Tech UPTechnologyWhich dinosaurs would make good pets?

Which dinosaurs would make good pets?

 

Not all animals make good pets. In general, there are animals that share a recent evolutionary history with humans in which the two species have experienced a rapprochement, mutually affecting biology and behavior. We call this process domestication .

We consider dogs or cats to be domestic animals, but there are other carnivores such as the ferret; rodents such as hamsters, mice, rats, degu or guinea pigs; lagomorphs such as the rabbit; or even large herbivores such as the horse, the cow, the sheep, the goat, the pig, the llama or the camel; as well as various species of birds and fish.

Of course, not every domestic animal fits into what we would call a pet . They are, for example, animals for work, transport, or from which to obtain textile, dairy or meat resources. The pet is, specifically, a domestic animal whose function is to provide companionship or enjoyment to its caretaker . That is why we consider a cat, a dog or an aquarium fish to be a pet, but not a cow or a camel.

In any case, pets should always be of domesticated species . It is unethical to keep a wild animal as a pet. Their needs can be very particular and demanding, and their instincts have not been shaped by hundreds or thousands of years of domestication. A wild animal belongs to nature.

Starting from this premise, when talking about dinosaurs with the potential to be good pets, we not only start from the hypothetical case that the dinosaurs were alive , as in the Jurassic Park movies, but also that they were adapted to the domestic environment —whether through centuries of domestication, or because, in fiction, the animal had been created that way.

To have a dinosaur as a pet, certain limitations must be taken into account. For one thing, it couldn’t be very big, or we couldn’t keep it—neither for space, nor for the amount of food. If the animal is carnivorous, we should take even more into account the size – small enough – and that it does not represent a risk to the owner and the people around him. With these clear premises, we can look for five dinosaurs that would make good pets .

Psittacosaurus mongoliensis

Arriving directly from the mid-Cretaceous, Psittacosaurus is a herbivorous animal the size of a large dog and about 20kilos of weight . It is a bipedal animal, which could manage to manipulate objects with its short front legs. Its beautiful plume of feathers at the base of the tail could become an attractive feature from which to draw multiple varieties of coloration, as is done with some aquarium fish or some birds.

Unlike other herbivorous dinosaur species, Psittacosaurus did not have the ability to chew food; instead he used gastroliths , small stones that he swallowed whole and stored in the gizzard to grind up food. So, although easy to feed, it would be wise to always have a feeder full of coarse gravel available .[[Scientific name in italics]]

Among the precautions to take into account with this animal is its character. He was probably a stubborn animal, and would headbutt in anger. Their owners should be especially careful with the spikes on the sides of their heads.

Hypsilophodon foxii

Hypsilophodon foxii is one of the earliest discovered dinosaurs , dating from the early Cretaceous. Similar in size and weight to Psittacosaurus , it would be a perfect animal for a large dwelling or country home.

It fed preferentially on roots, stems, and shoots ; this makes it an easy animal to feed, either with vegetables for human consumption —such as potatoes, carrots or celery— or with feed. It was also an animal with cheeks, molars and a jaw movement that allows chewing , so it will not need that plate of gravel.

If you liked Psittacosaurus , but you were worried about the furniture in your house, with Hypsilophodon you have it solved; it is a much calmer and less stubborn animal; in return, he is a skittish dinosaur and a speedy runner . So, when taking it out for a walk, it is good to tie it with a good leash, because if it escapes it will be difficult to recover.

Compsognathus longipes

If you prefer a carnivorous animal, Compsognathus is probably the best option . This small Jurassic theropod weighed no more than three kilos , so it could live at home without problems, like a cat.

You could feed it chicken scraps or leftover meats , and it probably wouldn’t mind the egg. It would not be particularly demanding with food, as it could have scavenger behavior. However, care should be taken not to let it leave the house, because it could cause many problems for the local fauna, especially lizards and birds.

We are not sure, but Compsognathus was probably fully or partially covered in feathers . This could add some value, especially if you get varieties with different colors.

Liaoningosaurus paradoxus

If you prefer a small but robust animal that eats everything and without the risk of it running away and not being reached, perhaps the optimal dinosaur is Liaoningosaurus . This ankylosaurid of less than half a meter in length is the only known omnivorous of its group. In fact, it seems that he had a particular preference for fish .

It was probably very clumsy on dry land, so there would be no risk of escape. There would also be no need to worry about other animals attacking him: large bony plates, called osteoderms , covered his entire body, including his belly; it is the only ankylosaurid with a protected belly.

However, everything seems to indicate that it was an animal closely related to the aquatic environment , like today’s turtles. This would make it a pet not suitable for all audiences; you would need a garden with a pond where the animal could enter whenever it wanted, for its personal recreation.

serinus canary

But if there is any dinosaur that could make a good pet, it is the most popular of the pet birds: the canary . Endemic to the Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira, it has been domesticated since the 17th century and today it is the most abundant pet bird in the world. And since birds are still dinosaurs , we find in this bird with a vibrant color and cheerful song the best example of a pet dinosaur, excellent to close this list.

It is a very easy animal to maintain and rear in a cage, and docile in its behavior. Their diet, based on seeds and vegetables, is available to anyone. For centuries varieties have been selected , mainly for two reasons; the color and shape of their feathers, and the quality of their song. To such an extent that there are international competitions that evaluate both traits.

REFERENCES:

Antonio Arnaiz-Villena et al. 2012. El origen de los canarios. Ornitología Práctica, 53, 3-11.

Everett C. Olson. 1975. The Ornithischian Dinosaur Hypsilophodon from the Wealden of the Isle of Wight. Peter Malcolm Galton. The Quarterly Review ofBiology, 50(4), 442-442. DOI: 10.1086/408768

Ji et al. 2007. A New Giant Compsognathid Dinosaur with Long Filamentous Integuments from Lower Cretaceous of Northeastern China. Undefined. Ji, Q. et al. 2016. Fish hunting ankylosaurs (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Cretaceous of China. J. Geol, 40, 183-190.

Senter, P. 2007. Analysis of forelimb function in basal ceratopsians. Journal ofZoology, 273(3), 305-314. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00329.x

 

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