Fun Azendohsaurus Facts For Kids

The Azendohsaurus was a herbivorous reptile that was first discovered and named by Jean Michel Dutuit (Dutuit J-M) in 1972. The Azendohsaurus fossil consisted of teeth and jaws in fragments.

The fossilized skull helped to determine these herbivorous reptiles. According to John J. Flynn et al.

(2010), some of the features of these reptiles are similar to the features of dinosaurs, and this was the only year when their fossil material from Madagascan helped scientists to determine their true identity. They declared that these animal creatures were not dinosaurs but rather a reptile species.

The fossils of the Azendohsaurus skull and the Azendohsaurus skeleton were earlier when discovered as an ornithischian dinosaur was dated back to the Upper Jurassic period while later in 2010, it was confirmed that they belonged to the Late Triassic period. The fossil material was discovered in Morocco and Madagascar.

The genus Azendohsaurus was named after the village Azendoh near the Atlas Mountains. They were called the 'Azendoh lizard'.

The first species, named Azendohsaurus laaroussii, was discovered in Morocco, while the second, new species of Azendohsaurus named Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis, was from Madagascar. According to the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, the Azendohsaurus was a quadruped with strong limbs, a short tail, and a long neck with a small head similar to an Archosauromorph.

If you enjoyed reading this article about this Archosauromorph, then do read some interesting and surprising fun facts about other primitive reptiles such as Mesosaurus and Tylosaurus.

Azendohsaurus Interesting Facts

Was the Azendohsaurus a dinosaur?

No, the Azendohsaurus was not a dinosaur and was a reptile archosauromorph. It was previously described as an ornithischian dinosaur in 1972 by Dutuit J-M, but J. Flynn et al. (2010) classified it as an archosauromorph.

How do you pronounce 'Azendohsaurus'?

The pronunciation for the word Azendohsaurus is 'A-zen-doe-sore-us'.

What type of prehistoric reptile was an Azendohsaurus?

The Azendohsaurus was first described as a herbivorous dinosaur from the Upper Triassic period in 1972, but it wasn't until later that J. Flynn et al. (2010) classified these reptiles as archosauromorphs. The Azendohsaurus belongs to the class Reptilia, a clade that includes Archosauromorpha, Crocopoda, and Allokotosauria.

The family they belonged to was Azendohsaurida. The genus Azendohsaurus has two type species, named Azendohsaurus laaroussii and a second new species of Azendohsaurus named Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis. The scientists named Jean Michel Dutuit (Dutuit J-M), Gauffre F., Flynn J, S.J.

Nesbitt, M.J. Parrish, Ranivoharimanana L., and A.R. Wyss have collectively contributed to the discovery of this archosauromorph. Along with them, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology has also credited their contributions.

In which geological period did the Azendohsaurus live?

The Azendohsaurus roamed around the Earth during the Late Triassic period, 220 million years ago. The early discovery of this species was made as herbivorous dinosaurs from the Upper Triassic period, but J. Flynn et al. (2010) stated that they belonged to the Late Triassic period.

When did the Azendohsaurus become extinct?

The Azendohsaurus laaroussii became extinct by the end of the Late Triassic period, 220 million years ago.

Where did the Azendohsaurus live?

Azendohsaurus laaroussii fossils were recovered from the Argana Formation of Morocco. They lived near the village named Azendoh in the Atlas Mountains and Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis fossils were discovered from the Isalo group, Madagascar.

The fossils were also found outside Isalo National Park, in the northwest town of Ranohira and east of Sakahara, along with the Malio river basin. The Makay Formation and the Morondava Basin were also part of the Isalo Group.

What was an Azendohsaurus' habitat?

Early ornithischian herbivorous dinosaurs and later an archosauromorph reptile, Azendohsaurus laaroussii, fossils were discovered in sandstones and red clay mudstones. Whereas, the second species, Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis, was discovered in the River Malio basin. As a result, it can be assumed that this reptile species lived in a wide range of climatic conditions, from dry woodlands to humid river basins.

Who did the Azendohsaurus live with?

It is unknown whether this species lived in groups or not, but this species shared their habitat with Prolacerta. 

How long did an Azendohsaurus live?

The Azendohsaurus lived during the Late Triassic period, 220 million years ago, and must have died by the end of this period. In the early years of the '70s, it was believed that they lived in the Upper Triassic period.

It was proved wrong and a team of scientists named J. Flynn, J. Nesbitt, Parrish, Ranivoharimanana, and A.R. Wyss claimed or described them as living in the Late Triassic period et al. (2010).

How did they reproduce?

Both species of Azendohsaurus, named Azendohsaurus laaroussii and Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis, were warm-blooded reptile animals, according to the Vertebrate Paleontology Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Though not much information is available in regard to their reproduction, they must have reproduced by laying eggs and mating.

The eggs must have been laid in clutches and the size of each clutch must have varied.

Azendohsaurus Fun Facts

What did an Azendohsaurus look like?

The Azendohsaurus was a small archosauromorph species that was, in the early years of the '70s, described as an ornithischian dinosaur by J.M. Dutuit.

However, Flynn et al. (2010) along with the team named Ranivoharimanana L., Parrish, and Wyss, described the reptile as a small archosauromorph with a short tail, a long neck, and a small head like a sauropod. The teeth of this species were leaf-shaped and were good at chewing the green fodder of their diets.

In 1972, fragments of teeth and jaws were discovered partially for Azendohsaurus laaroussii, but the fossil skeletal material of Madagaskarensis was discovered completely. They were classified as early and primitive archosauromorphs with herbivorous ornithischian features, but they were not dinosaurs.

How many bones did an Azendohsaurus have?

The number of bones in the Azendohsaurus is not evaluated and is unknown to the world.

How did they communicate?

The communication between the Azendohsaurus laaroussii and madagaskarensis is unknown, but they might have communicated using their tactile cues, vocals, and chemical cues. There is strong evidence available to support the theory of their communication.

How big were the Azendohsaurus?

The Azendohsaurus size was 6.6-9.8 ft (2-3 m) long in length.

How fast could an Azendohsaurus move?

The speed of these Azendohsaurus archosauromorphs has not been evaluated by scientists such as Dutuit, Ranivoharimanana L., Parrish, Wyss, and Nesbitt.

How much did Azendohsaurus weigh?

The Azendohsaurus' specific weight is unknown and is not evaluated by the scientists Wyss, Nesbitt et al. (2010).

What were the male and female names of the species?

Male and female dinosaurs of this species were known by their generic names and no specific name has been given to either sex.

What would you call a baby Azendohsaurus?

The babies of Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis and laaroussii are known as hatchlings and juveniles.

What did they eat?

The Azendohsaurus had features similar to those of an ornithischian on the basis of their teeth and skull, which were dated from the Upper Triassic period. It was Wyss, Nesbitt et al. (2010) that stated that these species were herbivorous reptiles and not dinosaurs.

They had tooth crowns along with tooth denticles which helped them to chew the food. The teeth were leaf-shaped, which were also considered to be unique features of these species. They ate different plants such as ferns, ginkgoes, and cycads.

How aggressive were they?

The behavior of this Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis and laaroussii is unknown. As they were herbivores, they must have been less aggressive, but there is no strong evidence in this regard.

Did you know...

Azendohsaurus dinosaurs were originally thought to be herbivorous ornithischian dinosaurs from the Upper Triassic period but were later discovered to be archosauromorph reptiles with leaf-shaped teeth.

Why is it called Azendohsaurus?

The Azendohsaurus genus was named after the village of Azendoh, which is located near the Atlas Mountains. They were known as the 'Azendoh lizard'.

How many specimens of Azendohsaurus were discovered?

There is no definitive answer to the above question, but these species were discovered twice in general. Jean Michel Dutuit (Dutuit J-M) discovered and named the Azendohsaurus, a herbivorous dinosaur, in 1972 from the Upper Triassic period.

The Azendohsaurus fossil was made up of broken teeth and jaws. The fossil record of skulls aided in the identification of these herbivorous reptiles.

According to John J. Flynn et al. (2010), some of these reptiles' characteristics are similar to those of dinosaurs, and this was the only year in which their Madagascan fossil material aided scientists in determining their true identity.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly prehistoric animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Longisquama interesting facts, or Sarcosuchus facts for kids.

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

Main image by Nobu Tamura

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