Deinonychus

Weight (Wild): 160 - 220 lbs

Height (Wild): 3'5" - 3'9"

Length (Wild): 11'1" - 11'8"

Weight (Domesticated): Up to 1/2 ton

Height (Domesticated): 5'2" - 6'1"

Length (Domesticated): 19 - 23 ft

Social Unit: Pack

Native to: Aurea (Exists domesticated almost galaxy-wide after the Tatian War)

The Deinonychus is a small bipedal feathered dinosaur native to the mountains and forests of Aurea, particularly Izwes, Wanatolia, Cheronegt, and Tangolia. They typically live in packs of 5-8 members led by the strongest male, designated as the alpha male. The alpha male can breed with any of the females of the pack. However, their movements are somewhat more restricted than those of mammalian pack hunters, as Deinonychus must stay relatively sedentary in order to look after their eggs, which are usually laid on hard-to-reach spots, such as mountaintops or cliff faces. In order to lay their eggs here, Deinonychus, like other members of the raptor family, have an enlarged toe on which a massive sickle-shaped claw sits. While this claw is used to latch onto mountains and cliffs to climb to their nests, Deinonychus also use their claws when hunting. While hunting prey (usually creatures much larger than themselves such as Aurochs, Aurean Giant Beaver, or Lambeosaurus), Deinonychus will use their claws to latch onto their prey, biting and slashing at the neck until their prey goes down.

Millennia ago, when the Tangolian civilization arrived on Aurea, they were quick to notice Deinonychus running around, and since Deinonychus were only interested in larger prey, attempted to befriend the creatures. Soon, a domesticated variant of Deinonychus was created. However, it was too small to be of much use besides as household pets and for hunting. Over thousands of years, the Tangolians selectively bred them until they were the size of horses and had no fear of humans. This produced a massive variant of Deinonychus that the Tangolians began using as light cavalry to supplement their heavier horse-based cavalry. While useful on the battlefield, these beasts were both expensive to feed and difficult to control, and would sometimes attack their own riders if underfed. Over the next few thousand years, Tangolia was gradually conquered and assimilated into the rest of Aurea by the newer Guant civilization, and these new domesticated Deinonychus found their way into the Aurean Military. Eventually, the Aurean Military found a way to get around the Deinonychus' ornery behavior by ensuring that they were always well-fed on vast quantities of beef. Deinonychus were often used by the Aurean military as either light cavalry or as light, fast mounts for scouts. In battle, Deinonychus were not only faster and more maneuverable than horses, but could also leap into the air and use their claws to dismount riders from their horses.

During the Tatian War, the Aurean Military's extensive use of domesticated Deinonychus led to the species becoming established nearly galaxy-wide. In times of peace, they are often ridden recreationally.