Fun Shuvosaurus Facts For Kids

Ayan Banerjee
Nov 29, 2022 By Ayan Banerjee
Originally Published on Sep 23, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Sonali Rawat
Shuvosaurus facts include details like the meaning of Shuvosaurus or Shuvo's lizard.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 6.4 Min

Shuvosaurus (Shuvosaurus inexpectatus)means 'Shuvo's lizard' is a toothless beaked reptile. The discovery of this was done by Sankar Chatterjee in 1903. His son first discovered this species in the early 1900s and was later named after him, Shuvo-saurus. At first, it was interpreted as a member of the Triassic of Texas, Ornithomimosaur from dinosaur family brood because of its thick leg and long neck. In 1950 scientists said that it can be another Postosuchus (Crocodile from Triassic Texas) by the skull and skeletons found earlier by Chatterjee.

In the Shuvosaurus inexpectatus Triassic of Texas, we found that this species is more like Paracrocodylomorpha, has big eyes and Shuvosaurus size is smaller than usual dinosaur compared to a human being, it is 5.90 in (1.8 m) in length. As this species is from an earlier age of the dinosaur, it has very strong and muscular legs which help it to move and run fast on the earth. Shuvosaurus' hand is similar to other dinosaurs for different work. There is no such report on Shuvosaurus wildlife or their eating habits but it is said that it may be omnivorous because of its toothless jaws and a long neck that can help to crash the dinosaur eggs and small animals or pine trees. Also, know about Ctenochasma and Bravoceratops.

Shuvosaurus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Shuvosaurus'?

Shuvosaurus would be pronounced as 'shu-woe-so-rus'. It is a not-so dinosaur named after Sankar Chatterjee's son Shuvo in 1903.

What type of dinosaur was a Shuvosaurus?

Shuvosaurus is from the Chordata phylum named after paleontologist and professor Sankar Chatterjee's son Shuvo, who discovered this species in the early 1900s. They thought it was from a Triassic member of dinosaurs of Ornithomimidae because of its beak-like structure in the head. But when it was researched and compared to other dinosaurs, they found unknown fragments in the head which then resembled crocodilians and Ornithomimosaur by Sterling Nesbitt and Mark Norell.

In which geological period did the Shuvosaurus roam the earth?

They roamed the earth planet in the Mesozoic Era, which is the second era of the earth's three geological eras of Phanerozoic time. We also call it the middle age of the earth, where these species were found. This time period ends nearly 66 million years ago. The Mesozoic period was divided into three stages from the oldest to the youngest: the Triassic period, the Jurassic period, and the Cretaceous period.

When did the Shuvosaurus become extinct?

Shuvosaurus were extinct 66 million years ago. The first discovery was done by Sankar Chatterjee in the Triassic of Texas. In the 2000s, Sterling Nesbitt and Mark Norell said that these species are very likely to have similar characteristics to crocodilians and the Ornithomimosaur or ostrich dinosaurs because of their skull structure and long tail.

Where did a Shuvosaurus live?

Shuvosaurus, meaning Shuvo's lizard, was found in the Triassic of Texas, Texas Panhandle, and New Mexico around million years ago. They were found in many areas of the U.S. and Sankar Chatterjee made the first discovery of this species that lived on earth.

What was a Shuvosaurus' habitat?

These beaked reptiles existed in 205-221 million years ago on earth. There is no specific report that tells about the habitat of Shuvosaurus on the planet. They were from the earlier dinosaurs thus they looked like the early species of dinosaurs.

Who did a Shuvosaurus live with?

The discovery of crocodile species called Shuvosaurus was distinctively found to be solitary and aggressive towards their territory. In North America (2007) Nesbitt S.J, Irmis R.B., and Parker W.G. found traces of late Triassic members. This species's discovery is to be said as the ancestors of crocodiles like Orinoco crocodiles and birds.

How long did a Shuvosaurus live?

There is no specific evidence of the lifespan of this reptile. Shuvosaurus from the dinosaur family. These are from the Late Triassic of western Texas from the US. They walked on planet 205-221 million years ago in New Mexico and Texas.

How did they reproduce?

Like any other dinosaur, Shuvosaurus also lays eggs after mating. There are no specific reports of their count of eggs or process of mating. They might have had sex to reproduce more of their species. Like any other dinosaur, these also laid eggs. Generally, these species are protective of their offspring.

Shuvosaurus Fun Facts

What did a Shuvosaurus look like?

Shuvosaurus inexpectatus upon discovery is a yellowish-green colored Paracrocodylomorpha reptile. They have scales and scutes, like any other crocodile. They have long necks and muscular legs like dinosaurs of the Ornithomimidae brood. They are toothless beaked dinosaurs that can crush small animals. They are half the length of a human being. The Shuvosaurus skull has many unknown fragments due to which it was difficult to categorize it.

These beaked Shuvosaurus (Shuvosaurus inexpectatus) is a yellowish-green colored dinosaur.
We've been unable to source an image of Shuvosaurus and have used an image of Abrictosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Shuvosaurus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.

How many bones did a Shuvosaurus have?

There are nearly 200 bones present in the Shuvosaurus skeleton. The structure of the Shuvosaurus is such that the inner side jaws of these dinosaurs are bent downwards and inwards. The upper hip bone leans upwards. The hip socket leans downward like a pillar-erect hip pose.

How did they communicate?

Like any other dinosaurs, the Shuvosaurus of Paracrocodylamorpha clade communicates through vision and vocal. They call out to each other or can recognize by observing their fellow mates. There are other ways to communicate with each other like hissing, clapping jaws together, grinding mandibles against upper jaws, rubbing scales together, or use of environmental materials which are very common in dinosaurs.

How big was a Shuvosaurus?

Shuvosaurus is 70.8 in (1.8 m) long compared to a human being and weighs about 250 lb (113 kg) similar to a slender-snouted crocodile. These species are not so big in size but are quite fast runners.

How fast could a Shuvosaurus move?

Shuvosaurus have thick legs with places closed to right beneath their body. These dinosaurs can run quite fast. These lizard-like creatures move really fast like Siamese crocodiles, thus they could have escaped from other big dinosaurs. They were found on the earth more than 200 million years ago in the Mesozoic ago so there is no evidence of such a dinosaur speed limit.

How much did a Shuvosaurus weigh?

Shuvosaurus, meaning Shuvo's lizard, weighs 250 lb (113 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

There is no such report to claim any specific name for the female and male Shuvosaurus.

What would you call a baby Shuvosaurus?

There is no special name for a Shuvosaurus baby. They are crocodile-like structured creatures also thought to be similar to dinosaurs.

What did they eat?

The diet of Shuvosaurus is not so known, whereas there are some reports which discovered that these can be omnivores seeing its toothless beak, which can crack the hard outer coverings of dinosaur eggs, other small animals, and pine trees.

How aggressive were they?

Yes, these species are quite aggressive. They are said to have evolved from the dinosaur brood but in reality, they are completely alike to dinosaurs.

Did you know...

Shuvosaurus were similar to the Postosuchus species, they were known as crocodiles from the past.

How was the Shuvosaurus discovered?

Shuvosaurus was discovered by Shuvo in the early 1900s, son of Sankar Chatterjee a paleontologist and professor at Texas Tech University. It was named after his son in 1903. It was first thought of as a Triassic member of the Ornithomimidae family of dinosaurs.

What does the name 'Shuvosaurus' mean?'

Shuvosaurus means 'Shuvo's lizard', which is named after Shuvo, son of Sankar Chatterjee. It is a toothless jaw ostrich-looking reptile. It is basically from the Shuvosauridae family.

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 Unaysaurus facts and Protarchaeopteryx facts pages.

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

Main image by Conty.

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

Shuvosaurus Facts

What Did They Prey On?

Plants and small animals

what Type of Animal were they?

Carnivore

Average Litter Size?

3-20

What Did They Look Like?

Yellowish green

How Much Did They Weigh?

250 lb (113 kg)

Skin Type

Epidermal scales

How Long Were They?

70.8 in (1.8 m)

How Tall Were They?

N/A

Kingdom

Animalia

Class

Reptilia

Genus

Shuvosaurus

Family

Shuvosauridae

Scientific Name

Shuvosaurus inexpectatus

What Were Their Main Threats?

Natural disasters

What Habitat Did They Live In?

Texas panhandle

Where Did They Live?

South America
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Written by Ayan Banerjee

Bachelor of Science specializing in Nautical Science

Ayan Banerjee picture

Ayan BanerjeeBachelor of Science specializing in Nautical Science

Thanks to his degree in nautical science from T.S. Chanakya, IMU Navi Mumbai Campus, Ayan excels at producing high-quality content across a range of genres, with a strong foundation in technical writing. Ayan's contributions as an esteemed member of the editorial board of The Indian Cadet magazine and a valued member of the Chanakya Literary Committee showcase his writing skills. In his free time, Ayan stays active through sports such as badminton, table tennis, trekking, and running marathons. His passion for travel and music also inspire his writing, providing valuable insights.

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