Fun Epidendrosaurus Facts For Kids

 Do you love learning about new, rare dinosaurs? Well, the Epidendrosaurus is one of the most unique and rare dinosaurs you will ever come across!

The Epidendrosaurus was the first non-avian dinosaur that was classified as a semi-arboreal and tree climbing dinosaur. It belongs to the Scansoriopterygidae genus and was found in the North-eastern part of China.

They existed on earth between 149-125 million years ago, between the mid-late Jurassic period. The Epidendrosaurus was very small and had a variety of adaptations that helped it to climb such as long, grasping arms and a clawed foot. Only four fossils have been discovered to date.

The first fossil discovered was of a juvenile, and only so much could be concluded about this species. However, in 2008, the scientist Zhang discovered an adult fossil.

This fossil had many characteristic avian adaptations, including primitive wings and feathers all over its body. From this fossil, it was concluded that the Epidendrosaurus used these wings to glide but was incapable of powered flight like modern-day birds.

Continue reading for some fun Epidendrosaurus facts and do check out our Harpactognathus facts and Atrociraptor facts pages!

Epidendrosaurus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Epidendrosaurus'?

Epidendrosaurus is pronounced as it is spelled. It can be broken down into three syllables ,'Epi-dendro-saurus'.

What type of dinosaur was an Epidendrosaurus?

The Epidendrosaurus (Scansoriopteryx heilmanni) is described as an arboreal tree climbing dinosaur. Even though they were tree-climbing dinosaurs, they had significant modern avian adaptations. It is speculated that they were also gliding dinosaurs. They were unable to achieve powered flight like modern-day birds.

In which geological period did the Epidendrosaurus roam the earth?

The Epidendrosaurus (Scansoriopteryx heilmanni) roamed Earth from the mid to late Jurassic Period in north-eastern China.

When did the Epidendrosaurus become extinct?

The Epidendrosaurus (Scansoriopteryx heilmanni) became extinct in the late Jurassic period.

Where did the Epidendrosaurus live?

The Epidendrosaurus (Scansoriopteryx heilmanni) was believed to be endemic to north-eastern China, specifically in the Tiaojishan Formation and the Daohugou Beds.

What was the Epidendrosaurus' habitat?

Since the Epidendrosaurus (Scansoriopteryx heilmanni) was a tree-climbing dinosaur, it is believed that they spent most of their time in trees. It has been speculated that this dinosaur lived in temperate forests filled with prehistoric trees such as the conifer tree and the ginkgo tree.

In addition to pre-historic trees, these forests would have also been full of plants such as horsetails, ferns, cycads, and mosses.

Who did the Epidendrosaurus live with?

It is not known whether the Epidendrosaurus (Scansoriopteryx heilmanni) was a solitary dinosaur, or if it lived in groups. However, it is known that the Scansoriopteryx heilmanni shared its habitat with other dinosaurs such as the Castorocauda, Volaticotherium, Haramiyidans, Jeholopterus, Pterorhynchus, and various insects and salamanders.

How long did an Epidendrosaurus live?

The exact lifespan of these dinosaurs is not known.

How did they reproduce?

Like modern-day birds, the Epidendrosaurus reproduced oviviviparously, which means that a female reproduced by laying eggs. Following a gestation period inside the mother, the fully developed eggs are laid. Following an incubation period, the eggs hatch and the juveniles emerge.

Epidendrosaurus Fun Facts

What did the Epidendrosaurus look like?

The Epidendrosaurus (Scansoriopteryx heilmanni) was an arboreal maniraptoran gliding and tree-climbing dinosaur with clear bird-like adaptations. They were very small dinosaurs and grew to a maximum length of 9.8 in (25 cm).

They were characterized by their incredibly long third finger that helped them climb trees. They also had a long bone known as the styliform bone that extended from their wrists. In addition to this, they had a wing membrane that extended from their styliform bones to their third fingers, which helped them glide.

These dinosaurs also had large teeth and very long arms, a short tail, and feathers all over their bodies. The Epidendrosaurus skull was high with an upturned jaw.

How many bones did an Epidendrosaurus have?

The exact number of bones is not known.

How did they communicate?

It is believed that the Epidendrosaurus dinosaur used a combination of auditory and visual signals to communicate. It is speculated that they had a loud and unique call that they used to communicate with one another.

How big was the Epidendrosaurus?

The Epidendrosaurus was a very small non-avian dinosaur. Juveniles reached a length of 6.3 in (16 cm) and adults grew to a maximum length of 9.8 in (25 cm).

How fast could an Epidendrosaurus move?

The exact speed of an Epidendrosaurus is not known.

How much did an Epidendrosaurus weigh?

The exact weight of the Epidendrosaurus is not known.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names for the males and females of this species. They are simply described as male or female dinosaurs.

What would you call a baby Epidendrosaurus?

There is no specific name for the juveniles of this species. They are simply referred to as juveniles.

What did they eat?

The Epidendrosaurus (Scansoriopteryx heilmanni) was an arboreal, tree-climbing dinosaur that spent most of its time in trees. Due to this and their small size, they were believed to be insectivores. Their diet mainly consisted of small insects like beetles and mayflies, and sometimes even different salamander species.

How aggressive were they?

They were not considered to be extremely aggressive.

Did you know...

The Epidendrosaurus (Scansoriopteryx heilmanni) was the first non-avian dinosaur that had the ability to climb trees. They were also the first non-avian dinosaurs with avian adaptations like a wing joint and feathers all over their body.

This was believed to be a very early stage of the evolution of a wing. It is believed that this early stage soon developed into wings that were capable of flying.

The Epidendrosaurus (Scansoriopteryx heilmanni) was believed to be a climbing dinosaur because of its unique adaptations. They had a very long third finger that was considered to be very unique, as most other species had a long second finger.

They also had very long hands and clawed feet.

These long hands and clawed feet were considered to be perfect for climbing. Even though these were feathered dinosaurs, their limbs that were specialized for grasping things led scientists like Zhang, Czerkas, and Yuan to conclude that these Jurassic dinosaurs spent most of their time in trees.

Scansoriopteryx means 'climbing wing'.

Who discovered the Epidendrosaurus?

The Scansoriopteryx was discovered by Stephen Czerkas and Yuan Chongxi. In 2002, they introduced the family Scansoriopterygidae, which consisted of only the Scansoriopteryx heilmanni. However, over time, many descendants were added to the same family.

Did the Epidendrosaurus have feathers?

Czerkas and Yuan discovered impressions on the Epidendrosaurus fossil and specimens that were indicative of feathers. They concluded that there were very simple, well-developed feathers that were capable of gliding.

However, Czerkas and Yuan concluded that these dinosaurs were not capable of powered flight like modern-day birds. They also had ribbon-like tail feathers. This could have been an early origin of flight for more evolved dinosaurs down the line.

The first specimen discovered was of a juvenile, and not much was known about the adults of this species. As a result, it was difficult to determine the characteristics of these dinosaurs. However, in 2008, an adult specimen was discovered by Zhang, and was named the Epidexipteryx hui. In 2015, another specimen known as the Yi qi was discovered.

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 Heterodontosaurus facts and Prosaurolophus facts for kids.

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

Main image by Audrey.m.horn

Second image by Kumiko