Ferrucutus

Ferrucutus is a fictional species of 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 iconic fight with the Vastatosaurus.


 * Ancient Power: Ferrucutus 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 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.
 * Giga Impact: 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 Ferrucutus that could clear the brush using their hard beaks to break down thorns and tough wood. Typically living in herds of around twelve, Ferrucutuses 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 Ferrucutus. While they could be used against predators, the Ferrucutuses 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. All of the Ferrucutus species was wiped out in a 1948 earthquake that caused the entire island to sink into the ocean
 * Creature Features
 * Name: Ferrucutus cerastes
 * Species: Ceratopsian
 * Killed by: Humans (known as Benjamin Hayes, Jack Driscoll, Carl Denham and the sailors of Venture)

Age of Reptiles
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.


 * Rampage: 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.
 * Only Time: Another living Ferrucutus was briefly seen drinking from a lake near Kong's lair.
 * Did You Know? Ferrucutus cerastes meaning "horned iron-hide (also known as) horned ironhide"