Fun Sarcosaurus Facts For Kids

The Sarcosaurus crocodile (meaning flesh lizard) is a type of dinosaur from the early Jurassic period, about 199-194 million years ago. They are of a genus of basal neotheropod dinosaurs that have very long and heavyweight bodies. Their fossils were found in the lower lias of England and were first described by Charles William Andrews in 1921. They existed a million years ago, but they are now extinct.

Juvenile dinosaurs are somewhat similar to their adult counterparts. Their skeletons, which were examined by the world's authors and scientists to classify them, can be found in some museums around the world. Read on to learn more about this particular dinosaur. If dinosaurs interest you, feel free to check out Zuniceratops and Orodromeus.

How do you pronounce Sarcosaurus?

Sarcosaurus is pronounced as 'SAHR-co-SAWR-us,' meaning 'flesh lizard' whose fossils were found about 194-199 million years ago in the early Jurassic period, and have become extinct a long time ago. It is also pronounced as 'SAR-koh-SOO-ruus.'

What type of dinosaur was a Sarcosaurus?

The Sarcosaurus belonged to the woodi species, also known as the Sarco or crocodile.

What geological period did the Sarcosaurus roam the earth during?

They lived during the Early Cretaceous period, from the late Hauterivian to the early Albian period, 133-112 million years ago in what is now Africa and South America. They were found nearly 93.5 million years ago, from the Aptian age to the Cenomanian age, and lived for almost 165 million years.

When did the Sarcosaurus become extinct?

It was recorded in natural history that the Sarcosaurus dinosaur became extinct 133-112 million years ago.

Where did a Sarcosaurus live?

The Sarcosaurus species mostly preferred living in large river systems. Most of the specimens of this species are classified in the region we now know as Niger, West Africa. Some of the specimens lived in Tunisia while others moved towards the large river system across what would have been Africa and South America.

What was a Sarcosaurus's habitat?

The Sarcosaurus theropod's habitat was thought to have been in Europe during the Jurassic age, but in earlier days, their fossils were found in places like England (United Kingdom).

Who did a Sarcosaurus live with?

The Sarcosaurus dinosaur was found to be in groups or alone. The discovery of this specimen of crocodiles was in the same region as the Lurdusaurus, Ouranosaurus, and Nigersaurus dinosaur species.

How long did a Sarcosaurus live?

A Sarcosaurus had a lifespan of about 50-60 years.

How did they reproduce?

Sarcosaurus dinosaurs made different types of sounds to attract mates and to converse with their progeny, leading to the production of a Sarcosaurus ark egg.

What did a Sarcosaurus look like?

The Sarcosaurus image shows that they were large dinosaurs, their bodies standing 16.4 ft (5 m) tall, 11 ft (3.35 m) long, and weighing around 308.65 lb (140 kg). They were greenish-brown in color with dark black patches, similar to what a modern crocodile looks like. A Sarcosaurus's back was a spiky osteoderm-lined shape, serving as a defense mechanism against competing predators, and boasted long and powerful tails. In most cases, the juvenile is the same as the adult Sarcosaurus dinosaur. Their narrow upper jaw overlapped their lower jaw, creating an overbite. Their snout comprised about 75% of the total skull's length. Their fossil remains have been kept in the Natural History Museum for reference purposes and proof of their historical existence.

How many bones did a Sarcosaurus have?

The number of bones that a Sarcosaurus dinosaur remains unknown, but the research conducted in natural history is ever-evolving. Who knows what we will discover in the future!

How did they communicate?

Sarcosaurus dinosaurs communicated with each other using a wide range of sounds, from grunts and squeaks to hisses, growls, barks, bellows, and roars. The large specimen would have used these sounds to stake out territory, prey, and prospective mates.

How big was a Sarcosaurus?

The Sarcosaurus species was a big one, standing around 11 ft (3.35 m) tall and 16.4 ft (5 m) in length.

How fast could a Sarcosaurus move?

They were enormous and would have been able to move at a moderate speed, but mostly preferred to lay down in the water. Their speed has been assumed to be related to that of their distant cousin, the alligator.

How much did a Sarcosaurus weigh?

According to the structure of dinosaurs, they may weigh around 308.65 lb (140 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

The search for a specific name for the male and female Sarcosaurus reveals that scientists studying the natural history of dinosaurs never gave them distinct names; therefore, they are simply called the male Sarcosaurus and the female Sarcosaurus.

What would you call a baby Sarcosaurus?

Similar to the male and female Sarcosaurus, the baby Sarcosaurus is simply known as a baby dinosaur.

What did they eat?

According to research, it remains a mystery whether these species of dinosaurs hunted or not, but they were also not so picky in their diet. When they felt that they had reached their maximum body size, they would hunt anything or be a predator of anything they see. It was found that when they began to hunt, they would start with quite a long and narrow snout that looked like an Indian gavial. They would have been found preying on large fish in the river systems. Judging by the size and shape of their snout, their diet is assumed to have included large fish from the river. Another gigantic theropod equipped with a similar snout is the Spinosaurus, which also enjoyed feeding on fish. Still, occasionally they also fed on dinosaurs when the opportunity was too good to pass up.

How aggressive were they?

The Sarcosaurus prehistoric wildlife history records reveal that they were highly aggressive creatures. They lay the length of their bodies still in the water, waiting for their prey. The moment the prey was near enough, they would erupt out of the water and attack them. Rarely were they seen scurrying onto land to kill prey (including humans).

Did you know...

The Sarcosaurus, whose fossils and remains can be found in the Natural History Museum, may have been related to the modern-day crocodile. This can be seen in the specimens' long and powerful tails, pelvis, vertebrae, feet, and the upper part of the femur. The reason this species of dinosaurs, along with other species of dinosaurs in history, were originally big was due to the climate in the Jurassic era.

How did they get their name?

The Sarcosaurus species of dinosaurs were first described by Charles William Andrews in 1921 when S.L. Wood found the partial skeleton of this dinosaur near Barrow-on-Soar in the Scunthorpe Mudstone. Its generic name is derived from the Greek word 'sarx', meaning 'flesh'. Later, it was identified, and two different species were classified, which can be differentiated only on the basis of their size. However, later in history, many authors rejected this conclusion as they saw that there weren't enough remains of either of the species, therefore concluding that they both should remain nomina dubia. Later in 1932, Von Huene assigned a partial skeleton to S. woodi, which led to the discovery that both specimens have a relatively complete femur structure. It also showed that this species of dinosaurs had other notable features like an anteromedially directed head, a relatively long fourth trochanter, and a trochanteric shelf.

Did Sarcosaurus hunt?

Yes, because of their huge length, they are well known for hunting land-dwelling dinosaurs. Sarcosaurus waited for their prey to come near them and then they would erupt from the water and snap their jaws at the animal prey. The Sarcosaurus imperator would leave the prey alone if it ran away, but if it was slow-moving prey, they were sure to catch them.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Harpactognathus facts and Puertasaurus facts for kids.

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

Main image by ArthurWeasley.

Second image by Shadowgate.