Fun Gallimimus Facts For Kids

The Gallimimus lived in Mongolia's Gobi Desert during the late Cretaceous period around 70 million years ago. The Gallimimus is a very interesting dinosaur and there is a theory behind how it got its name. Several fossils or the Gallimimus skeleton were recovered from the Gobi Desert. Several areas of Asia also seemed to be the home for these dinosaurs. Unlike other species of dinosaurs, members of this genus are well known and well written in history given the fact that many fossils of this theropod have been recovered to date. This group of theropods was very large and often seemed like easy prey for predators.

They had bird-like features and researchers often described them as ostrich-like. They were also called chicken mimics and were toothless. Without strong teeth and arms it would have been very difficult for a Gallimimus dinosaur to save itself. Nonetheless, it had excellent jaw muscles and could scoop down anything from hard rocks to mud. The arm of a Gallimimus dinosaur is extremely important, as this helped it gather food. Despite tits fragile body structure, it survived the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. From Jurassic Park creatures to the creatures of today's time, to learn more about such wonderful animals check out our articles on the beaglier and the Australian mist.

How do you pronounce 'Gallimimus'?

This long tail early creature belongs to the group of some dinosaurs which are known as ostrich copycats or ornithomimids. Their comparison with modern ostriches is because they are similar in several aspects. The right pronunciation for the dinosaur Gallimimus is "GAL-i-MY-mes".

What type of dinosaur was a Gallimimus?

Based on studies done on the Gallimimus skull they are very similar in comparison to the earlier preserved ornithomimid. When we explore further it can be revealed that this species possessed legs, feathers, and large eyes, very similar to current day birds. The Gallimimus liked living in a herd and the Gallimimus may have gulped down eggs of other dinosaurs. This bird-like theropod is the largest known ornithomimid; the same is mentioned in various books of different languages.

In which geological period did the Gallimimus roam the Earth?

The exact range of their time period on Earth can be estimated to be from the Triassic period to the late Cretaceous period, covering the Jurassic period as well. They are assumed to have roamed the world some 70 million years ago and had an omnivorous diet. Their long beak and light weight gave them great speeds when it came to search for food.

When did the Gallimimus become extinct?

There can be plenty of reasons why the Gallimimus dinosaur became extinct. The major reason for their extinction is unfavorable climates of the Earth, which was a result of the asteroid collision. Their body structure was relatively weaker as well when compared with other dinosaurs. The bone of their braincase was hollow and they mostly ate less nutritious food. Their search for food on the ground didn't help them much, hence it's believed that this bird-like dinosaur also swallowed rocks and dirt.

Where did a Gallimimus live?

During the late Cretaceous and the Jurassic period, the Gallimimus lived in the hot climate of the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. This long-neck ostrich-like dinosaur also lived in several other parts of Asia, although fossils of the specimen were generally recovered from Mongolia's Gobi Desert.

What was a Gallimimus's habitat?

A suitable Gallimimus habitat would be a hot, dry place, a desert to be more precise. Their long feet gave them a good grip when walking across stones and sand, whereas the head worked for mapping direction.

Who did a Gallimimus live with?

Members of this genus lived with many theropods on the ground. A Gallimimus either moved alone or moved in a herd so in most cases they lived amongst their own genus. The Gallimimus may have lived with other bird-like species. Modern-day birds like the ostrich and peacocks are the closest relatives of birds from the Jurassic period.

How long did a Gallimimus live?

The exact life span of this dinosaur is not known. It can be estimated that this chicken mimic species lived for 10-20 years unless hunted by other predators.

How did they reproduce?

Early reptiles reproduced in a very similar manner to reptiles of today's age. Young were fed on insects and guarded by their parents. The Gallimimus used to lay two to three eggs each breeding season and protected them from other large dinosaurs. A Gallimimus egg was often similar in length to the current-day ostrich egg length.

What did a Gallimimus look like?

Gallimimus feathers were fluffy and soft. These dinosaurs had large bird-like eyes and beaks. They had a longer snout and a very delicate jaw. It's not really known how they could swallow stones and dirt with a jaw that delicate. Many researchers also believe their jaw was as thin as paper. The neck is long and feet are long, and their head helped them to locate small prey on land. This dinosaur had weaker forelimbs and a long tail. Their beak was sharp and it made up for their delicate jaw. Because of their short arms and chicken-like motions, they were called funny-looking.

How many bones did a Gallimimus have?

This chicken mimic dinosaur is a species of dinosaurs from Asia and other parts of the world whose complete skeleton has been found to date. This species of toothless chicken mimic dinosaurs had around 25 bones.

How did they communicate?

Almost all dinosaurs from the Jurassic period used to communicate with each other amongst their family members. This species of dinosaurs from Mongolia is known to be very intelligent and used vocal calls to communicate.

How big was a Gallimimus?

The Gallimimus size is one of the best advantages this dinosaur had. Because they were mostly fragile with weak arms and hollow bones, their size increased their survival chances significantly. This animal is around five times bigger in length than a southern cassowary. These animals are the largest known ornithomimid in history. Other modern flying birds such as the albatross are also 10 times smaller than the Gallimimus.

How fast could a Gallimimus move?

This long tail ostrich mimic dinosaur walked on its feet and used its arm to locate and identify prey. Their legs were incredibly strong and they ran very fast.

How much did a Gallimimus weigh?

The weight of an adult Gallimimus was around 960-970 lb (430-440 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

Both males and females were very similar. They had no teeth, a sharp beak, and long legs. Both genders had a hollow bone at their braincase. There were not specific names for males and females.

What would you call a baby Gallimimus?

Babies of this species are called nestlings or hatchlings. It depends very much on the age of the young. When Gallimimus chicks were young they would mimic chicken chicks, although they had longer feet.

What did they eat?

The Gallimimus diet consists of plants, insects, and some smaller dinosaurs. They also ate eggs of other dinosaurs.

How aggressive were they?

They were featured in various books in several languages and are often known as non-aggressive dinosaurs, looking for insects to eat.

Did you know...

An interesting fact about this featured species is they ate their prey like ducks did.

This chicken mimic dinosaur is argued to have behaved like a duck and often swallowed rocks and small pebbles on purpose. This helped them mash and digest their stomach contents.

Did the Gallimimus have feathers?

Yes, this long leg theropod had feathers. They had around 25 bones and were said to mimic chickens in their appearance.

Was the Gallimimus the fastest dinosaur?

The Velociraptor is one of the known dinosaurs from Jurassic Park. They were one of a few of the most intelligent dinosaurs that ever lived on this planet. They were a little shorter than the Gallimimus and did not have a beak. Their diet was carnivorous, whereas the Gallimimus ate both plants and animals. It's a tough competition between the Gallimimus and the Velociraptor when it comes to speed. Nonetheless, the velociraptor is the fastest.

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 reindeer facts and Key deer facts pages.

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