Ferrucutus
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Ferrucutus is a fictional genus of ceratopsian dinosaur that appears in the 2005 Universal Pictures film, King Kong. While its principal appearance was cut from the theatrical version of the film, it was present in the distance of one shot, while a series of Ferrucutus skulls could be seen on the ground during Kong's fight with the Vastatosaurus.
Name
The name Ferrucutus means "horned iron-hide", with fer being derived from "feri", the Latin word for iron.
Appearance
Ferructus were tank-like ceratopsians with highly ornate bony crests and broad shoulders. These aspects, coupled with their aggressive behavior, made them difficult prey for most predators. The size of their frill indicated the individual Ferrucutus' seniority. They grew over time, but males sported the most impressive arrays, with horns growing up to lengths of six feet. In sexually mature males, the coloration of the frills changed color to indicate their readiness to mate. As crests developed, secondary horns atop the crests could grow to cross over one another, although this was rarely seen in females. Because of this, the level of horn crossover could be used to indicate an individual's age.
Development
Ferrucutus fills in the role of several herbivores in the King Kong franchise. First, it fills the role of Stegosaurus from the 1933 film.[3] Second, it fills the role of Triceratops from the 1996 King Kong film attempt which also filled the role of Stegosaurus from the 1933 film as well. Finally, it fills the role of Styracosaurus, a ceratopsian that appeared in Son of Kong and originally the 1933 film[6] given as in production Ferrucutus was referred to as "styracosaur" and designer Greg Boradmore refers to an early design as "Styrack of Terror".[1][2]
The only known concept art of Ferrucutus was created by Greg Broadmore in 2003.[2] It is almost identical to the final design except that it has more horns and a different frill resembling that of Styracosaurus.
Origin
Ferrucutus descended from ceratopsids who were isolated on Skull Island for millions of years. It was known that the ceratopsid Chaly-tops was its cousin.[7]
Ecology
Despite their fearsome mannerisms, Ferrucutus were herbivores. They fed mainly on low shrubs, and could use their nasal horns to uproot bushes and feed tall cycads to gain access to the fruits in their crown. After a forest had been cleared by herds of Brontosaurus, it could easily be converted to grassland by the Ferructus that could clear the brush using their hard beaks to break down thorns and tough wood. Typically living in herds of around twelve, Ferructus staked claims to small patches of territory in order to lay eggs and raise young in safety. Young were accepted as herd members immediately upon hatching. Herd members instinctively formed a ring around young, with their frills facing outward to create a protective barrier. With the young protected, the dominant male would take on the aggressor. Even the mightiest V-Rex would think twice before engaging an enraged bull Ferructus. While they could be used against predators, the Ferrucutus' head frills were mainly used in tests of dominance among males battling for herds of females and young. While not quite half the size of the females, male Ferrucutus were intensely jealous and territorial. Young males typically formed small herds to practice sparring as play until they were large and strong enough to challenge other adults for their own harems. These dominance bouts were often bloody affairs, with injury being common and death not unheard of. Even if only minorly wounded in the fight, infection could still take their life. The Ferrucutus species was wiped out in a 1948 earthquake that caused the entire island to sink into the ocean.[5]
History
King Kong (2005)
In the extended cut of the film, a short way into the jungle, the rescue party sent to retrieve Ann Darrow heard mysterious sounds through the jungle brush. They fired blindly into the darkness, striking and enraging a passing Ferrucutus. The beast attacked using its tail and crest to whip and toss the sailors away from it. It tried to chase Jack Driscoll as he ran, but he hid in tree roots and was inaccessible to it. It then charged at the other sailors, only to be shot repeatedly in the head and killed by Benjamin Hayes before Carl Denham captured its corpse and twitching tail on film.
At the bottom of a valley somewhere on the island, several Ferrucutus skeletons rested on the ground, only to be disturbed by Kong's battle with a matriarch Vastatosaurus rex.
Another living Ferrucutus was briefly seen drinking from a lake near Kong's lair.
Abilities
Ferrucutus were powerfully built animals with heavily muscled shoulders. Their necks were made to transmit impact from the skull and spread it through the body to diffuse jolts when males fought with each other. Outside of combat, Ferrucutus were also known to use their nasal horns to uproot tall cycads to acquire their fruit.[4]
Video games
- Kong: The 8th Wonder of the World (2005) - Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Gallery
- Main article: Ferrucutus/Gallery.
References
This is a list of references for Ferrucutus. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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