Arcoraptor

A devilish blend of speed and stealth, arcoraptors, are skilled hunters. These dinosaurs have proven to be difficult animals to contain, particularly because they are intelligent and prolific climbers, swimmers, and runners.
The zoo's pair of arcoraptors are a troublesome pair, constantly squabbling with the zookeepers. It becomes a problem when they escape but tourists seem to enjoy it, often giving us a small donation for our arcoraptors.
Find our arcoraptors in the Theropods Sector 2, next to our tarbosaurus enclosure! Mind the free-range glamorous peafowls!

Arcoraptor by Mochi

Quick Facts

COMMON NAME: Arcoraptor
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Arcoraptor parvus
DIET: Cephalopods & Crustaceans
HABITAT: Coastal regions
CONSERVATION STATUS: Endangered
FUN FACT:

Arcoraptor Tail Feather by Mochi

Anatomy

Arcoraptors are perfectly designed for a speedy pursuit. Their muscular legs can keep them running at full speed for hours on end, their powerful ankles launching them up to ten feet in the air.
These colourful animals are unmistakeable. Arcoraptors have a pink plumage with yellow and purple feathers on their arms, legs, back, and tail. The tiny colourful sprinkles around the body come from a type of glowing bacteria that only seem to gather on these animals.
Water seems to wash off these sprinkles, but they will return within a few hours.
The hole on the top of their snout releases a thick smoke, used to flush out prey from tiny hiding spots.

Diet

Arcoraptors eat mostly squid, as they are native to the Ink Kingdom on planet Osao. They hunt by running around tidepools, pouring smoke into small rock cavities where small cephalopods and crustaceans may lie. They are not fussy animals; with a strong bite force they can crack through the toughest of exoskeletons.

Arcoraptor Tail Feather by Mochi

We Are Under Construction!

Thank to all of your donations, the Zoo is working on a new arcoraptor enclosure! Double the size, increased enrichment, and two new dedicated raptor keepers!

Nesting

Arcoraptors build tall nests along coastlines. They create hardened mud towers, with a bowl-shaped top to it, where the eggs reside.
These raptors lay between six to twelve eggs in a single batch.

Parenting

Baby raptors stay by the parent's side for the first year of their lives, literally following in their footsteps.
Parents are extremely protective over their babies, using their smoke to deter predators.

Lifespan

Arcoraptors have a lifespan of five years in the wild. They are hunted by the people of Osao, And the overcompetition for food makes it so many go hungry.
In captivity the lifespan is doubled.

Mating Rituals

The more colourful the raptor, the more desirable it is to a mate. Rubbing their feathers on a hard surface seems to stimulate the bacteria, causing them to glow brighter.
Just before a male raptor wants to find a mate, it rolls around on the floor and against hard rock, then struts its stuff in front a flock of females. Most females walk away, but if the male catches someone's eye, she waits for him to finish dancing.

Awww, these animals are cute! Come look!

Woah, are those dinosaurs? I read a book on those a few weeks ago. Y'know the humans from Earth? Apparently they were fascinated with dinosaurs, which apparently dominated their planet millions of years before they did.

— Two visitors

Illegal Feather Trade

Arcoraptors unfortunately pay the price for having such lavishly resplendent feathers. The native slimes of Osao captive-breed this species, and abuse their authorities as a more powerful species by forcing them to mate with each other to produce animals with more striking feathers.
Luckily the breeding of this species is banned in most regions, but the tradition still lives on in more remote areas. Since it is illegal to farm arcoraptors and sell their feathers, most resort to more secretive methods. See a building with a pink feather symbol somewhere near the entrance? The feather trade has infected it. Here at the A To Zoo we actively promote the fair treatment of animals, and disprove of the illegal arcorapter feather trade.

Visitor Reviews

My daughter is very upset after that blasted dinosaur blew smoke all over her face. 0 stars.

— Angry mother

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

— Wandering glamorous peafowl

omgggggg

— TJ Trewin

I picked up a few feathers from the fence. Gorgeous colour.

— Happy collector

I giggled a little bit when one of those raptors blew a ton of smoke right through the bars in my daughters face. I mean she cried, but got over it pretty fast once she saw those little dinosaur cookies you guys sell. Would visit again.

— Entertained father

Rox's Review

When we were tasked with adopting two arcoraptors I visited Osao alone. I was informed of two injured raptors running rampant about a small coastal town, both suffering from severe scratches across their whole bodies. Confident I could catch them, I was quickly proven wrong when I spent a total of fourteen days capturing these speedy critters.
If being fast and skittish was problem enough, zookeepers were not in for a good time when they were in their new enclosure. According to my files, the pair of arcoraptors managed to escape seven times in the first three weeks of being introduced to their enclosure. Despite not knowing what a tree was, the animals learnt to climb the single tree in their habitat and literally launch themselves over the barriers. The enclosure was quickly equipped with netting over the top to prevent it from happening again.
Arcoraptors are intelligent. Very intelligent. However smart you think they are, they are smarter. They can figure out puzzles some adults even struggle with, and we know because it's part of their enrichment. Our visitors take pleasure in seeing our zookeepers lose to the raptors, and frankly so do I.

— Rox, Zoo's Curator