For some reason everyone assumes that herbivores are peaceful. Any big land animal will very probably never be peaceful in the wild, since its survival can’t depend on hiding.
Right? Picture some far future Holocene Park. “Don’t worry, don’t worry! We know from their dental pattern that these Hippos, Rhinos, and Cape Buffalo are all docile leaf-eaters! Go ahead, go up and pet him!”
I’ve also heard it said that hippos are as dangerous as Nile crocodiles- they have a foul temper, huge teeth and a surprising turn of speed. They probably see humans as competitors to be driven off or killed. (When I tried to look up the statistics, I got distracted by the news that there are feral hippos in Columbia.)
It’s a real problem. With no natural predators or droughts to control their population, soon there will be more hippos in Colombia than there are in Africa. And idiots screamed bloody murder when the Colombian soldiers killed one, so they aren’t allowed to kill any more.
idunno… stegosaurus was pretty well armed and armored. I would have to imagine it wasn’t afraid to assertively use those tail spike to fend off nasty things, as well as keep stuff out of it’s local area it didn’t approve of.
Additionally, the plate scutes are apparently rather brittle. The ridges you see along the base are thought by some palaeontologists to have been were large blood vessels ran. Which might indicate that they were used more for display than defense.
Kentrosaurus, another member of Stegosauridae, had more spikes that probably were used for defense.
Remember, kids– musth-driven elephants, bull moose, rhinoceroses, and most buddhist monks are all vegetarian. For your sake you had best hope you never cross one of any in a dark alley.
I dunno. It looks *real* peaceful now! ^_^
Maybe they should get the train away before it wakes up? o_O
For some reason everyone assumes that herbivores are peaceful. Any big land animal will very probably never be peaceful in the wild, since its survival can’t depend on hiding.
Right? Picture some far future Holocene Park. “Don’t worry, don’t worry! We know from their dental pattern that these Hippos, Rhinos, and Cape Buffalo are all docile leaf-eaters! Go ahead, go up and pet him!”
Rhinos kill more photographers than any other animal in Africa. The see this big eye staring at them and charge on general principles.
I’ve also heard it said that hippos are as dangerous as Nile crocodiles- they have a foul temper, huge teeth and a surprising turn of speed. They probably see humans as competitors to be driven off or killed. (When I tried to look up the statistics, I got distracted by the news that there are feral hippos in Columbia.)
Hippos are responsible for more deaths in Africa than any other vertebrate (except mankind).
It’s a real problem. With no natural predators or droughts to control their population, soon there will be more hippos in Colombia than there are in Africa. And idiots screamed bloody murder when the Colombian soldiers killed one, so they aren’t allowed to kill any more.
“Hippos only look big and cuddly from a distance. Close up they just look big.” – Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett
Relevant Manly Men Doing Manly Things comic: http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/archives/comic/when-herbivores-attack
Well yes. There’s that.
Yeah, that whole “think of it as a big cow” thing doesn’t really hold water when you’ve seen a bull riding competition.
idunno… stegosaurus was pretty well armed and armored. I would have to imagine it wasn’t afraid to assertively use those tail spike to fend off nasty things, as well as keep stuff out of it’s local area it didn’t approve of.
Poor Thag Simmons… let his name never be forgotten!
It looks like it never will be. Thanks Mr. Larson!
That depends on the flexibility of the tail.
Additionally, the plate scutes are apparently rather brittle. The ridges you see along the base are thought by some palaeontologists to have been were large blood vessels ran. Which might indicate that they were used more for display than defense.
Kentrosaurus, another member of Stegosauridae, had more spikes that probably were used for defense.
My sister had a book about a shy stegosaur Many Moons Ago. Maybe this one will be shy too… we can hope…
Steggy would have been more successful, but he was still in train-ing
The railroad spikes didn’t help.
Poor Steggy. Depending on how injured he is, his whole career could be derailed.
I see comic physics applies here – none of the hero avatars was thrown forward or injured in this sudden stop.
Perhaps then Steggy isn’t hurt.
This is a VR recreation of a theme park based on cartoons in a webcomic filled with mad science.
There’s at least three separate reasons for the laws of physics to be polite suggestions at this point.
I can only assume that they all got out before it stopped, what with there being a dinosaur in the locomotive Nick was sitting in when it took off.
Hopefully it’s still airworthy. All this commotion is bound to have attracted the tyrannosaur’s attention.
Is that a picture of Mary or Gussie on the side of the railroad car?
Okay, my precognitive abilities are back on track, apparently. And no, that wasn’t an intentional pun. (It probably should have been, though.)
Now, do they hide in the wreckage, or try to make a run for through the service tunnels?
Polar Express brakes?
Remember, kids– musth-driven elephants, bull moose, rhinoceroses, and most buddhist monks are all vegetarian. For your sake you had best hope you never cross one of any in a dark alley.