Gallimimus (Chicken mimic) is a mid-sized Asian dinosaur. It is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon.
Description[]
Gallimimus is one of the largest members of the Ornithomimids, a group of theropod dinosaurs that bore a resemblance to modern-day ostriches. It grew up to 6m (20ft) in length and reached 1.9m (6.3ft) at the hip. Like other members of its family, it had a small head with a toothless beak, a long, flexible neck and long back legs, suggesting it could run quite fast - estimates range from 42 to 56 km/h (29 to 34mph). Other Ornithomimids are known to have feathers, so it is likely that Gallimimus had them too.
Gallimimus lived around 70 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period, in what is now Mongolia, Asia. It is most commonly known from the Nemegt Formation, which is believed to have been a heavily forested area with many streams, lakes and flood plains. Gallimimus may have lived in groups and probably had good vision and comparatively high intelligence. The diet of Gallimimus is debated, but it was probably omnivorous, eating a wide range of plants, insects and small animals.
Zoo Tycoon[]
Gallimimus is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon. It is a downloadable animal that can be acquired with the Dinosaur Digs expansion pack. Some copies of the expansion possibly may have come with Gallimimus already installed, however apart from a single image this has yet to be proven.
Gallimimus is a Coniferous Forest animal and is highly social. It shares similar habitat requirements to Lambeosaurus and the two species can co-exist, although Gallimimus will eat other dinosaurs' eggs. Other coniferous dinosaurs cannot be mixed with Gallimimus, as they will attack and kill it if mixed.
 Animal Facts
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| Gallimimus, the "chicken mimic," is similar in many ways to modern flightless birds like the ostrich. It has a light build, able to run quite fast on thin but powerful hind legs, and has a powerful, toothless beak.
Gallimimus is an omnivore, willing to eat anything, from plants and insects to smaller reptiles and mammals. Lacking any sort of teeth, its diet is restricted to things it can swallow whole. Gallimimus will often be seen zipping around their exhibits in pursuit of small prey, stopping on occasion to munch on more easily caught things like plants. Although Gallimimus stands around 10 feet tall, its long flexible neck and flat-shaped beak allow it to bend down and root small creatures out of the muck on the edges of ponds and lakes. Every aspect of Gallimimus is designed for speed. With a combination of light, hollow bones (like those in modern birds), long hind legs, and a stout tail for counterbalance, Gallimimus can reach speeds just over 40 miles per hour. That's more than 10 times the speed at which humans usually walk. Originally found in what is now Mongolia, Gallimimus enjoys a variety of terrain. Marshy areas adjacent to more wide-open environments hold a lot of the small prey they prefer but still allow them room to run. Although fragile in comparison to many of the stouter dinosaurs, Gallimimus has little to fear from bigger predators. The placement of their large eyes allows them to see everything around them at once, and their speed provides the means to escape should they spot trouble. |
Trivia[]
- Despite not being included in the base expansion, Gallimimus does appear in the Dinosaur Digs installation program.
- As Dinosaur Digs was released before it was known that Ornithomimids had feathers, Gallimimus is depicted as scaly.
- Gallimimus' coding lists Coelophysis as a prey. However, the reverse is also true. The result is that the two species will end up roaring and chasing each other around, but are unable to kill each other.
Gallery[]
