Lesser Thug Raptor

Venatosaurus impavidus

The Lesser Thug Raptor is a smaller close relative of V. saevidicus. Lesser Thug Raptors are distinguished by their striped brown coloring and blue-tipped tails, these lithe hunters tend to favor the dark valleys and ravines, often hunting along the river ways, where Skull Island gaurs and Ligocristus are concentrated. At half the weight of the bigger V. saevidicus, Lesser Thug Raptors are also able to use arboreal routes, springing silently along overhanging, mossy boughs and logs, when sneaking up on prey. Better lowlight vision makes them effective twilight hunters, using the changing light to catch prey at their most vulnerable, either taking daylight herbivores as the light fails or savaging nocturnal prey still at a disadvantage in the half-light. Their bright blue tails are used in sexual displays. More vividly colored individuals seem to be most sought after as mates. Many packs of Lesser Thug Raptors are found around the Great Rift where they can scavenge along the outskirts and entrances of the chasm, however braver individuals that go deeper in may find themselves prey to the various predators found there.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Family: Dromaeosauridae
Subfamily: Dromaeosaurinae
Genus: Venatosaurus
Species: V. impavidus