Evolution of intelligent drepanosaurs

For a story I require an intelligent [drepanosaur]. But to work with the plot the creature needs to still have traits that don't mix well with classical vertebrate evolution of intelligence.

Requirements

• Need them to be on an almost pure insect diet, while being 8 feet tall (not including the tail), and have high functioning brains (average IQ of 120).

• Need to be bipedal with a large (5ft), muscular, hooked, prehensile tail.

• Need to reproduce slowly.

• Need a reason for them to have been in an isolated environment that kept their intelligence from letting them spread out on the earth and invent things until they escaped the place.

• All these reasons can't mess up Earth's history too much, I still need modern America as a setting.

Question

So what changes/reasons could be used to make this evolutionary path possible?

posted over 6 years ago

Amoeba‭

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