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Hunting lesson

A brood of tiny Allosaurus hatchlings practise their hunting skills.

Young Allosaurus have to learn to fight for themselves very fast and even at a tiny size they are just as likely to be the hunters as the hunted. A pair of predatory Ornitholestes watches the brood, wating for their chance. The mother Allosaurus is 50 times their weight, so they will not venture too close while she is present. However the smell of all these new hatchlings will soon attract other, larger predators, so eventually the mother decides it is time to lead her unruly brood away. Al's new home is a vast floodplain that will eventually become the Badlands of Wyoming. But for now it is covered in lush conifer forest. Dinosaurs share this land with a host of other animals, including amphibians and insects. It is the insects that the infant Allosaurus are after. Born with sharp little teeth, Al is ready for his first meal. But even small prey requires skill to catch. They are liable to fly away or - worse still - stand and fight. The babies practise on a scorpion and some damselflies with varying degrees of success - the hatchlings still have a lot to learn.

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Duration:

3 minutes