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Description
Update 3/1/20: I decided to redo this animal since the original was just an E.annectens with an E.regalis comb. So I decided to make it look more distinct & derived.

Height:17-20 ft
Length:46-52 ft
Weight:8-13 tons
Diet:Herbivore
Habitat:Western Grasslands, Treed Savannah/Dryforest
Phylogeny:Hadrosauridae, Saurolophinae, Giganatini
Description:
The Western Cow-Duck(Giganatus trachodon) is one of the largest hadrosaurs ever. They're strikingly similar to the North American Edmontosaurus, & the Asian Shantungosaurus. This is merely due to convergence however. The old giants of Laurasia are much more distantly related. Cow Ducks are of more basal stock. Male Cow Ducks are much larger than the females, & are more aggressive. Both sexes possess the keratin crests & knobs on their faces, though they're duller in the females. Their hides usually bear the scars of failed attacks from predators. The dorsal stripe pattern varies depending on the individual. The stripes of the males get darker during the mating season. Their nasal sacs are primarily used for amplifying their calls, but are also used for display. They're perfect grazers. They're beaks are wider & their faces are longer to help accommodate to this grazing lifestyle. After the grass has been sliced off by their sharp beaks, it's pushed back towards their batteries of over 1,000 teeth by a long, muscular tongue. After being thoroughly chewed, the pulp of grass then ends up in the hadrosaur's crop, where it will ruminate before being passed to the stomach where it will be digested further.

Ontogeny:
The Females lay their eggs in the fall. The eggs are laid in large clutches of 18-25. The nests are in the form of a circular depression in soft soil. The eggs are covered in plant matter. Each nest is spaced by around the length of the adults. From the moment that they're laid, the eggs are in danger from troodonts, oviraptorids, & marsupials. These nest raiders will primarily strike at night to avoid being spotted by the massive parents. This tactic ends in varying levels of success. After 3 months, the eggs hatch. The young will remain in the nest for about 4 more weeks, where they will double in size. After this period of growth, they will be large enough to move with their parents. They will continue to grow at a fast rate for the next 5 years. This is still a dangerous time for the young, as Drakis will hide in the scrub and ambush any careless young that wonder away from their parents. Western Cow-Ducks reach sexual maturity at 9 years old, & full size at 11. After they reach full size, their growth rate slows to a halt. Males advertise to females by producing loud, booming calls. After mating, the pair will remain together for the rest of their lives. They can live for quite a long time, with the oldest individuals being 60 years old or more.

Lifestyle:
Greater Cow-Ducks live in small herds made up of several mated pairs of adults & their offspring. These smaller herds will group together during migrations, making huge caravans of over half a million animals. These herds are usually accompanied by herds of smaller Buck-Ducks, Hypsies, & Struths. Due to their large size, predation doesn't happen that often. Smaller predators can be trampled or stabbed by their hand spikes. Larger attackers are usually fended off by hitting them with their muscular tails. However, every once in a while, Horned Tyrants will be able to kill a Cow Duck, and Jackal Tyrants will usually run down the old & sick. Despite this, all of their other adaptations make them very successful in their cruel home.

Extra Notes:
A related species under the same genus lives in the eastern grasslands. This will get its own profile in the near future.

Description
Update 3/1/20: I decided to redo this animal since the original was just an E.annectens with an E.regalis comb. So I decided to make it look more distinct & derived.

Height:17-20 ft
Length:46-52 ft
Weight:8-13 tons
Diet:Herbivore
Habitat:Western Grasslands, Treed Savannah/Dryforest
Phylogeny:Hadrosauridae, Saurolophinae, Giganatini
Description:
The Western Cow-Duck(Giganatus trachodon) is one of the largest hadrosaurs ever. They're strikingly similar to the North American Edmontosaurus, & the Asian Shantungosaurus. This is merely due to convergence however. The old giants of Laurasia are much more distantly related. Cow Ducks are of more basal stock. Male Cow Ducks are much larger than the females, & are more aggressive. Both sexes possess the keratin crests & knobs on their faces, though they're duller in the females. Their hides usually bear the scars of failed attacks from predators. The dorsal stripe pattern varies depending on the individual. The stripes of the males get darker during the mating season. Their nasal sacs are primarily used for amplifying their calls, but are also used for display. They're perfect grazers. They're beaks are wider & their faces are longer to help accommodate to this grazing lifestyle. After the grass has been sliced off by their sharp beaks, it's pushed back towards their batteries of over 1,000 teeth by a long, muscular tongue. After being thoroughly chewed, the pulp of grass then ends up in the hadrosaur's crop, where it will ruminate before being passed to the stomach where it will be digested further.

Ontogeny:
The Females lay their eggs in the fall. The eggs are laid in large clutches of 18-25. The nests are in the form of a circular depression in soft soil. The eggs are covered in plant matter. Each nest is spaced by around the length of the adults. From the moment that they're laid, the eggs are in danger from troodonts, oviraptorids, & marsupials. These nest raiders will primarily strike at night to avoid being spotted by the massive parents. This tactic ends in varying levels of success. After 3 months, the eggs hatch. The young will remain in the nest for about 4 more weeks, where they will double in size. After this period of growth, they will be large enough to move with their parents. They will continue to grow at a fast rate for the next 5 years. This is still a dangerous time for the young, as Drakis will hide in the scrub and ambush any careless young that wonder away from their parents. Western Cow-Ducks reach sexual maturity at 9 years old, & full size at 11. After they reach full size, their growth rate slows to a halt. Males advertise to females by producing loud, booming calls. After mating, the pair will remain together for the rest of their lives. They can live for quite a long time, with the oldest individuals being 60 years old or more.

Lifestyle:
Greater Cow-Ducks live in small herds made up of several mated pairs of adults & their offspring. These smaller herds will group together during migrations, making huge caravans of over half a million animals. These herds are usually accompanied by herds of smaller Buck-Ducks, Hypsies, & Struths. Due to their large size, predation doesn't happen that often. Smaller predators can be trampled or stabbed by their hand spikes. Larger attackers are usually fended off by hitting them with their muscular tails. However, every once in a while, Horned Tyrants will be able to kill a Cow Duck, and Jackal Tyrants will usually run down the old & sick. Despite this, all of their other adaptations make them very successful in their cruel home.

Extra Notes:
A related species under the same genus lives in the eastern grasslands. This will get its own profile in the near future.