Stoneback

Stoneback

Habitat: Haulout Island; Plateau Grassland
Type: Armored Dinosaur
Length: 12 to 16 Feet
Height: 4 to 5 Feet
Weight: 2,000 to 3,000 Pounds

The Stoneback is the largest herbivore on the plateau of Haulout Island, and also the largest dinosaur not native to the island of Mainland. It is a low, heavily-built animal with a broad body and thick legs. Its back, sides, and neck are covered in small, hard plates and short spikes, giving it a rough, almost pebbled look.

It feeds on low plants, moving slowly across the grassland or along the edges of the River Forest where growth is thickest. Most of the time its head stays down while it eats, and it keeps a steady pace as it moves. It does not seem to hurry unless something forces it to.

Stoneback In A Herd of Bumpers - Three Male
Lesser Flash Beast In The Background

Stonebacks do not tend to live together in herds, but they are not fully solitary either. They can be found alone, or in small groups, or mixed in with other grazing animals. It is common to see them feeding alongside Bumpers or Lesser Flash Beasts. They do not interact with these other animals much, but they seem to tolerate each other. Stonebacks seem to benefit from the fact that these other animals have sharper senses for spotting danger than themselves. 

An adult Stoneback does not have much to fear from the dominant land predator of the grassland, the Blue Ground Hawk. Its armor and size make it a difficult target for the lighter-built birds, and attacks on adult Stonebacks rarely occur. The young are more vulnerable, though, especially before their armor fully comes in. Juvenile Stonebacks are hunted by the Ground Hawks regularly. When that happens, the adults will stand their ground and put themselves between the young and the threat, leading to regular conflict between themselves and the Ground Hawks.

Confrontation With Flock of Blue Ground Hawks

Still, the most dangerous place for a Stoneback is at the water's edge. When they go down to drink from the rivers, they are at risk from the population of Lake Dragons that lurk below the surface. Attacks from these predators come fast, straight up from the water, and pose a threat to even the largest full-grown Stoneback if it’s caught in the wrong spot.

• Naturalist Note: The Stoneback described here is likely identifiable as Scelidosaurus, an armored dinosaur that displays characteristics of both the plated stegosaurians and the armored ankylosaurians. Daniel’s comparison to both Stegos (his common term for Stegosaurs) and Tanks (his common term for Ankylosaurs) is apt. Scelidosaurus does exhibit a body structure more familiar to the former, and extensive dermal armor found in the latter.
  
  The described size range aligns with known estimates, though individuals in this environment appear to reach the upper bounds of Scelidosaurus' fossil record quite often. This is likely a result of the unusually rich vegetation common to the Floating Isles. The heavy, low-slung body and limited cursorial ability are consistent with fossil interpretations, suggesting a lifestyle centered on slow, continuous browsing rather than selective feeding.
  
  Predator interactions are also noteworthy. The Blue Ground Hawk (likely a type of phorusrhacid) targeting juveniles is consistent with expectations, as incomplete osteoderm development would leave younger individuals vulnerable. More surprising is the vulnerability of adults to aquatic predation by the Lake Dragon, which is thought to be an ichthyosaur such as Cymbospondylus.