Fun Ruehleia Facts For Kids

Moumita Dutta
Oct 20, 2022 By Moumita Dutta
Originally Published on Feb 25, 2022
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao
Ruehleia fossils were excavated from central Germany.

Ruehleia from the Late Triassic period belongs to the clade of prosauropods which were long-necked herbivores. Paleontologists took around 50 years to recognize it differently from its closely related dinosaur Plateosaurus.

Ruehleia or Ruehleia bedheimensis known as its binomial name comes from its original founder Ruehle von Lilienstern, who excavated the fossils in 1952. Although palentologists found a Ruehleia skeleton in the excavation, finding its exact genus was a tough task as it carried features of both a true sauropod and prosauropod.

Ruehleia Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Ruehleia'?

Ruehleia is pronounced as 'Roo-le-ah'.

What type of dinosaur was a Ruehleia?

Ruehleia was a prosauropod as well as sauropodomorph dinosaur.

In which geological period did the Ruehleia roam the Earth?

Ruehleia supposedly roamed the Earth in the Late Triassic period of the Mesozoic era. This was around 215 million years ago more or less.

When did the Ruehleia become Extinct?

Ruehleia dinosaurs dwindled in the Rhaetian age of the Triassic period millions of years ago.

Where did a Ruehleia live?

Ruehleia remainds were found in the Knollenmergel Romhild in Germany, and supposedly roamed in the same region.

What was a Ruehleia's habitat?

Ruehleia survived in terrestrial habitats consisting oflakes and marshes.

Who did a Ruehleia live with?

Reuhleia dinosaurs were closely related to the plateosaurus and supposedly lived with them as well. Zanclodon is another species that possibly lived with Ruehleia.

How long did a Ruehleia live?

Ruhleia's life span is yet to be ascertained but its co-habitant prosauropod dinosaur Plateosaurus had a life span of 12-20 years.

How did they reproduce?

 Ruehleia dinosaurs, just like other dinosaurs, were oviparous and laid eggs.

Ruehleia Fun Facts

What did a Ruehleia look like?

From the information we get from the fossils, the physical features of these herbivore dinosaurs were just like any sauropod. They had an elongated, flexible neck with strong hind limbs and forelimbs helping with the movement.

Ruehleia fossils prove its close appearance to Plateosaurus which used to walk on its two hind limbs and used comparatively shorter forelimbs to grasp leaves for consumption.

We've been unable to source an image of Ruehleia and have used an image of Buriolestes instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Ruehleia, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.

How many bones did a Ruehleia have?

Ruehleia fossils excavated one nearly complete skeleton of Ruehleia in 1952, but the fossils were wrongly categorized for a very long time. Along with strong limb bones, cervical, pelvic bones, thoracic vertebrae, sacrum, and certain lumbar vertebrae were located on the fossils. Only certain skull bones were missing from the excavated fossils.

How did they communicate?

The information on their communication medium is yet to be found.

How big was a Ruehleia?

With an estimated length of 20-26 ft (6-8 m), and a height of 6.5-10 ft (2-3 m), an adult Ruehleia bedheimensis was moderately larger than other sauropodomorphs such as Nambalia.

How fast could a Ruehleia move?

As observed through the Ruehleia fossils, the found hind limb bones were powerful and stout, expressing their bipedal reliance and steady movement.

How much did a Ruehleia weigh?

Ruehleia weighed around 1102- 2205 lb (500-1000 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

Information regarding male and female species of Ruehleia is uncertain.

What would you call a baby Ruehleia?

The information is yet to be ascertained.

What did they eat?

Ruehleia was a herbivore dinosaur species which survived consuming shrubs and small plants.

How aggressive were they?

Ruehleia dinosaurs had gigantic figures with elongated necks and an even longer tail which made their appearance scary, though eating habits made smaller animals safe from the threat of being consumed. Nevertheless, these prosauropods could possibly be aggressive.

Did You Know...

Ruehleia dinosaurs binomial name Ruehleia 'bedheimensis' comes from the original excavator's hometown name Bedheim.

The term 'Ruehleia' was introduced by the paleontologist Peter Galton.

The Ruehleia bedheimensis fossils were found in the Trossingen Formation of Germany.

The original excavator of Ruehleia bedheimensis, Huele von Lilienstern did not own any professional palentological training.

It is not known how strong their teeth were.

*We've been unable to source an image of Ruehleia and have used an image of Saturnalia instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Ruehleia, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.

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Written by Moumita Dutta

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

Moumita Dutta picture

Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.

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Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao

Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

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Pradhanya RaoBachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Christ University, Bangalore, Pradhanya's passion for the English language and literature led her to explore the field of content writing, where she has gained extensive experience in writing, reviewing, editing, and fact-checking. She has also earned certifications in Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display, and Social Media Marketing, showcasing her proficiency in digital marketing.

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