After all of this work, the Triceratops was exhausted. But there is so much to teach his chicks, as they are still fully dependent on him for their survival. As a result, he wandered into the forest, his chicks trailing behind him, and lead them to a place where ferns thrive. Despite the chicks still being less than a year old, their mouths still contain hundreds of teeth clustered together in batteries, so they are still able to shred through the vegetation like a knife through butter. As the chicks continued to feed, the Triceratops wanders to a tree, with one chick being confused at his actions. However, it was a normal behaviour; he was just breaking bark of the tree. With one swoop of his beak, the Triceratops broke a piece of bark off the tree, eating it peacefully. He then wandered over to give another piece to his chicks, in which they ate happily. Meanwhile, two chicks, both males, were playing with each other by locking their horns together and attempting to shove one to the ground. This was normal behavior, and it will be important later in their lives especially in the mating season. One of the chicks had wandered close to a Didelphodon den, in which she curiously peaked her head in. The mammal snapped his jaws at the chick, causing her to panic and nearly slip into the den. The Triceratops quickly trotted over and gently picked her up in his beak. He then carried her back to her siblings, placing her back on the ground. This parental bond may seem shocking to you, but its a unique feature carried by most of the dinosaurs. An adult Triceratops can have the intelligence of a crocodile; just enough to take care of their young. This allowed most dinosaurs to pull ahead to their rivals, even in the Triassic Period where their numbers stayed low. After the chicks had their first meal, the Triceratops wandered towards a nearby lake. The chicks followed him, curious as to what he was doing. It was time for a dust bath.
The last chapter is just around the corner, sadly. Creatures in this chapter: Triceratops (Akida)
