Chapter 669 - 13: Riverside Biomes
Over time, Chen Zhou and Paul, who initially came to this place, gradually figured out the patterns of the giant beasts on the grassland.
The main food for Siberian bison is grass, so they follow the grass. Most of the time, you can catch sight of them along the lush riversides.
Siberia had not yet turned into the permafrost of later generations at this time. Although the climate had noticeably cooled, it still retained a kind of African savanna-like quality, and the sight of large herds of bison crossing the river was magnificent.
As for the mammoths, they also fed mainly on grass but would use their trunks to forage young shoots from trees.
During the hottest part of the day, mammoth herds would rest in the sparse woodland for shade or stand in the water to soak their fur, accompanying the young mammoths as they played near the water.
The temperament of the mammoths seemed friendlier than that of African elephants. Chen Zhou had seen other herbivores mingling with the elephant herds more than once, including great horned deer, a type of long-necked camel, and a few smaller-sized wild horses.
The size of these herbivores, once grown, was about the same as young mammoths.
The young elephants were full of curiosity about the world, often flinging their trunks as they stumbled towards other animals to play.
The herbivores protected by the mammoth herds showed considerable tolerance towards the young elephants. Even if the young ones disturbed their rest, they would not retaliate but merely move to another spot to graze—
This was not only because the mammoths deterred dangerous predators for them, but also because adult mammoths were nearby looking after the young ones.
This group of gigantic creatures, with shoulder heights up to 5 meters, walked like small mountains. Throughout the history of biological evolution, they have been among the rarest gigantic land creatures. Once past the dangerous juvenile stage, adult mammoths had virtually no natural enemies.
Whether herbivores or carnivorous predators, they all understood this, and so they always maintained the most basic respect for the mammoth herds, which was also a respect for nature.
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Herbivores were generally scattered along the riverbanks, while on the river beaches lived other creatures that clearly did not belong to Ancient Siberia or the Mammoth Plain.
By the water, Chen Zhou saw some giant turtles with shell diameters exceeding 1.2 meters, lying in groups on the sun-warmed riverbanks, absorbing the heat transmitted to Earth by the star.
Possibly due to not adapting to the temperature changes in high-latitude regions, these giant turtles appeared sluggish.
When Chen Zhou and Paul passed by "Turtle Nest Beach," they selected a sub-adult turtle, smaller in size, and after killing it by the river, used its shell to boil a pot of turtle meat soup.
Without salt, the soup’s taste was naturally not very savory. Fortunately, the turtle meat was tender and had a unique flavor.
Unfortunately, turtle shells, not being metal, couldn’t withstand the fire. Even after holding water and cooking once, they cracked and couldn’t be reused.
Thanks to Paul, the young saw-toothed tigers rarely got to eat these aquatic creatures.
Compared to the tough, raw deer meat, the boiled tender turtle meat was much more palatable, and even without fully grown teeth, they could chew it.
Paul carried the little ones on his back all morning, and the little ones, unable to hold in their droppings any longer, started "decorating" the inside of the leather bag with poop, leaving Paul’s back smelling terribly rank.
During the noon rest, Paul cleaned the leather bag by the river, leaving the task of feeding the meat to Chen Zhou.
Having peed and pooped in the leather bag, the little ones were naturally stained with waste. As Chen Zhou fed them meat, he had a look of disdain on his face.
The little ones didn’t seem close to Chen Zhou either. If not for the aroma of the cooked meat attracting them, they probably wouldn’t dare approach this intimidating man.
They nibbled on bits of meat here and there until Paul finished washing the leather bag, placed it on a rock by the river to dry, and returned to feed the young saw-toothed tigers himself. Upon seeing their "mother," they perked up significantly, rushing towards Paul, smearing their urine and feces on his pant legs, leaving him looking helpless.
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After almost a sleepless night, having eaten lunch, Chen Zhou let Paul take a rest while he walked around near Turtle Nest Beach by himself.
There was no shortage of giant turtles by the water, along with some monitor lizards up to 3.5 meters long. They resembled the Komodo dragons of later times, with stout bodies and short legs. When they walked, they always had their mouths open wide, and the stench of saliva between their sharp teeth could be smelled from afar.
Chen Zhou speculated that, like Komodo dragons, they might have venom glands in their jaws, using venom and their enormous size to prey on some large herbivores.
However, on this land modified by the Space-Time Administration Bureau, even these giant lizards, as massive as they were, could not avoid becoming meals for other creatures—
For example, there was a type of giant bird up to 4.5 meters tall that would use its claws to pin down the necks of the lizards, then whip its sharp beak to peck out the lizards’ eyes.
This bird looked similar to an ostrich but was much larger. When it ran, it flapped a pair of small wings at its sides, exuding an imposing air.
Chen Zhou once saw a giant bird surrounded by a small group of cave hyenas; it killed one and then casually strode away on its long legs.
His understanding of prehistoric creatures was limited, but he speculated that this bird was probably a phorusrhacidae or terror bird.
Compared to the young saw-toothed tigers, this type of giant bird seemed more suitable for domestication.
Although it was also a carnivore, seeing the missing feathers on its neck, there was reason to believe it was a scavenger.
With its sharp beak, this giant bird’s attack power was no less than that of a saw-toothed tiger, and its larger size meant that, when fully grown, it might even be rideable. While it might not carry him, carrying Paul should pose no problem.