Fun Secernosaurus Facts For Kids

Commonly known as the severed lizard, the Secernosaurus is a genus of herbivore dinosaurs that belonged to the Hadrosauridae family. The dinosaur was very much similar to other dinosaurs of the Kritosaurini tribe.

They were flat-headed duck-billed dinosaurs, a ridge of bone between the eyes was also present while the snout gave a distinctive 'Roman nose' appearance. The dinosaur belonged to the Late Cretaceous period which spanned from 100.5-66 million years ago.

The fossils of the dinosaur have been found in the Lago Colhue Huapi Formation and the Los Alamitos Formation of Argentina, South America. It is said that during the Mesozoic Era, the dinosaur's range spread throughout South America.

In 1979, the type species Secernosaurus koerneri was described Brett-Surman. Also, a different name Kritosaurus australis began to be used and is thought to be synonymous.

The dinosaur was an herbivore and it possessed hundreds of tightly packed grinding teeth to chew the tough plants easily. Due to its small size, it can be said that the dinosaur might have not been able to reach trees and branches to feed and gather leaves.

Also, the habitats would have been plains, mountains, coastal regions, and desert areas.

Let's read more fun facts about the Secernosaurus, and if you find this article interesting, don't forget to check out exciting facts about different animals like Amurosaurus and Aralosaurus.

Secernosaurus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Secernosaurus'?

The pronunciation of the dinosaur's name seems to be a bit difficult but we are here to make it a little easier for you. We are going to tell you a simple trick that can be applied to the pronunciation of all the names, be it dinosaurs, animals, places, and many other things.

You just have to break the whole term into several syllables like 'seh-ser-noe-sore-us' to make it less complicated.

What type of dinosaur was a Secernosaurus?

The dinosaur belonged to the class of Reptilia, the Hadrosauridae family, and the tribe of Kritosaurini. The type species Secernosaurus koerneri was described by Brett-Surman, while a different name Kritosaurus australis also began to be used as a binomial name.

In which geological period did Secernosaurus roam the Earth?

The dinosaur belonged to the Late Cretaceous period which spanned from 100.5-66 million years ago. It is said that the dinosaur inhabited several parts of South America during the Mesozoic Era.

When did the Secernosaurus become extinct?

The exact time period of extinction is not known as of now, but the species must have become somewhere in the Late Cretaceous period. Also, the reasons for extinction are unknown, but dinosaurs generally became Extinct due to factors such as climate change, volcanic eruption, asteroid impact, drought, rivalry, and many more reasons.

Where did Secernosaurus live?

The fossils of the dinosaur have been found in the Lago Colhue Huapi Formation and Los Alamitos Formation of Argentina, South America. The range of the dinosaur also included several parts of South America.

The species also closely resembled saurolophine hadrosaurid and saurolophines which were found in regions of North America and Asia, this caused some confusion in minds of paleontologists as South America was said to be completely isolated during the Late Cretaceous period.

What was the Secernosaurus' habitat?

The Secernosaurus koerneri dinosaur must have inhabited different terrains such as plains, deserts, mountains, and coastal regions.

Who did Secernosaurus live with?

Like most dinosaurs, the hadrosaurid dinosaur must have lived in groups or herds. Also, pairs must have been formed during the breeding season.

How long did a Secernosaurus live?

The exact life span of Kritosaurus australis is not known as of now, but since the dinosaur was quite small, it can be said that the life span might be also a bit less than other huge-sized hadrosaurid dinosaurs.

How did they reproduce?

Like other dinosaurs, the Kritosaurus australis dinosaur reproduced by laying eggs. The mating patterns were very much similar to modern-day reptiles and birds. Studies performed by Brett-Surman revealed that the hadrosaurid dinosaurs nested in both ancient upland and lowlands environments. The nesting grounds were highly influenced by behavior, diet, soil condition, and rivalry between dinosaur species.

These hadrosaurid dinosaurs must have performed multiple courtship displays during the breeding period. During this period, they would have attracted potential partners and fought would other dinosaurs.

Secernosaurus Fun Facts

What did Secernosaurus look like?

The Secernosaurus was a flat-headed duck-billed dinosaur of the Late Cretaceous period with a ridge of bone between the eyes. The snout gave a distinctive 'Roman nose' appearance.

The species possessed hundreds of tightly packed grinding teeth to chew the tough plants easily. Fossils revealed that several species of Kritosaurus species had a long and heavy tail which provided them balance when they walked on two legs.

How many bones did a Secernosaurus have?

The exact number of bones is not known as of now, but discovered fossils suggest that the genus is quite small, unlike other hadrosaurid dinosaurs. The remains were discovered from the Lago Colhue Huapi Formation and the Los Alamitos Formation of Argentina, South America.

How did they communicate?

Like other dinosaurs, the Secernosaurus dinosaur communicated in the same way. Dinosaurs, in general, used visual, auditory, and tactile cues to communicate with each other.

Like modern-day animals, they used to perform several courtship displays to attract potential partners. Also, they were cathemeral which means they remain active throughout the day at short intervals. Dinosaurs were quite protective of their habitat and range and even fought with intruders.

How big was the Secernosaurus?

The holotype of the species suggests that the average length might have been around 10 ft (3 m), while the height and weight are not known. These small dinosaurs were the same size as Coelophysis but were four times smaller than Tyrannosaurus.

How fast could a Secernosaurus move?

The exact speed of the species is not known as of now, but the front legs were quite small and seldom used for walking.

How much did a Secernosaurus weigh?

The exact weight of these small dinosaurs is not known as of now.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names given to male and female dinosaurs; people generally call them Secernosaurs, while the type species is Secernosaurus koerneri.

What would you call a baby Secernosaurus?

Like other dinosaurs, the babies of Secernosaurus are referred to as hatchlings.

What did they eat?

The Secernosaurus was an herbivore and generally grazed on plants such as horsetail close to the ground rather than feeding on branches and trees. The species possessed hundreds of tightly packed grinding teeth to chew the tough plants easily. Studies also revealed that the diet mainly includes leaves and lacked heavier items such as twigs and stems.

How aggressive were they?

Very little information regarding the social behavior of the creature is known as of now. Like other dinosaurs, they must have been quite gregarious and loved living in groups. However, like modern animals, males must have been territorial.

Did you know...

Oculudentavis was the smallest dinosaur in the world.

Why are they called Secernosaurus?

The dinosaur is best known for its duck-billed face and the snout gave a distinctive 'Roman nose' appearance. Also, the meaning of the name is a severed dinosaur.

How many specimens of Secernosaurus were discovered?

Two specimens of these dinosaurs have been discovered as of now, one Secernosaurus skeleton from the Lago Colhue Huapi Formation and the other from the Los Alamitos Formation, Argentina.

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 Huehuecanauhtlus facts, or Huaxiaosaurus facts for kids.

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

Main image by Mabel59.

Second image by ESPEJOS PROYECTO.