Polacanthoides (poe-luh-canth-oid-ess)
Polacanthoides is a nodosaurid dinosaur native to and only found in Pellucidar. It was discovered by Professor Morrison Westernraugh in 1925 during his expedition into the Amazon Rainforest. They are lethargic beasts with a tough, prickly hide.
Basic Information
Anatomy
They are quadrupedal specimens with raised points along the back and a scaly hide consisting of osteoderms for maximum protection.
Genetics and Reproduction
Like all reptiles, they reproduce by laying eggs. Polacanthoides build immense nests very much like crocodiles and obscure them with foliage in the dirt.
Ecology and Habitats
They generally prefer the low grass and brush zones, as they allow them to remain obscured and out of sight from predators.
Behaviour
They are isolationist animals, unifying only to mate before leaving. Babies are rather independent and actually arboreal, capable of traversing the trees like iguanas before growing too large.
Civilization and Culture
History
Polacanthoides is a direct descendent of nodosaurids according to genetic analysis, but the exact point of origin is difficult to pin down.. Given they are both in the Thyreophora grouping, this is appropriate. Like all of Pellucidar's saurian inhabitants, the progenitors were taken from the surface world by the Elder Things and added into the simulated environment, evolving and adapting over time to their new home.
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