Retrosaur Challenge 4: True Tyrant

    Dracarmatus saltavenator (“dragon armored leaping hunter”) was a medium sized paleo tyrant from the late Jurassic period. Despite being smaller than other true tyrants of its time Dracarmatus was specialized in taking down the largest of game, the long necked goliaths. It had strong legs for jumping on to the back of its enormous prey and long sharp claws, similar to those seen in the tiny tyrants of the Cretaceous, on its hind limbs to latch itself onto the struggling victim while it continually bit into its prey until it died of shock and blood loss. Adult specimens have been found in groups ranging from two to six individuals implying that these animals may have been social or at least hunted in packs. The horns on its head may have been used in either physical or visual bouts for territory or mates as some fully grown specimens speculated to have been female have much smaller horns than others. Unlike other true tyrants Dracarmatus was covered in osteoderms similar to those of spike tailed and club tailed goliaths.

    This one is mostly based on Ceratosaurus with a few tweeks to make it retro. The pose and hunting style are based on the old trope of kagaroo hopping theropods specifically the kaiju Gorosaurus and the Leaping Laelaps painting of Charles R. Knight. Link to challenge: tyrantisterror.tumblr.com/post…