Fun Skorpiovenator Facts For Kids

Are you interested to know more about dinosaurs? If so, then you'll surely like to hear about the Skorpiovenator genus, which contains the Skorpiovenator bustingorryi dinosaur.

Its name means scorpion hunter, due to the discovery of an absurd number of scorpions from its dig site. But, the specific name is a homage to Manuel Bustingorry, the man who owned the farm where the nearly complete skeleton of this dinosaur was discovered.

It was found from the Huincul Formation of Patagonia, Argentina. After studying the specimen of this abelisaurid, scientists assigned it to the Cretaceous period.

This was a carnivorous animal, but it didn't have strong enough teeth that could be enough to kill prey. It had a somewhat short skull with around 19 teeth.

One of the most interesting things about this dinosaur are the forelimbs which appear to be very small, and scientists believe that some bones of it were missing from the site. Do keep reading, if you want to know more Skorpiovenator facts.

Also, check out our articles on Kosmoceratops and Barosaurus to know more about dinosaurs and other missing animals.

Skorpiovenator Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Skorpiovenator'?

The name of this genus is pronounced as 'Skor-pee-oh-ven-ah-tor'. It stands for scorpion hunter, as a lot of scorpions were found in its dig site.

What type of dinosaur was a Skorpiovenator?

The Skorpiovenator is thought to have been a carnivorous bipedal theropod from the Abelisauridae family that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. Skorpiovenator bustingorryi is the only dinosaur assigned to this genus.

In which geological period did the Skorpiovenator roam the earth?

The Skorpiovenator walked on this earth during the Late Cretaceous period, during the stages of Cenomanian to Turonian. So their range of existence is thought to be have been around 100-89.8 million years ago. The climate during the Late Cretaceous period is said to have been warmer than today, but still with a cooling trend.

When did the Skorpiovenator become extinct?

We don't have much information about when these abelisaurids became extinct. But, it might have happened as the Turonian age came to an end during the Late Cretaceous period around 89.8 million years ago.

Where did a Skorpiovenator live?

The remains of this dinosaur were found in modern-day Argentina at the Huincul Formation of Patagonia. So, we can assume that the dinosaur originally lived around the same area. The Skorpiovenator bustingorryi is named after Manuel Bustingorry, who discovered the fossil on his property.

What was a sSkorpiovenator's habitat?

Well, we don't have much information about the habitat of this dinosaur. But, it was surely a terrestrial being like the other theropods, and it would have lived near animals that it caught as prey.

Who did a Skorpiovenator live with?

It's still a mystery to know what dinosaurs preferred as companions. Unless otherwise noted, we don't even know if dinosaurs were a social group or if these abelisaurids lived solitary lives.

How long did a Skorpiovenator live?

We don't know anything about the lifespan of this species as, to date, only one prominent skeleton specimen has been found. But, other than that, dinosaurs such as sauropods managed to live a healthy life of about 70-80 years, which is truly phenomenal.

How did they reproduce?

You may already know that dinosaurs reproduced by laying eggs. So, it was nothing different for these abelisaurids. Having said that, there hasn't been any discovery of its eggs or nesting habits.

Skorpiovenator Fun Facts

What did a Skorpiovenator look like?

When it comes to the look of this short stout dinosaur, it's said to have a short skull leading to a shortened snout. Other than that, its body would have been quite large with strong hindlimbs, and very small forelimbs.

Its face also had a lot of ridges and grooves. We don't know anything more about how this abelisaurid would have looked.

How many bones did a Skorpiovenator have?

Even though we have been able to find a nearly complete skeleton fossil of this abelisaurid in Argentina, it's still hard to put down the exact number of bones that it had.

However, some bones were missing, the Skorpiovenator skull comes out to be quite important as it shows the ridges, furrows and bumpy nodules that must have been present on its face.

Moreover, the specimen shows the forelimbs of this dinosaur to be quite tiny, which has actually made them useless for doing anything.

Compared to other abelisaurid species, the Skorpiovenator had around nineteen maxillary teeth. The Skorpiovenator fossil has been assigned the holotype MMCH-PV 48K.

How did they communicate?

When it comes to the ways of communication, dinosaurs must have done it vocally and physically. But, it must have been milder than the roar that we usually hear in movies. Moreover, it's said that dinosaurs might have had air sacks to produce the sounds rather than a full-blown vocal cord.

How big was a Skorpiovenator?

When it comes to the Skorpiovenator size, the first description of it was around 19.7 ft (6 m). However, in 2010, an alternative size estimate was given for this abelisaurid, which placed it at a much bigger size of 24.6 ft (7.5 m).

Compared to the Skorpiovenator theropod, the Majungasaurus crenatissimus is said to have had a size of around 19.7–23 ft (6-7 m), another abelisaurid.

How fast could a Skorpiovenator move?

Can you imagine how these heavy theropods would have looked while running? Well, it's told that dinosaurs didn't really run that fast. Instead most had a usual speed range of around 2.4-3.7 mph (4-6 kph). However, the running speed for the two-legged dinosaurs may have been around 23-54 mph (37-88 kph.)

How much did a Skorpiovenator weigh?

Even though it's debated, Gregory S. Paul, in 2010, gave the description of this abelisaurids weight as 3681 lb (1670 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no separate names for the male and female of this species.

What would you call a baby Skorpiovenator?

Like the babies of most other reptiles, a baby Skorpiovenator is called a hatchling.

What did they eat?

When it comes to the eating habits of these abelisaurids, it was definitely a carnivorous dinosaur. Even though it had a small skull, the teeth clearly tell that it had the ability to chomp through meat, but it may not have been as strong as some other dinosaurs.

Moreover, scientists believe that the dinosaur would have been required to bend back and gather force to attack the prey in front of it.

We don't know anything about the exact diet of this species, but it would have included small mammals or reptiles living during that era.

Because of its name meaning scorpion hunter, many people have the misconception that it only ate scorpions. But, that isn't true, and the name only comes from the discovery of a huge number of scorpions from its dig site.

How aggressive were they?

We don't know much about the nature or behavior of this species. But, as a carnivorous animal, it would have had the natural prey drive.

Did you know...

The Skorpiovenator dinosaur was first described by a group of scientists Scanferla, Canale, Agnolin, and Novas in 2009.

What does Skorpiovenator dinosaur mean?

The name Skorpiovenator stands for scorpion hunter. This is mainly due to an immense number of scorpions that were found beside Skorpiovenatorfossils. Other than that, the specific name of the Skorpiovenator bustingorryi is dedicated to Manuel Bustingorry, on whose land the fossil was unearthed.

What dinosaur ate Skorpiovenator?

As the Skorpiovenator was a carnivorous dinosaur itself, it's hard to think of it being eaten by another dinosaur. And, we don't have any specific information regarding the dinosaurs that predated on this species.

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 Agujaceratops facts and Sinocalliopteryx fun facts pages.

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

*The first and second image is by Paleocolour. Lineart was drawn by D-Juan of Deviant Art.