Fun Bruhathkayosaurus Facts For Kids

Among the largest and heaviest genera of dinosaurs is the Bruhathkayosaurus. The holotype of the dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period was discovered in 1987 by Yadagiri & Ayyasami in the Kallamedu formation in India. It consisted of hip bones, a leg bone, a shin bone, tail bones, and the bone of a forearm. Unfortunately, fossil remains were lost. The huge-bodied lizard is among the largest dinosaurs. Bones of the dinosaur were mistaken as pieces of petrified wood.

If the uniqueness of the Bruhathkayosaurus makes you interested in reading more about similar species, you can read about the Plateosaurus and the Sanjuansaurus. 

How do you pronounce 'Bruhathkayosaurus'?

The Bruhathkayosaurus pronunciation is 'broo-hath-kay-oh-sore-us'. The generic name is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Bruhathkaya' which splits into two different words: 'bṛhat' and 'kāya' meaning 'huge' or 'heavy-bodied'. The Bruhathkayosaurus also has a Greek origin as 'sauros' means 'lizard'. The full meaning and origin of the name Bruhathkayosaurus is a 'huge-bodied lizard'.

What type of dinosaur was a Bruhathkayosaurus?

The Bruhathkayosaurus is classified as one of the extinct genera of Sauropods. The dinosaur was a huge-bodied lizard belonging to the family of the Titanosaur and had a bodyweight and length exceeding that of the Argentinosaurus (Titanosaur dinosaur).

In which geological period did the Bruhathkayosaurus roam the Earth?

While specimens of remains of these dinosaurs were discovered in the Kallamedu formation in India in 1987, the Bruhathkayosaurus dates back to the Maastrichtian stage of the late Cretaceous epoch. The temporal range of these Titanosaur Sauropod dinosaurs was around 70 million years ago.

When did the Bruhathkayosaurus become extinct?

The Bruhathkayosaurus from the late Cretaceous period has been speculated to date back to 70 million years ago, but paleontologists did not record when exactly the sauropod faced extinction.

Where did a Bruhathkayosaurus live?

Since specimens of fossils of the Bruhathkayosaurus were uncovered by paleontologists from rocks of the Kallemedu formation in the northeastern village of Tamil Nadu in India, these Titanosaur Sauropod dinosaurs are thought to have lived in India.

What was a Bruhathkayosaurus's habitat?

This dinosaur with a massive body size inhabited woodlands and grasslands of India. Paleontologists suggested that the dinosaur was a mobile animal and would move around various lands.

Who did a Bruhathkayosaurus live with?

Studying the behavior of these dinosaurs is a challenging task for paleontologists due to the fragmented remains of extinct animals. Often dinosaurs lived in pairs or trios, although some dinosaurs would lead a solitary life. No reports confirm the companionship habits of a Bruhathkayosaurus.

How long did a Bruhathkayosaurus live?

Usually, dinosaurs would have a considerably long life span ranging between 70-80 years, but the life span of one of these largest dinosaurs, the Bruhathkayosaurus, is not recorded.

How did they reproduce?

Dinosaurs are classified as oviparous animals around the world, but the reproductive mechanism of the Bruhathkayosaurus is not known.

What did a Bruhathkayosaurus look like?

The Bruhathkayosaurus is classified as one of the largest dinosaurs due to its massive body size. The length of the tibia is computed to be 7.8 ft (2.4 m) more than the length of the tibia of the Argentinosaurus, one of the largest dinosaurs that ever existed. While remains of fossils discovered were swept away and lost in a monsoon, characteristics of original fossils are only in the form of line drawings. There are no diagnostic characteristics described from original remains of the huge-bodied lizard. While the description based on the specimen of the hip bone, the leg bone, and other bones is unavailable, characteristics including the size, the length, and the weight of the dinosaur are estimated using line drawings of the specimen. It was a long-necked dinosaur with a long tail. Its length is not known. The dinosaur is thought to have had a blue-gray pelage.

How many bones did a Bruhathkayosaurus have?

As remains of the Bruhathkayosaurus skeleton are lost, the estimated number of bones in the dinosaur remains a question.

How did they communicate?

Since the only fossil remains of the extinct animal uncovered from the site of the Kallamedu formation were lost, data collected can be questionable. The communication mechanism of the dinosaur is not recorded, but the dinosaur is thought to have communicated using vocal and visual techniques.

How big was a Bruhathkayosaurus?

The Bruhathkayosaurus height varied from 13-23 ft (4-7 m), while the length of one of the largest dinosaurs ranged from 98-164 ft (30-50 m).

How fast could a Bruhathkayosaurus move?

The speed of the dinosaur is not recorded. Considering the size and the weight of the dinosaur, it is thought to have moved slowly compared to the fastest dinosaurs.

How much did a Bruhathkayosaurus weigh?

The Bruhathkayosaurus weight ranged from 80-220 tons (72,575-199,581 kg). The weight of the big dinosaur is amazing and it is hard to believe that such a long and heavy animal ever existed.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no names assigned reflecting differences in their sex.

What would you call a baby Bruhathkayosaurus?

A baby dinosaur is often called a hatchling or chick.

What did they eat?

The big dinosaur was an herbivore primarily feeding upon conifers, cicadas, and monocots, including grasses and palms.

How aggressive were they?

Since there are no original specimens left from those discovered from the site, it is challenging to determine the behavior of the animal.

Did you know...

The Bruhathkayosaurus matleyi is a species from the genus Bruhathkayosaurus.

Is the Bruhathkayosaurus the biggest dinosaur?

While the big-sized dinosaur with a long neck and a long tail is considered one of the largest dinosaurs, it is uncertain whether this was the biggest dinosaur of all.

Bruhathkayosaurus size comparison

The size of the Bruhathkayosaurus is quite similar to the size of the Argentinosaurus as both are about 98 ft (30 m) long. While the blue whale, the largest mammal, weighs about 176 tons (159,665 kg) on average, the Bruhathkayosaurus weighed within 80-220 tons (72,575-199,581 kg). The largest dinosaur of the genus Bruhathkayosaurus weighed almost twice as much as a blue wale. Furthermore, the Amphicoelias which weighed about 132.3 tons (120,000 kg) is half the weight of the biggest dinosaur.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Tanius facts and Sinraptor facts for kids.

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

*We've been unable to source an image of a Bruhathkayosaurus and have used an image of an Ampelosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a Bruhathkayosaurus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].