Vultursaurus
Template:Kaiju Infobox Comic Vulturesaurus is a fictional species of flying dinosaurs that appeared in the 2005 prequel novel to King Kong, King Kong: The Island of the Skull.
Name
Vulturesaurus' name comes from Sam Kelley's having initially mistaken it for a vulture, and upon seeing it more clearly dubbed it "Vulturesaurus."
Appearance
The Vulturesaurus is described as having a "U-shaped" head, a sleek body, and clawed feet. Its claws are very sharp and are capable of tearing flesh on contact. However, due to their slight build, they cannot carry much weight with their feet. Their wings are bat-like in appearance. The wings are broad and supple so that they can be realigned with ease.[1]
Origin
The book The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island states that Vulturesaurus is the sole surviving descendant of a second dynasty of flying theropods that developed bat-like wing membranes instead of feathers.[1]
History
King Kong: The Island of the Skull
In their debut novel, a Vulturesaurus preyed on Sam Kelley and his associates as they climbed down a rock face. It took one of them but was unable to escape Kelley's gunfire because its prey was too heavy. Another Vulturesaurus waited for Kelley and his last remaining companion to get a bit farther away from the island, and when their boat struck a rock, and one of them was thrown from the ship's cabin. Seizing its opportunity, the Vulturesaurus went in for the kill. It successfully got a hold of the girl but was killed by Kelley with a gun.
The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island
Vulturesaurus has an entry in the book detailing its origin and biology.
Abilities
Flight
Vulturesaurus can fly by using its wings, but compared to a bird's or a bat's their flapping is not very efficient though it is more than sufficient to keep Vulturesaurus afloat.[1]
Hunting Adaptations
Vulturesaurus has pointed teeth and incredibly sharp claws.
Night vision
Vulturesaurus is a nocturnal creature with excellent night vision. They have reflective eyes that are able to discern distance and depth even in dim starlight. Only on the blackest nights were they grounded.[1]
Trvia
- The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island states that during the day Vulturesaurus spends its time roosting on ledges or in deep jungle shade, while at night they hunt insects in vast flocks.[1]
- Interesting, ten years after Vulturesaurus' debut, a Chinese theropod named Yi qi with bat-like wings was discovered. However, unlike Vulturesaurus Yi qi was feathered.
References
This is a list of references for Vultursaurus. 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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