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Terror Bird
"Tapper"
Hear my Roar!
My Skeleton!
My footprints!
Terror Bird
Squawk! I’m Tapper the Terror Bird (Titanis walleri)
Squawk! Hello there! I’m Tapper. I know what you are thinking—"Is that a giant chicken?" No! I am a Terror Bird! My scientific name is Titanis walleri, named after Benjamin Waller, the nice human who found my fossils. I am actually quite special because I’m not from the Jurassic period like many of the other dinos here. I lived much later, during the Pliocene and Pleistocene Epochs. My family loves to travel—we originally came from South America, but we walked all the way up to Texas and Florida during the "Great American Interchange." I walked all that way without flying once!
FUN FACTS
I am Tall: I might look like a bird, but don't expect me to sit on your shoulder. I stand over 8 feet tall! That is taller than any basketball player!
No Flying Zone: I have tiny little wings that I can't really use. But who needs to fly when you have legs this strong?
I’m Fast: I am a biped (I walk on two legs), and I can run very fast to catch my dinner.
What Did I Eat?
I am a carnivore! I love meat. Because I don't have sharp claws on my hands like a T-rex, I use my secret weapon: my beak! Look at how big and sharp it is. Scientists think my beak was my primary weapon. I used it like a hatchet to snap up lizards, small mammals, and anything else that wasn't fast enough to get away from me.
Did You Know?
I am distinct because I am the only member of the Terror Bird family known to have lived in North America. While all my cousins stayed down south, I decided to take a road trip to Florida! I guess I just wanted a vacation in the Sunshine State. Squawk!
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You've visited 0 dinosaur, out of 21 total! Do you need a few hints to find the rest? Check out the map below!
Be sure to scan the ancient symbols (aka QR codes) for each dinosaur! (NOTE: If a sign has multiple QR codes, scan each of them!) Once you have visited them all, head to the Jurassic Island Headquarters to receive your FREE gift for completing the challenge!
*Jurassic Island Headquarters Hours (Sun-Thurs 10 AM - 10 PM) & (Fri-Sat 10 AM - 11 PM)
Significant Finds
South America, Texas, and Florida
Size Comparison
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