Fun Andesaurus Facts For Kids

The Andesaurus has a binomial name: Andesaurus delgadoi. The Andesaurus name has quite an interesting history related to the discovery of the animal mainly because the Andesaurus name was derived from its remains that were found in the Andes.

The location name was then put together with the Greek word sauros, meaning lizard. Based on its remains, it has been stated that the Andesaurus existed 99.6 million years ago in the Cenomanian era and went extinct in the late Cretaceous period.

They were mainly found in South America with a major focus in the south of Argentina and Neuquén. The specimen found by paleontologists helped them understand that these animals had four vertebrae starting from the lower end, with the tail having a partial division of the pelvis and other parts of the body.

The average length of this animal was between 590.6-708.7 in (15-18 m).

This adds them to the list of the largest animals that have existed on Earth. Even though these animals are not known to have been social in nature, it is understood that all animals belonging to the Sauropod family lived in a small herd.

To know more about similar animals, check out our articles about the Zuniceratops and the Orodromeus.

Andesaurus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce Andesaurus?

The Andesaurus name is pronounced an-deez-sore-us.

What type of dinosaur was an Andesaurus?

The Andesaurus delgadoi species had a weight that numbered in tons and a long neck. This particular animal belongs to the basal Titanosaur Sauropod dinosaur type.

In which geological period did the Andesaurus roam the Earth?

Andesaurus dinosaurs are known to have existed in the Cenomanian and Cretaceous periods, mainly in the regions of South America. The late Cretaceous period occurred during the Mesozoic era.

When did the Andesaurus become extinct?

Based on the partial discovery of fossils and fragments in the Candeleros formations, Titanosaurian Andesaurus dinosaur fossils specify that they became extinct 99.6 to 97 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period.

Where did an Andesaurus live?

The Andesaurus delgadoi (Andes lizard) is a plant-eating animal of the Titanosaur family. Data from the discovery of the Andesaurus states that they belonged to regions of South America. One major region of their occurrence was Argentina, especially in the region Neuquén.

What was an Andesaurus' habitat?

The Andesaurus was a primitive and terrestrial dinosaur also known as the Andes lizard. The discovery of these dinosaur remains found in the Candeleros formation helps in the assumption that a group of these dinosaurs preferred forests. This could also be because these animals were herbivores.

Who did an Andesaurus live with?

As this animal is a member of the basal Titanosaurs Sauropod dinosaur group belonging to the Andesaurus genus, it was known to roam around in small herds. A group of these dinosaurs shared elements of sticking together as it helped all of them evolve and survive through the Cenomanian age and the late Cretaceous period.

How long did an Andesaurus live?

The Andes lizard of South America is known to have lived almost 99.6 million years ago. Based on remains found of the Titanosaurian Andesaurus prehistoric wildlife and with the little fragments of their fossil discovery, one can say that they had an average lifespan of 40 long years.

How did they reproduce?

The information derived from different research based on the Titanosaur family animal from the Cretaceous age is incomplete. Even though it is a well-known fact that all dinosaurs were egg-laying creatures, there isn't enough data about their reproduction processes, nor any idea about the litter size, incubation, and nesting history, among many other details.

Andesaurus Fun Facts

What did an Andesaurus look like?

The Andes lizard of the basal Titanosaurus sauropod animal type is one of the largest animals to have ever walked on the Earth. The term Sauropod is associated with dinosaurs that had a long neck, and the Andesaurus of Argentina and Neuquén belonged to the same category.

They had vertebrae similar to that of the basal Titanosaur. Additionally, they had four vertebrae that started from their lower back. Tail vertebrae were divided into a series of two separate parts of the tail itself. These tail parts consisted of pelvis parts, rib fragments, an incomplete right humerus, a left femur, and a few hand bones.

Their dorsal vertebrae portrayed pneumatic depression, and both ends of their vertebrae were flat. This Andes lizard was characterized by its tall neural spines. These spines were located on their back vertebrae.

How many bones did an Andesaurus have?

Among the many dinosaurs, Andesaurus remains have undergone just partial discovery. Due to a lack of information, the exact number of their bones is unavailable. It is known that these animals had tons of weight, and in order to help them stay strong, they had plenty of bones.

How did they communicate?

There isn't much information available about how the Titanosaur Sauropod Andesaurus communicated.

How big was an Andesaurus?

The Andesaurus delgadoi belongs to the group of giant dinosaurs which included Titanosaurs and Sauropods with long necks. It was four to five hundred times bigger than the Parvicursor remotus dinosaur, with a height that could go up to 70.9 in (1.8 m) and an average Andesaurus length range of 590.6-708.7 in (15-18 m).

How fast could an Andesaurus move?

The Andesaurus is a Titanosaur belonging to the Cenomanian age and the Cretaceous age of Sauropods. They had a heavy weight range, and it might have been tricky for them to move fast. Hence, we can assume that they used to have an average speed like that of other Sauropods, 2.1-2.7 mph (3.4-4.3 kph).

How much did an Andesaurus weigh?

This Andes lizard was one of the largest Titanosaurs with a weight range of 15,432.4-154,323.6 lb (7,000-70,000 kg).

What were male and female names of the species?

The Andesaurus delgadoi or the Andes lizard is a gender-neutral term used for both sexes.

What would you call a baby Andesaurus?

As there isn't a specific term available for the baby Andesaurus, their offspring are usually termed as babies or juveniles.

What did they eat?

They were herbivores and their major sources of food were plants and fruits.

How aggressive were they?

This species belonging to the Sauropoda type of dinosaur were herbivorous and had partial or no engagement in confrontational situations whatsoever. Thus, this species of Sauropoda cannot be categorized into the aggressive type of dinosaurs.

Did you know...

Fossils and remains of the Andesaurus have been found mainly in regions of Argentina. Originally, there was only one specimen found by paleontologists, and based on records of this fossil, it was stated that the animal weighed in tons, belonged to the Cretaceous period, had scales on its body, and wasn't slimy.

Was the Andesaurus a carnivore?

The research derived based on their remains from the Cretaceous age strongly suggests that they never engaged in a carnivorous diet even in times of crisis. Hence, one can say that the Andesaurus genus dinosaur of the Sauropoda family belonged to the herbivore category.

How strong were their teeth?

From remains of the length of their body found from the Cretaceous period, especially in Argentina, one can say that these animals weighed tons and had huge and strong teeth. However, no specific dental biology has been stated.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures by checking out our Abrosaurus facts or our Haplocanthosaurus facts for kids.

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

Main image by Levi bernardo

Second image by Steveoc 86