SCP-300-DE

Item #: SCP-300-DE

Object Class: Euclid Keter

Secure Containment Procedures: SCP-300-DE are to be kept in a group enclosure at Outpost-DE14/36 measuring 10 m x 10 m x 5m 15 m x 15 m x 5 m 25 m x 25 m x 10 m, the interior of which resembles a rocky landscape and is modelled on their original environment. These may include grey rocks and stones of different sizes, dead wood, caves to hide in, typical plants of the region such as lichen, moss or mountain grass and a watering hole. Food in the form of meat, insects, chicks, mice and guinea pigs is provided twice a day, and the enclosure is cleaned once a day. Changes in the behaviour or physiology of the entities are to be reported immediately to lead researcher Dr. Lamprecht.

The entrance to the affected glacier cave in the Hochtor in the Gesäuse National Park in Austria, where individual wild SCP-300-DE populations are suspected, is to be extensively screened off from the public and access is to be denied by means of high fence barriers. The area is to be monitored for SCP-300-DE activity by security personnel disguised as mountain guards, especially during the warmer months of the year. Escaped specimens from the affected ice cave are to be captured and handed over to the outpost for closer examination.

Found SCP-300-DE specimens are to be kept individually in special cold terrariums with a minimum size of 1 m x 1 m x 1 m at Site-DE14, which may not exceed a temperature of -10 °C. The terrariums are to be locked with passcode-protected security locks. The interior of the terrarium is to be furnished with stones and pieces of wood as well as lichen, moss and a small watering place. Cleaning of the terrariums shall be done daily, feeding of meat pieces mixed with vitamins and minerals as well as insects shall be done three times a week. During cleaning, the terrariums are to be examined for traces of intelligence, such as claw drawings, self-made tools or the like. If these are found in one of the terrariums, the entity inside must be removed, checked and terminated if necessary.

The entrance to the affected glacier cave in the Hochtor in the Gesäuse National Park in Austria, where individual wild SCP-300-DE populations exist, is to be extensively screened off from the public and access is to be denied by means of high fence barriers and security personnel. The area is to be monitored for SCP-300-DE activity by security personnel disguised as mountain guards, especially during the warmer months of the year. Escaped specimens from the affected ice cave are to be captured or terminated on site. Cameras are placed in the cave to monitor activities of the SCP-300-DE population present in the cave. If any changes in behaviour or physiology are observed, or if they multiply at an unusual rate, an MTF shall be sent to the cave to terminate the specimens affected by the changes using firearms.

Researchers on site are tasked with finding ways to keep the temperature of the cave below -10 °C all year round and publicity campaigns are being conducted that label these security measures as an active prevention against global warming as well as protection of the glacier regions. In the event of an extreme rate of reproduction and development that can no longer be contained, the explosive devices installed in the cave as a precautionary measure are to be detonated to prevent an outbreak of SCP-300-DE.

Description: SCP-300-DE is a still extant dinosaur species of the group Compsognathidae. Adult males reach a total body length of 30 cm and a shoulder height of 12 cm, while females reach a maximum length of 25 cm and a maximum shoulder height of 10 cm. Their bodies, with the exception of the face, finger and toe claws, are covered with a dense down feather coat about 3 cm thick, which serves to protect them from the cold. For males, this feather coat is black and blue, whereas it is brown for females. In addition, under their arms, on their legs and at the end of their tails there are longer, developed feathers including larger coils, vanes and branches; males also have up to 5 cm long, red feather combs on the back of their heads, which they can raise and lower at will. However, these feathers are not used for flight, as would be possible for birds, but are a means of communication, to scare off enemies and competitors, or to impress potential mates. Beneath the feathers, SCP-300-DE specimens have bluish, scaly skin typical of reptiles. The subjects are warm-blooded and are adapted to low temperatures of up to -30 °C.

If SCP-300-DE entities find cool temperatures of around 0 °C as living conditions, they live in small, loose group associations consisting of a strong alpha male and several females as well as inferior males. The alpha male has the privilege of mating and consumes the largest share of the hunted prey. He only tolerates males who are subordinate to him and decides whether and with which females they may mate. Mating takes place all year round and a female can lay up to six white eggs, about 3 cm in size, which she places in crevices or other hiding places until they hatch. They do not engage in brood care and most young die before they reach sexual maturity due to adult conspecifics, starvation, disease or other factors. Researchers have found that the eggs themselves can survive temperatures below -40 °C for several years without damage and can hatch at temperatures as low as -10 °C. This adaptation to sometimes extreme temperatures, as well as the largely sealed-off life inside the ice cave from the outside world, could be one reason for the survival of this species over millions of years.

SCP-300-DE are carnivores. Due to their size, their diet in the wild is limited to carrion and smaller animals such as invertebrates and small rodents. When there is a severe lack of food, their diet also expands to include mushrooms, berries or roots. Cannibalistic behaviour has also been observed, as they do not spurn eggs and young of conspecifics. However, they are shy towards larger animals such as humans and usually run away as long as they are not provoked or attracted by food.

SCP-300-DE entities have a special characteristic concerning their reproduction and adaptation to their environment as soon as they are exposed to temperatures higher than 0°C degrees. Eggs that spent a large part of the incubation period at temperatures below 0°C and then hatched show no differences to their parents. However, if the eggs were exposed to temperatures above 0°C during the incubation period, these hatchlings sometimes show drastic changes compared to their parents. Among other things, the following changes could be observed:

• Development of higher intelligence, curiosity and logical thinking, as well as formation of consciousness and other signs of intelligence,

• regression of the down feathers and the formation of a thumb claw,

• stronger social ties and changes in social structures within the group,

• loss of shyness towards humans and other subjects and objects unknown to them as well as increased curiosity towards them

• change in reproductive behaviour, initially with larger and more frequent eggs, later by changing the female anatomy in favour of live births and parthenogenesis

These changes increase in subsequent generations as long as temperatures remain constantly above freezing. Attempts to reverse these changes have failed so far. However, steady further development can be halted by keeping the eggs at cold temperatures below freezing point, so that they do not differ further from their parents when they are young.

Discovery: SCP-300-DE first came to the attention of the Foundation when the local mountain rescue team of the ████████████ nature reserve received an emergency call from a climber who was about to climb the mountain ████████████ with his wife, where the affected glacier cave is located. He stated that his wife was attacked by strange birds with teeth and claws after she tried to feed one of them a ham sandwich. Foundation undercover agents sent a nearby MTF to the affected area to check the situation. On the spot, they could see the man trying to keep the SCP-300-DE entities at a distance using his walking stick to protect his injured wife. The two civilians revealed bite and claw injuries on their bodies. The MTF was able to secure three young males. After the SCP-300-DE entities were safely contained and the couple was able to receive medical attention, each was administered an amnestic and a cover story of a lynx attack was established.

Further investigations led to the discovery of more entities, which resulted in the establishment of the Outpost-DE14/36 on site, which was to investigate SCP-300-DE in its usual environment.

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