[Workshop Code:] 0VH-C13-T1J
The Brachiosaurus Paddock
The Brachiosaurus Paddock is the largest territory in Jurassic Park. Located in the southern part of the park, it is home to a total of six different species, each occupying different areas of the territory.
First, of course, there’s the namesake species, Brachiosaurus, which roams freely throughout the entire territory.
Brachiosaurus was a massive sauropod that lived around 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Period, roaming the vast plains of what is now North America. It could reach lengths of up to 21 metres, with its head rising to a height of around 12 metres. Weighing up to 56 tonnes, it is the largest and most impressive resident of Jurassic Park.
Brachiosaurus shares much of its habitat with Parasaurolophus, a hadrosaur from the Late Cretaceous that lived around 76 million years ago in what is now North America and parts of Asia. Parasaurolophus is famous for its backward-curving crest, which puzzled palaeontologists for quite some time due to its mysterious purpose. Today, we know that the crest served as a means of communication.
Also found in the central and rear sections of the Brachiosaurus Paddock is Stegosaurus. Stegosaurus was a 10-metre-long, 3,5-tonne herbivore that shared both its habitat and its time period, around 150 million years ago, with Brachiosaurus in what is now North America. Stegosaurus had a row of plates running along its back, ending in four sharp spikes at the tip of its tail. These were used for defence against large carnivorous dinosaurs such as Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus. Stegosaurus is a beautiful, but by no means harmless, armoured and heavily armed herbivore here at Jurassic Park.
In the northeastern section of the Brachiosaurus Paddock, right beside the jungle river, you’ll find the Segisaurus Paddock. Segisaurus was a small carnivorous dinosaur from Jurassic-era North America, reaching only around 1,5 metres in length and weighing about 7 kilograms. Unfortunately, the paddock is currently unoccupied due to difficulties extracting the dinosaur’s DNA genome from pure amber. Hopefully, we’ll be able to welcome this little carnivore back to its habitat within the Brachiosaurus Paddock in the near future!
The fifth species, located in the western section of the Brachiosaurus Paddock, is Pteranodon, which can be found inside Jurassic Park’s enormous aviary. Pteranodon wasn’t technically a dinosaur, but rather a pterosaur, or flying reptile, that soared above the vast inland seas of North America during the Late Cretaceous. It had a wingspan of around 7 metres and could weigh up to 25 kilograms.
Visitors can get fantastic views of all these species from the Jungle River Cruise. The ride winds its way through the northern part of the Brachiosaurus Paddock, circles the central lagoon, and follows both natural and artificially constructed sections of the jungle river.
The Jungle River Cruise begins near the Jurassic Park Aviary, which the route also passes through. Both attractions can be accessed from the ranger station in the western part of the Brachiosaurus Paddock. From there, visitors can easily make their way back to the main tour road, which heads north through the northerb part of the territory.
Inside the aviary, you’ll also find one of Jurassic Park’s three hotels: the Pteratops Lodge. Here, guests can relax in the comfort of their suites while watching the magnificent Pteranodons soar past their windows.
Both the aviary and the Jungle River Cruise are considered two of the biggest and most spectacular attractions in Jurassic Park.
However, before reaching them via the tour road, you’ll first pass through the territory of the sixth and final species housed within the Brachiosaurus Paddock: Proceratosaurus.
Proceratosaurus was a small carnivorous dinosaur that lived around 166 million years ago during the Jurassic Period in what is now England. It measured around 4 metres in length and weighed approximately 40 kilograms. It is considered an early relative of the mighty tyrannosaurs that would dominate the Earth during the Late Cretaceous.
The name Proceratosaurus comes from the fact that palaeontologists originally, and incorrectly, believed it to be an ancestor of Ceratosaurus, largely due to the distinctive crest on its snout.
Brachiosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Stegosaurus, Segisaurus, Pteranodon and Proceratosaurus — six incredible species sharing one enormous territory.
Come and visit the Brachiosaurus Paddock at Jurassic Park!
