Fun Savannasaurus Facts For Kids

Stumbling across these plant-eating new dinosaur fossils in 2005, David Elliott discovered fragments of the Savannasaurus in Australia. The Savannasauras, from the genus titanosaur from the Australian age of dinosaurs, is a herbivore, robust but relatively short dinosaur. The site Winton, where the remains were found, is in Queensland and holds remains from the mid-Cretaceous and Cretaceous periods. Compared to others usually found in bits and pieces, the sauropod or plant-eating Savannasauras is one of the most complete dinosaurs found from the region.

The name for the new dinosaur Savannasaurus was awarded to it by scientist Stephen Poropat, along with his team, and found a mention in the science journal 'The Scientific Report'. According to Poropat, they are one of the species that could be put together due to the entirety of the skeleton, even more than any other dinosaur ever found in Australia and strangely with ancestors in South America!

For more relatable content, check out these Hamipterus facts and Mansourasaurus facts for kids.

How do you pronounce 'Savannasaurus '?

The name of this titanosaur dinosaur, Savannasaurus, is pronounced 'Sah-van-ah-sore-uss ell-ee-ott-orr-um'. The name Savannasaurus coined by Poropat interestingly follows after the Elliott family who had Savannasaurus elliottorum remains belonging to Winton Formation in Australia (information from Museum of Natural History, Pennsylvania).

What type of dinosaur was a Savannasaurus?

The Savannasaurus species of dinosaur was bizarre and pot-bellied with large hips that lived in the Australian age of dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period.

In which geological period did the Savannasaurus roam the Earth?

The remains of the family of this Savannasaurus titanosaur tell us that these dinosaurs are estimated to have lived on the world from 100 million years ago to the Coniacian Age, LC.

When did the Savannasaurus become extinct?

According to their fossil discovery, it has been approximated that the Savannasaurus titanosaurs last recorded appearance was in the Coniacian period. Around this time, the species of Savannasaurus must have gone extinct during the Savannasaurus stage. The skeleton belongs to about 100.5 million years ago.

Where did a Savannasaurus live?

According to the discovery of the Savannasaurus (genus titanosaur) fossils, it has been concluded that the species must have lived in present-day Winton, Queensland in Australia.

What was a Savannasaurus's habitat?

Savannasaurus' are originally believed to have lived in a terrestrial habitat. According to various research conducted on this dinosaur species, they were not very social and survived mostly along ancient rivers and streams. They would roam in forested floodplains and densely forested swamps, marshes, and lakes. On the other hand, the Cretaceous period is believed to have had a slightly warmer climate that led to many changes, including high eustatic sea levels and creating various shallow inland seas. These water entities were populated with marine reptiles, to name a few, which are all extinct now.

Who did a Savannasaurus live with?

Poropat suggests that the Savannasaurus lived through the 100.5 million years ago to Late Coniacian period with at least two other types of sauropod, Diamantinasaurus, and Wintonotitan, from the Australian age of dinosaurs. It coexisted alongside at least two other types of sauropod and other dinosaurs, including ornithopods and armored ankylosaurs, and the carnivorous theropod Australovenator (discovered in 2009).

How long did a Savannasaurus live?

Savannasaurus dinosaurs are believed to have lived from 100.5 million years to the Late Coniacian Age LC from the Australian age of dinosaurs.

How did they reproduce?

The evidence discovered suggests that the Savannasaurus dinosaur was oviparous, meaning they reproduced by laying eggs as opposed to viviparous, meaning they gave birth to their young ones. 

What did a Savannasaurus look like?

The Savannasaurus type specimen skeleton includes a cervical vertebra, some dorsal vertebrae, the sacrum, greater than five caudal vertebrae, ribs, shoulder parts and sternum, partial front limb bones including an entire right front foot, almost the complete pelvic girdle, an ankle bone, and a bone from the hindfoot. Assembled together, they constitute one of the most complete sauropod skeletons ever found in Winton formation, Australia, amounting to approximately 20-25% (so third overall behind Rhoetosaurus and Diamantinasaurus).

Savannasaurus fossils suggest it was one of several types of long-necked, plant-eating sauropods that existed in Queensland during the mid-Cretaceous, 100-95 million years ago. Others include Diamantinasaurus matildae, Matilda and Wintonotitan wattsi, Clancy. The Savannasaurus had five toes on each foot, with widely spaced legs and larger hips. Based on the bones available, it appears it had a broad and barrel-like torso and longer neck as compared to the shorter tail giving the Cretaceous dinosaur a unique appearance. The skull and teeth still are subjects of curiosity for us, but it can be ascertained that the Savannasaurus was entirely herbivorous. However, the tooth found with the Savannasaurus skeleton can be traced to a carnivorous theropod dinosaur, perhaps Australovenator of Australia or someone close on the family tree.

How many bones did a Savannasaurus have?

The fossils discovered add up to contain a skull, vertebral column with well-spaced vertebrae, shoulders, and forelimbs bones, along with pelvis and hindlimbs.

How did they communicate?

It is unknown how exactly the Savannasaurus elliottorum communicated with each other or dinosaurs of different species. But, Philip J. Senter, a professor of Zoology at Fayetteville State University and an American paleontologist famous for his research works that shed light on dinosaur paleobiology in the review of prehistoric animal sounds, believed that dinosaurs depended on hissing, clapping their jaws together, grinding mandibles against upper jaws, rubbing scales, and by the use of environmental elements like splashing against water for establishing contacts. It is also believed that dinosaurs communicated vocally and visually. These two prevalent modes of communication were exercised most during defensive posturing, courtship behavior, and territory fights. The same assumptions lead us to a belief that the head crests of some species like Corythosaurus and Parasaurolophus were used to amplify grunts or bellows.

How big was a Savannasaurus elliottorum?

The exact measurements regarding this sauropod dinosaur's, Savannasaurus, height and length are unknown. However, the Savannasaurus' size is about 49.2 ft (15 m) long, 9.8 ft (3 m) tall at the shoulder, long neck.

How fast could a Savannasaurus move?

As the name symbolically suggests, the titanosaur was actively mobile, yet not very rapid for its gigantic size.

How much did a Savannasaurus weigh?

The Cretaceous Savannasaurus weighed around 44,092.4 lb (20,000 kg) based on the classification of the specimen collected.

What were the male and female names of the species?

Female and male Savannasaurus dinosaurs are not given any different names.

What would you call a baby Savannasaurus?

The Savannasaurus elliottorum was oviparous and the young ones were born when the eggs hatched. The young ones of Savannasaurus sauropods can be called a hatchling or nestling. This can be used for all dinosaurs as a generalized system since all were oviparous. Chicks is a term that can be used to describe the hatchlings from the theropod family, the group of avian-like dinosaurs.

What did they eat?

Being sauropods from the Winton Formation site means they fed on plants entirely. Although we have no knowledge of their skull and negligible knowledge about their teeth, evidence suggests these creatures are herbivores.

How aggressive were they?

Since Savannasaurus dinosaurs were not predatory in nature, it would be safe to assume that they were non-combative in nature.

Did you know...

Paleontologists suggest that Savannasaurus elliottorum's ancestors can be traced back to South America, and it was only after 105 million years that they might have entered Australia. The increase in global average temperature could have been one of the factors for sauropods to traverse towards the poles.

Why was the dinosaur named Savannasaurus elliottorum?

The Savannasaurus elliottorum was discovered at Belmont Station (near Winton), Queensland, Australia, in 2005 by the property owner, David Elliott. 'Ho-Hum' site as it was dubbed and excavated by the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History that same year led to the further discovery at the site. The dinosaur was given the nickname 'Wade' to honor the renowned paleontologist Dr. Mary Wade from Australia, who passed away at her home while the dig at the 'Ho-Hum' site was still in progress. Preparation of the fossils to shed light on the species was conducted at the Age of Dinosaurs Museum, Australia, between 2006 and 2014 by the interested parties comprising the staff and a team of volunteers. Savannasaurus was named and described in 2016 by Dr. Stephen Poropat and the Poropat team.

What is another titanosaur similar to Savannasaurus?

Savannasaurus shares its roots with the contemporary sauropod Diamantinasaurus. This might not be the usual case, meaning two sauropods survived in the same region alongside one another. However, a very similar condition has been spotted in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of the western United States, where diplodocid sauropods (Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Barosaurus) coexisted despite being closely relate in the same setting with other less related sauropods (e.g., Brachiosaurus, Camarasaurus, Haplocanthosaurus). Savannasaurus and Diamantinasaurus had different habits when considering environmental or dietary preference, also having distinct habits to other sauropods such as Wintonotitan. Savannasaurus was 49.2 ft (15 m) long, about 9.8 ft (3 m) tall at the shoulder, would have weighed around 44,092.4 lb (20,000 kg) that possess a similar built when compared to Diamantinasaurus but with a larger lower abdomen that is the proportionally broader belly and bigger hips. 

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other dinosaurs from our Xiongguanlong interesting facts and Lanzhousaurus surprising facts pages.

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

Main image by Stephen F. Poropat, Philip D. Mannion, Paul Upchurch, Scott A. Hocknull, Benjamin P. Kear, Martin Kundrát, Travis R. Tischler, Trish Sloan, George H. K. Sinapius, Judy A. Elliott & David A. Elliott

Second image by Kabacchi