Prehistoric Planet Episode 3: Shattered Nests by the Freshwater

Episode 3 of the Prehistoric Planet series on Apple TV+ explores the life of dinosaurs living by freshwater: Velociraptor Vs Pterosaur, Tyrannosaurus Rex's Lakeside Love, Deinocheirus - the fertilizer factory, and the story of Quetzalcoatlus's nest.

@Prehistoric Planet 2022 | Apple TV, BBC, 📺.

⚜

RELATED

☫

Velociraptor Vs Pterosaur

In the evening, the Pterosaurs gather at cliffs of a canyon, below which is a river to sleep. A safe place – almost no natural enemies.

But not quite like that. There are also feathered Velociraptors that can move flexibly on complex terrains, their tails help them balance, their bodies are light, their limbs are good at climbing and they often hunt in team.

Velociraptor can become sudden predators of small Pterosaurs.

Tyrannosaurus Rex's Lakeside Love

An aging male T-Rex has just defeated a Triceratops. He won and is about to have a hearty meal, but at the cost of severe wounds, with the risk of infection.

The life of endless hunting has left many scars and injuries on his body, most notably a chopped end of his tail.

Another T-Rex suddenly appear. A fight for territorial claim may come. But luckily it is a female, and she could be either an enemy or a mate.

The T-Rex's scarred body is a testament to his survivability, and that's what appeals to the female T-Rex. And the love affair by the lake begins with 15 eggs laid and a generation of T-Rex to be born by this freshwater area.

Deinocheirus

In the floodplains of Central Asia, Deinocheirus are even taller than T-Rex, developing a giant duck snout to specialize in eating aquatic plants.

Deinocheirus' eating is also supported by giant, curved claws that help it dig and dredge under the water.

In turn, Deinocheirus is food for blood-sucking flies, and it relies on tree trunks to scrub and get rid of the parasites. In addition, the over 20 tons of manure per year it produces is an invaluable source of fertilizer for the surrounding area.

Quetzalcoatlus' nest and eggs

In a swamp in South Africa, a female Quetzalcoatlus, with a wingspan of 30 meters, came alone to lay eggs. This place does not have the food she needs, but it is an ideal environment for the future chicks. In addition, the moist soil of the swamp will help prevent soft-shelled eggs from drying out.

The process of laying eggs of Quetzalcoatlus is also very arduous and laborious: an egg of about 1kg every few days, it can take several weeks, both laying and watching, for a whole litter of about 12 eggs.

After the spawn, she camouflages the nest and flies off in search of food because the place doesn't provide what she needs.

Another female Quetzalcoatlus, older, suddenly appear here. She comes for the same purpose of laying eggs. She discovers the nest of young Quetzalcoatlus and begin to destroy it, including eating some eggs.

The younger one returns just in time or on time and the battle between the two expectant mothers begins. The nest owner manages to repell the invader and saboteur, but her nest now has only 3 intact eggs left.