Chalicotherium (name meaning "Pebble Beast") is a genus of odd-toed Chalicotheriidae ungulates that originated during the Middle Eocene in what is now Europe and Asia. Standing 3 meters tall and weighing over a ton, the prehistoric mammals were distantly related to modern horses, tapirs and rhinoceroses, but were also a branch of their own.
In the Series 3 episode "The Big, the Bad, and the Ugly," several Chalicotherium were brought to the park from Late Oligocene Mongolia, 25 million years ago. They reside in the Ape-Man Jungle Enclosure with other animals.
Facts[]
Era & Discovery[]
Physical Attributes[]
Chalicotherium stood 3 metres tall and weighed 1.5 tons.
Almost 3 metres tall, Chalicotherium walked on it's knuckles to protect their long claws. These powerful limbs were very effective defensive weapons, but more often these chalicotheres used them to hook down branches to get at the softest leaves. Although they walked like gorillas and ate like pandas, Chalicotherium's closest modern relatives were actually horses.
Despite it's claws being used as weapons, these chalicotheres were prey items to predators such as Hyaenodon.
Behavior & Traits[]
Like all chalicotheres, Chalicotherium was mostly a solitary animal, but would get together during the mating season.
Journal Entry[]
Gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- Chalicotherium is the first chalicothere brought to the park.