Fun Agilisaurus Facts For Kids

Are you interested in learning more about dinosaurs? If so, then be ready, as we are going to talk about the Agilisaurus.

This is a genus of dinosaurs, containing the species Agilisaurus louderbacki, and it hails from China. The name Agilisaurus means agile lizard, and the specific name louderbacki was given by Peng Guangzhou, a Chinese paleontologist to commemorate Dr. George D. Louderback, a geologist.

The discovery of an almost complete skeleton was made while construction was going on for the Zigong Dinosaur Museum, present in the Sichuan district of China.

From studies done on the fossils, this dinosaur is thought to be an ornithopod with long legs that must have made it capable of running. The Agilisaurus is said to date back to the Middle Jurassic Period that existed around 159-169 million years in an area that is now East Asia.

The Agilisaurus diet is said to have consisted of plants, which might have been abrasive, so the dinosaurs developed teeth with thick enamel. So, keep reading to know more about this ornithopod and its long legs.

Also, check out our articles on Sinotyrannus and Crichtonsaurus to know about the history of dinosaurs up-close-and-personal.

Agilisaurus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Agilisaurus'?

The name of this genus of dinosaurs is pronounced as 'aj-i-li-sore-us'. The name Agilisaurus means an agile lizard.

What type of dinosaur was an Agilisaurus?

The Agilisaurus was an ornithischian dinosaur, so it belonged to a group of dinosaurs that had a pelvic structure similar to the birds of today.

In which geological period did the Agilisaurus roam the earth?

The Agilisaurus lived on earth during the Middle Jurassic Period in an area that's now considered Eastern Asia, but the discovery of its fossil remains was in modern-day China. This dinosaur would have existed around 169-159 million years ago back in history.

When did the Agilisaurus become extinct?

Well, if we have a look at the skeleton remains, then it takes us back to the middle Jurassic Period that existed around 169-159 million years ago. Hence, even though we aren't sure about the date when this ornithopod really went extinct, but we can hold the lower end of the Jussaric period.

Where did Agilisaurus live?

The Agilisaurus dinosaur is said to hail from East Asia during the Middle Jurassic Period. However, the most well-known skeleton discovery of this species was in 1984 at what now is the Zigong Dinosaur Museum present in Sichuan Province of China.

The holotype was unearthed during construction work. was You can even go see its fossil cast and original holotype in the same museum.

What was Agilisaurus' habitat?

We don't know much about the habitat that must have been present during the period in which this dinosaur existed. However, as a herbivorous animal, it would have definitely preferred to inhabit areas close to the plants that it ate.

Moreover, scientists have found out that the Agilisaurus louderbacki species may have been diurnal as well as more cathemeral than other dinosaur species.

Who did Agilisaurus live with?

It's quite hard to tell who dinosaurs lived with, as not much information is available. However, in Sichuan are where the fossils of this dinosaur were discovered, other bones from genera such as Xuanhanosaurus, Shunosaurus, and Huayangosaurus. And, more tests show that these dinosaurs must have existed during the Bathonian and Callovian stages of the Middle Jurassic Period.

How long did an Agilisaurus live?

We don't really know for how long did these animals live as no proper content is available. But, because of the Agilisaurus predators, its lifespan would have been cut short.

How did they reproduce?

 Even though we have only been able to find a handful of dinosaur eggs, it's most likely that all species reproduced by laying eggs. And, it wouldn't have been any different for this agile lizard. But, we don't know of any specific rituals or nesting habits that any dinosaur might have followed.

Agilisaurus Fun Facts

What did Agilisaurus look like?

The Agilisaurus louderbacki was a lightweight bipedal herbivore that's said to have long hind legs. Scientists suggest that because the complete skeleton had a tibia longer than the femur.

And, this dinosaur might also have had a long and strong tail that helped it to balance while running. Moreover, as a herbivore and an ornithopod, it's said to have had a beak-like structure on either jaw to sustain its plant-based diet.

How many bones did an Agilisaurus have?

Even though an almost complete skeleton of this dinosaur was unearthed during the construction work for Zigong Dinosaur Museum, we don't yet know about the exact number of bones it had.

Only the left forelimb and the left hind limb of this complete skeleton were missing, but the scientists were able to recreate it by looking at the right counterparts.

How did they communicate?

We are yet to figure out how most of the dinosaurs communicated amongst each other. Scientists guess that they were somewhat vocal creatures, along with also using physical touches.

How big were the Agilisaurus?

The Agilisaurus size or length is said to have been around 3.5-4 ft (1.2-1.7 m), while the Agilisaurus height was around 2 ft (0.6 m). Hence, this dinosaur wasn't too small and neither too big. On the other hand, the largest ornithopod, Shantungosaurus, had a body length of around 50 ft (15 m).

How fast could an Agilisaurus move?

We don't know much about the speed of Agilisaurus louderbacki dinosaurs. However, herbivore species were usually thought to have a slower gait. However, the skeleton of this ornithopod points toward long hind legs which might have helped it to run well.

How much did an Agilisaurus weigh?

When it comes to the Agilisaurus weight, it's astonishing to know that even with its big body, this agile lizard probably had a weight of only about 88 lb (40 kg), which makes it quite lightweight.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no separate male and female names for the dinosaurs from this genus, which means an agile lizard.

What would you call a baby Agilisaurus?

As the babies of most oviparous lizards or reptile species, the babies of this dinosaur from China would have been known as hatchlings.

What did they eat?

The Agilisaurus was a herbivore, so it sustained itself on a plant-based die during that era in China. Scientists found that these dinosaurs had leaf-shaped teeth that helped in chewing through more abrasive plants. To sustain its plant-based diet, the teeth of this herbivore had a wavy enamel that was undoubtedly strong.

How aggressive were they?

Well, as a herbivore, this ornithopod wouldn't have been too aggressive. Moreover, because of its lightweight nature, it would have had a good chance of running away from the apex predators, such as big carnivorous dinosaurs.

Did you know...

Some paleontologists believe that the Agilisaurus might have lived in burrows.

Like many other dinosaur species, the taxonomical position of Agilisaurus was also debated. Some people put it under the family of Fabrosauridae, but most paleontologists thought it to be fruitless.

It was then debated to be part of the group Euornithopoda, but it would have excluded it from being an ornithopod, which scientists didn't agree on. However, history was made when in 1992, Peng came up with the name Agilisaurus along with more description about the species. Before that, the dinosaur was mainly classified as Yandusaurus multidens.

Along with the skeleton of the Agilisaurus, the Zigong Dinosaur Museum also contains other fossils collected from the Dashanpu Quarry, a place situated outside Zigong. And, one of the most striking remains is that of the Xuanhanosaurus and Huayangosaurus.

All these dinosaur fossils are said to be a part of the Lower Shaximiao Formation of the Middle Jurassic Period, dating back to about 168-161 million years ago.

What is the geographic location of Agilisaurus?

The almost complete Agilisaurus fossil was discovered from what is now the Sichuan province of China, where the Zigong Dinosaur Museum is located. However, looking at the dinosaur's existence in the Middle Jurassic Period, it could have existed in different areas of East Asia.

Who discovered Agilisaurus?

The almost complete skeleton of the Agilisaurus was discovered during construction-related digging for the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in 1984. However, the official classification of Agilisaurus louderbacki was given by Peng Guangzhou, a Chinese paleontologist in 1990.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Graciliraptor facts and Epanterias facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable singing dinosaurs coloring pages.

Image one by Zhangzhugang.

Image two by Phlox.