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Description
Scientific name: Brachyceratops montanensis
Diet: Low-growing plants (at the Zoo they are fed leafy vegetables and fruit)
Projected natural lifespan: 5 years
Length: 1.5 meters (~5 feet)
Weight: uncertain
Locality: Montana, United States (Two Medicine Formation), 74.5 Ma (Late Cretaceous Campanian)
Exhibit: Horn-Face Range

About:
For years Brachyceratops has been a problematic species. Since for most of its history it was known from the fossil remains of juvenile individuals, several scientists were quick to call it dubious and that they were juveniles of an already known species, probably Rubeosaurus. However, the individuals at the Zoo have since proven that not only are they their own species, but that they only really grew to such small sizes.

Description and behavior:
Ceratopsians like Brachyceratops tend to be tough, short-tempered creatures that would attack anything unknown to them at first sight. But not Brachyceratops! Not only do they grow to very small sizes, but they also have a docile temperament comparable to that of a modern sheep. This makes them favorites above Zoo visitors and staff alike (to the point that some staff want them in the Petting Zoo). However, this cuteness doesn't last forever. During the mating season, the males' frills will change color from their normal camouflage color to bright yellows, greens and blues. They will charge at anything they see, from trees to members of their own kind. Though they can be quite aggressive, they are only as aggresive as a modern day ram. Around this time, staff working at the exhibit grounds are required to wear protective armor that resembles the heads of male Brachyceratops. They are also noted for their thick skin, which is interspersed with small, pebble-like osteoderms. These are thought to have evolved for protection from predators.

At the Zoo:
We have a herd of twenty-two Brachyceratops at the Horn-Face Range. We haven't given them names because we don't give individual names to animals whose population at the Zoo is higher than five.

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The behavior is inspired by sheep and rhinos.

The skeletal I used belongs to DrScottHartman .

Description
Scientific name: Brachyceratops montanensis
Diet: Low-growing plants (at the Zoo they are fed leafy vegetables and fruit)
Projected natural lifespan: 5 years
Length: 1.5 meters (~5 feet)
Weight: uncertain
Locality: Montana, United States (Two Medicine Formation), 74.5 Ma (Late Cretaceous Campanian)
Exhibit: Horn-Face Range

About:
For years Brachyceratops has been a problematic species. Since for most of its history it was known from the fossil remains of juvenile individuals, several scientists were quick to call it dubious and that they were juveniles of an already known species, probably Rubeosaurus. However, the individuals at the Zoo have since proven that not only are they their own species, but that they only really grew to such small sizes.

Description and behavior:
Ceratopsians like Brachyceratops tend to be tough, short-tempered creatures that would attack anything unknown to them at first sight. But not Brachyceratops! Not only do they grow to very small sizes, but they also have a docile temperament comparable to that of a modern sheep. This makes them favorites above Zoo visitors and staff alike (to the point that some staff want them in the Petting Zoo). However, this cuteness doesn't last forever. During the mating season, the males' frills will change color from their normal camouflage color to bright yellows, greens and blues. They will charge at anything they see, from trees to members of their own kind. Though they can be quite aggressive, they are only as aggresive as a modern day ram. Around this time, staff working at the exhibit grounds are required to wear protective armor that resembles the heads of male Brachyceratops. They are also noted for their thick skin, which is interspersed with small, pebble-like osteoderms. These are thought to have evolved for protection from predators.

At the Zoo:
We have a herd of twenty-two Brachyceratops at the Horn-Face Range. We haven't given them names because we don't give individual names to animals whose population at the Zoo is higher than five.

----

The behavior is inspired by sheep and rhinos.

The skeletal I used belongs to DrScottHartman .