It is, and was, an inevitable destiny for this very close relative of the future mighty King of the Dinosaurs. And also, one of the most incredible giant carnivores that has ever lived on our Prehistoric Planet.

(The End)

Next time on Dinosaur Life, we will follow the life of a female Nanuqsaurus named Polaris, as she struggles to deal with the harsh cold weather conditions of her frozen world.

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Author's Note:

"To discover the science behind the stories, go now to the Dinosaur Life show page."

Information from: Chased By Dinosaurs (2002), The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs (2005), Dinosaurs Alive! (2007), Tarbosaurus: The Mightiest Ever (2012), The Dino King/Speckles the Tarbosaurus (2012), and Prehistoric Planet (2022 - 2023).

Inspiration from: Dinosaur Media and Others