Fun Mamenchisaurus Facts For Kids

The Mamenchisaurus is one of the most interesting dinosaurs with facts that are sure to surprise you. It was discovered in 1952 by a Chinese paleontologist named Chang-Shen Ma, and the Mamenchisaurus name meaning is "Mamenchi lizard" because a fossil of its shoulder blades was found on Mamasan Mountain in the Jianxi province, China. These dinosaurs had long necks like other sauropods but they were extremely long compared to their bodies which made them very unique like the Omeisaurus as well. Other than their neck, they also can be identified through other characteristics such as having 19 vertebrae instead of nine or 10 like many dinosaurs have near their tails. Bones didn't fuse together so the tail could grow longer than originally expected. The Mamenchisaurus is a herbivore from the late Jurassic period. It had an unusual neck that made up about half its total body length and was too heavy to stand on all four legs as other dinosaurs did. They had a very unique body shape with their necks curving upwards in an arch instead of straight down like necks of many other sauropods; this gave them optimum access to tree leaves high above ground level without having to raise themselves off the forest floor which would be incredibly energy-consuming for such heavy beasts. The Mamenchisaurus had one of the longest necks among all dinosaurs! Some say they were able to eat leaves from trees over 100 ft (30.5 m) tall because their head would be so high off of the ground. It is believed by some scientists that these huge creatures died out when certain plants became extinct due to climate changes and volcanic activity, which decreased food availability for plant-eating animals like this herbivore. For more info, check out the short documentary Mamenchisaurus 2015!

Find more relatable exciting content about the Xenotarsosaurus and the Yinlong for kids!

How do you pronounce 'Mamenchisaurus'?

Did you know that the Mamenchisaurus has an incredibly long name? Did you also know that it’s actually pronounced 'MAM-en-CHEEZ-uh SORE-us'?

What type of dinosaur was a Mamenchisaurus?

The type of dinosaur that a Mamenchisaurus is classified as is a sauropod.

In which geological period did the Mamenchisaurus roam the Earth?

The late Jurassic period is the age where you could find this Mamenchisaurus yaochinensis or Mamenchisaurus guaianensis walking around in natural history.

When did the Mamenchisaurus become extinct?

These Mamenchisaurus sauropods became extinct around 65 million years back.

Where did a Mamenchisaurus live?

The mighty long-necked beast roamed through temperate forests, near water bodies, and on banks of rivers.

What was a Mamenchisaurus's habitat?

Mamenchisauruses lived in an environment where there were countless trees and plants to eat. They also ate ferns, cycads, conifers, and horsetails with their sharp Mamenchisaurus teeth. There was plenty of water for them too!

Who did a Mamenchisaurus live with?

It has been known with the help of technology that Mamenchisaurus sauropods lived with other dinosaurs like the Stegosaurus.

How long did a Mamenchisaurus live?

It lived for around 40 years, with some living up to 90 years.

How did they reproduce?

Females and males mated with each other, but females laid eggs instead of giving live birth like mammals.

What did a Mamenchisaurus look like?

The Mamenchisaurus size was massive! The latest technology confirms that Mamenchisaurus sauropods had a long neck length, large bodies, and very thick gray skin along their backs. They walked on an enormous 4-6-foot wide pad of flesh under each of its front three toes while its heavy tail dragged behind for balance - this is how it supported some 60 tons (54,431.1 kg) without collapsing! It stood at least 20 ft (6.1 m) high; you could hide 10 people in between its eyes alone! When they were standing still or walking slowly they used both arms to support themselves against side branches by locking them together. The Mamenchisaurus skeleton was extremely elongated.

How many bones did a Mamenchisaurus have?

With 250 bones, a Mamenchisaurus sauropod was one of the largest dinosaurs with an elongated neck to have ever lived.

How did they communicate?

Mamenchisaurus sauropods communicated by vocalizing with very deep, long-lasting notes that were produced from air being pushed up through the entire long neck and into resonating chambers at each end of the body cavity where they made contact with a low membrane or tissue stretched across.

How big was a Mamenchisaurus?

The Jurassic period long-necked Mamenchisaurus height was extraordinary! The Mamenchisaurus sauropod was the longest animal that ever lived. It stretched 115 ft (35.1 m) in length and stood 16-26 ft (4.9-7.9 m) tall, making it equally as long as a school bus!

How fast could a Mamenchisaurus move?

The question of how fast Mamenchisaurus diplodocus sauropods could run is one that scientists have spent decades trying to answer. While we do not know exactly, the closest estimate comes from comparing different parts of this dinosaur's body with animals that are still alive today or with low fossils present in the Mamenchisaurus LA museum along with informative Mamenchisaurus pictures there. It is estimated the Mamenchisaurus could move at a speed of 1.8 mph (2.9 kph).

How much did a Mamenchisaurus weigh?

The weight of Mamenchisaurus yunnanensis is massive! The largest dinosaur ever discovered in history was a species of sauropod known as the Mamenchisaurus that lived over 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period. This gentle vegetarian giant reached a weight of 60-80 tons (54,431.1-72,574.8 kg) during adulthood!

What were the male and female names of the species?

Both males and females are referred to as Mamenchisaurus youngi species, with no scientific terms for either of the sexes. These dinosaurs were most commonly found in China and now there is a region known as the Mamenchisaurus China Zone!

What would you call a baby Mamenchisaurus?

Their lizard babies are known as Mamenchisaurus babies. These babies were small, tiny, and adorable with cute, little features that would set them apart from the rest of the world!

What did they eat?

The big Mamenchisaurus species with a long neck of the Jurassic period that used to live in Asia around 150 million years ago is thought of as a plant material eater because it mostly munched on tree branches along with other foliage growing below tall treetops.

How aggressive were they?

These Sinocanadorum genus dinosaurs were really aggressive. They had a long neck that they used for fights or eating food like a plant diet, and it seems like their legs weren't very strong which made them unable to run away quickly when in danger!

Did you know...

The discovery of a new dinosaur-type species is always exciting. But this one was especially awe-inspiring: an enormous, long-necked creature with tiny arms that roamed near some ancient lakes on what's now southwest China during the late Jurassic period. This behemoth stood as tall as four elephants in history! Club members of this dinosaur's family weighed way too much and were peculiarly shaped with a relatively short tail. Both ate an herbivorous diet.

Mamenchisaurus vs Diplodocus! The difference between the Mamenchisaurus dinosaur and the Diplodocus is the tone of voice and teeth.

Mamenchisaurus vs Brachiosaurus! Even though the Mamenchisaurus and the Brachiosaurus are both large dinosaurs that lived during the Jurassic period, they had distinct material differences. Mamenchisaurs were longer than Brachiosaurs with necks almost as long as their bodies while Brachs had much shorter necks and fewer teeth as seen in fossils preserved in a museum.

The tallest dinosaur during these times was the Argentinosaurus.

How did the Mamenchisaurus hold its neck?

The Mamenchisaurus' neck extended vertically upwards from its shoulders just like that of the Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum, giving it an extremely long distance between its head and feet. This allowed the animal's front legs to be positioned directly under its center of mass.

How many vertebrae did the Mamenchisaurus possess?

These Mamenchisaurus dinosaurs possessed 19 vertebrae.

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 Mamenchisaurus coloring pages.

Main image by Zhangzhugang

Second image by James St. John