Fun Eoraptor Facts For Kids

The Eoraptor dinosaur was a small omnivore that lived 228 million years ago.

These dinosaurs had very distinct anatomy, which is why they are considered to be one of the earliest species in dinosaur evolution.

The Eoraptor dinosaur was identified as a new genus and there have been many different fossils found from this particular type of early ancestor and from other kinds of meat-eating dinosaurs similiar to the Eoraptor. The meaning of Eoraptor is 'roaring like'.

The funny thing about these early ancestors and other kinds of meat-eaters was how unique their features were compared to later forms, such as Coelophysoids or Cerataphins (which would eventually lead into both the Allosordasaurus & the Tyrannosaurus rex).

The Eoraptor was about the size and weight of a turkey.

It had a long neck and tail and short arms with three-fingered hands at the end.

The skull of this dinosaur was long from front to back but deep from top to bottom which suggests it may have been very quick in high-speed pursuits like you would find today when antelopes run away from lions or cheetahs chase gazelles in the African Eoraptor environment.

The Eoraptor size was moderate and it was one of the very first dinosaurs, but it didn't look like much.

Like most early dinosaurs, the Eoraptor and the Herrerasaurus were relatively small animals that couldn’t do much more than walk around on all fours (although they may have been able to stand up sometime during their lifetimes).

It is believed to have been one of the first dinosaurs ever discovered on earth by scientists Monetta, Martinez, and Paul Sereno back in 1993 when they were working near Argentina’s Ischigualasto Basin region after they stumbled upon fossils while exploring around some rocks.

Eoraptors are often described as “roaring dragons" due to their specialized features with resemblance to such reptiles even though at that time there weren't any yet known.

Its fossil had three fingers on each hand with sharp claws which were perfect for hunting prey such as insects or smaller lizards.

Find more relatable content about the Ostafrikasaurus and the Xenotarsosaurus for kids!

Eoraptor Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Eoraptor'?

The Eoraptor name is a bit complicated for some and then of course the Eoraptor pronunciation is also difficult for obvious reasons! The Eoraptor pronunciation is 'ee-oh-rap'ter'.

What type of dinosaur was an Eoraptor?

Can you guess what type of dinosaur an Eoraptor is? Well, it's a basal sauropodomorph or saurischian dinosaur, not a raptor.

In which geological period did the Eoraptor roam the Earth?

In the late Triassic period, long before most dinosaurs roamed Earth, this little Eoraptor dinosaur was running around.

When did the Eoraptor become extinct?

It became extinct a long time ago, around 70 million years.

Where did an Eoraptor live?

The carnivorous Eoraptor dinosaur lived in forests and near trees that were next to water bodies.

What was an Eoraptor's habitat?

These small dinosaurs lived around 230 million years ago. It is believed that they were carnivorous or omnivorous animals because of their sharp conical-shaped teeth, and a light round head. Habitats of these small reptiles can be discussed as well-known prehistoric scenery-floodplains with humid forest vegetation and high trees where huge pterodactyls flew overhead.

Who did an Eoraptor live with?

Eoraptor lunensis dinosaurs lived with many types of dinosaurs similar to the Eoraptor. It had sharp teeth like the Eocursor and even early mammal-like creatures like the Megazostrodon, according to a study published in Current Biology on August 22nd, 2017.

How long did an Eoraptor live?

One would expect that these small theropods with a round head had a fairly short lifespan, but surprisingly enough they lived to be around 40 years old and had very sharp teeth.

How did they reproduce?

The Eoraptor lunensis dinosaur was one of the earliest theropod species to reproduce. These theropods laid eggs and protected their nests with their legs until they hatched!

Eoraptor Fun Facts

What did an Eoraptor look like?

This primitive dinosaur team looked like a cross between an iguana and a velociraptor.

As seen in the Eoraptor fossils found, it had long hind legs, sharp teeth, claws on three fingers of each hand, a long Eoraptor skull, two toes on its feet which were similar to its hands with clawed thumbs instead of true hooves or paws.

Although it was bipedal, Eoraptors could walk easily quadrupedally as well if needed for speed or stealth.

Some scientists think that these theropods probably hunted in packs because some have been found buried next to one another!

How many bones did an Eoraptor have?

First discovered in South America by paleontologists Monetta and Sereno, the Erma Eoraptor dinosaur had around 220 bones including its legs, and was the earliest theropod species discovery.

How did they communicate?

The earliest Jurassic Eoraptor dinosaur groups communicated with one another using a combination of related body language with its fingers and tone.

When they felt threatened, Eroptors would appear larger than usual to intimidate the potential invader into retreating or would show submission by lying down on its back which exposed its vulnerable underbelly as well making it look smaller than usual so it appeared less threatening rather than more dangerous like if they were standing upright sideways or had all four hind legs splayed out ready for attack.

How big was an Eoraptor?

Eoraptors were about 3 ft (0.9 m) long and the Eoraptor height was 2 ft (0.6 m), according to scientists who studied them over two decades ago using new techniques, so an Eoraptor was certainly shorter than a tree. They fed on plant or tree material among other things as suggested by the paleontologist Sereno Cite.

A human was three times bigger in height than an Eoraptor.

How fast could an Eoraptor move?

The movement of this swift Eoraptor theropod dinosaur could go up to 18 mph (29 kph) for short periods of time.

How much did an Eoraptor weigh?

The Eoraptor weighed around 22 lb (10 kg). From the Eoraptor skeleton, it is estimated that it had long skinny hind legs, sharp claws, and a pointy head. The little dinosaur was only about the size of a cat, which would make it cute for any pet owner or lover of animals to have in their home today!

What were the male and female names of the species?

Males and females both go by the name Eoraptop theropods.

What would you call a baby Eoraptor?

These theropod babies are popularly known as Eoraptor dinosaur babies.

What did they eat?

The swift Eoraptors' main food source was probably related to animals like birds because the Eoraptor fossil records and remains, especially its claws, indicate that this is what most other small omnivore species would eat back then including fish, small creatures, and plant materials.

Some scientists believe these creatures may have even eaten some forms of complete seafood during certain times in history!

How aggressive were they?

Eoraptor theropod dinosaurs are described as being the most vicious of all dinosaurs after studying the fossil, with a killer instinct that allowed them to kill prey many times their size and weight by employing an efficient killing technique involving the use of both hands for grasping its victims followed by snapping jaws biting through flesh until they ripped out vital organs or severed major arteries leading to death!

Did you know...

The swift Eoraptor theropod dinosaurian was a small, predatory dinosaur that lived during the late Triassic period. It had very sharp fused upper teeth apart from claws meant for hunting prey such as lizards or early mammals.

The theory of how this dinosaur became extinct is unclear but some scientists believe they shared prey-like relationships with bigger predators like Giganotosaurus.

How many fingers does an early dinosaur like the Eoraptor have?

The Eoraptor dinosaur, which lived during the late Triassic period in the basal formation about 230 million years ago, had three fingers on each hand.

How did the Eoraptor dinosaur fetch food?

These Eoraptor dinosaur theropods may have used their binocular vision to spot prey. The use of at least two represented claws by this dinosaur would also help them hold onto prey when it was caught and make quick work of killing it with a bite across its neck or back using teeth that were adapted for meat-eating.

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 Atrociraptor facts or Pawpawsaurus facts for kids.

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

Main image by Kentaro Ohno

Second image by Gonce