Fun Saltriovenator Facts For Kids

The Saltriovenator was a type of large theropod which was discovered in Italy in 1996 by amateur paleontologist Angelo Zanella, after which the type species is named. This dinosaur existed during the Sinemurian stage of the Early Jurassic (Lower Jurassic) period (around 199.3-190.8 million years ago). The name Saltriovenater means the hunter of Saltrio, which pays tribute to the province of Saltrio where it was discovered in a marble quarry as well as alludes to its carnivorous nature. This genus currently only has one species, the Saltriovenator zanellai, of which only one specimen exists. Despite the bones of this theropod dinosaur being found near shore with its carcass being washed out to sea, it was not marine in nature.

To learn more about this roar-some reptile, read on! For more relatable content, check out these Huehuecanauhtlus facts and Epidendrosaurus facts for kids.

How do you pronounce 'Saltriovenator'?

Saltriovenator is pronounced as 'Sal-tre-o-ven-ah-tore.'

What type of dinosaur was a Saltriovenator?

The Saltriovenator zanellai was one of the largest predators found in Europe, belonging to the reptile class of Dinosauria Theropoda.

In which geological period did the Saltriovenator roam the Earth?

The Saltriovenator zanellai roamed the Earth during the Sinemurian stage of the Early Jurassic (Lower Jurassic) period, which took place around 199.3-190.8 million years ago.

When did the Saltriovenator become extinct?

The Saltriovenator zanellai most likely became extinct around 190.8 million years ago, around the end of the Sinemurian stage of the Early Jurassic (Lower Jurassic) period.

Where did Saltriovenator live?

The Saltriovenator remains were first discovered in the Salnova marble quarry in Saltrio, in northern Italy. The remains of its carcass were found near the coast by paleontologist Angelo Zanella, meaning the Saltriovenator probably lived near the ocean. This has caused the resulting fossils to be quite fragmented in nature, most likely being damaged by marine scavengers.

What was the Saltriovenator's habitat?

With Europe being a group of islands in ancient times, this Jurassic dinosaur was most likely a beachcomber and lived near the coast. During the age of the dinosaurs, Europe was a group of islands that included Italy; hence what was a coastal area back then could very well be a landmass now.

Who did Saltriovenator live with?

The Saltriovenator zanellai theropod dinosaurs, like most other dinosaurs, mostly lived in packs. There are high chances of dinosaurs living and feeding together in groups, and this theory has been developed due to the discovery of a number of fossilized trackways containing a sequence of dinosaur footprints, all suggesting the presence of related dinosaurs traveling in groups.

How long did a Saltriovenator live?

Though the exact lifespan of this theropod dinosaur cannot be determined, it has been estimated that they lived quite long lives, akin to those of similar reptiles like crocodiles and turtles. Due to their slow metabolisms, these beasts have been estimated to live between 80-300 years.

How did they reproduce?

The Saltriovenator Dinosauria Theropoda was oviparous and reproduced by laying eggs. Their mating process was mostly similar to that of modern-day reptiles, with internal fertilization taking place inside the female's body.

What did the Saltriovenator look like?

The Saltriovenator dinosaur has been visualized based on the fossils of other similar ceratosaurian species, as only partial jaw remains and postcranial skeletal parts of its body have been unearthed. Like other related predatory theropods, this Jurassic dinosaur had a long, slender body with a large head, short neck, and thick, tapering tail. It was bipedal in nature, meaning it walked on its thick hind legs and had short, weaker forelimbs.

How many bones did a Saltriovenator have?

Though the exact number of bones this predatory coelurosaurian dinosaur had has not been determined, only around 10% of its skeleton has been discovered. Fragments of the Saltriovenator skull, as well as some postcranial material, have been found. The number of bones possessed by the average dinosaur has been worked out to be around 200; hence the Sanjuansaurus dinosaur most probably had around 200 bones.

How did they communicate?

Dinosaurs are known for their loud, earth-shaking roars, which are mostly how this dinosaur communicated. Predatory dinosaurs mostly used bellowing roars, grunts of low rumbling noises to communicate in order to mate or chase away other dinosaurs from their territories. Visual displays were also probably used, with raising of the front legs, stomping, and tail whipping involved.

How big was the Saltriovenator?

The Saltriovenator size is estimated to be around 23-26 ft (7-7.9 m) in length according to its fossil, and it is among one of the largest predators found in the continent of Europe.

How fast could a Saltriovenator move?

These predatory theropod dinosaurs were quite fast, as they were bipedal in nature. We do know that theropods have been thought to run at an average speed of 27 mph (43.5 kph), which is most likely similar to how fast this dinosaur was.

How much did a Saltriovenator weigh?

By examining the fragmented Saltriovenator skeleton fossils as well as the bones of other similar species, the weight of this dinosaur has been estimated to be around 2557.4-3359.84 lb (1160-1524 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

A male dinosaur has been termed a saurus whereas the female dinosaur is known as saura. We do not make any distinction in sex while referring to dinosaurs, though.

What would you call a baby Saltriovenator?

Baby Saltriovenator dinosaurs were known as hatchlings.

What did they eat?

Being carnivorous and predatory in nature, these ceratosaurian dinosaurs most likely hunted down and ate smaller dinosaurs, other terrestrial creatures, eggs, and fish.

How aggressive were they?

These predatory carnivorous ceratosaurian dinosaurs were probably quite aggressive. They would have had to hunt and chase their prey down, which would have involved baring their sharp teeth and baring their claws. Despite being predators, there is a high chance that they were still hunted down by predatory dinosaurs of larger size, such as various bigger theropods and velociraptors, which meant that they had to stay on their guard and be aggressive towards any probable intruders on their territory.

Did you know...

Despite the Saltriovenator not being a marine dinosaur in nature, its skeletal fossil remains were found near the coast, meaning the surrounding environment was pelagic in nature, and its carcass was most likely washed out to sea.

This dinosaur was reconstructed based on similar dinosaur fossil remains such as that of the related Ceratosaurus, which also belonged to the Early Jurassic period.

Due to living in Europe, which was then a group of islands, this carnivorous dinosaur most likely took to scavenging the dead bodies of other washed-up dinosaurs and marine animals on the beach in order to survive, which seems to have been a common survival tactic for many other theropods living in that area.

Some illustrations show this dinosaur as having coarse hair over its body, though this still remains up to debate as no evidence of hair among its fossil has been found.

Why are they called Saltriovenators?

The name Saltriovenator means 'Saltrio hunter,' and it is named after the Saltrio province in Italy, where it was first discovered in 1996 by amateur paleontologist Angelo Zanella, after which the type species (Saltriovenator zanellai) is named.

Would the Saltriovenator bite?

Yes, being a carnivorous dinosaur of the Theropoda clade, this dinosaur would have most certainly bitten its prey in order to catch it.

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 Pedopenna facts or Claosaurus facts for kids.

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

Main image by Danny Cicchetti.

Second image by Cristiano Dal Sasso​, Simone Maganuco, Andrea Cau.