Fun Struthiosaurus Facts For Kids
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Struthiosaurus is the smallest of all recognized basal genera that comprise nodosaurid dinosaurs. The name of this genera is taken from the Latin term 'struthio' which means ostrich, and 'sauros' which means lizard. It consists of three recognized species: the Struthiosaurus austriacus, Struthiosaurus transylvanicus, and Struthiosaurus languedocensis, which belong to the family Nodosauridae.
The species Struthiosaurus transylvanicus was described by Nopcsa in 1915, the species Struthiosaurus languedocensis was described in 2003 by Garcia and Pereda-Suberbiola, and the species Struthiosaurus austriacus species was described by Emanuel Bunzel in 1871.
Dinosaurs of this genus inhabited Austria, Romania, Hungary, and France in Europe. It is known to have existed in the Late Cretaceous period from the Campanian Age to the Maastrichtian Age.
Dinosaurs of these species were protected by their body armor. The Struthiosaurus ranged between 7.2-8.2 ft (2.2-2.5 m) in length and between 661.3-881.8 lb (300 – 400 kg) in weight.
They were herbivores and mostly fed upon plants like ferns and low-growing shrubs. Keep reading to discover fun facts about the history, classification, appearance, and more of this genera!
If you enjoyed reading our Struthiosaurus facts, you must check out our dino-mite Tarascosaurus facts for kids and Cearadactylus interesting facts!
Struthiosaurus Interesting Facts
How do you pronounce 'Struthiosaurus'?
Struthiosaurus can be pronounced as 'stru-fe-o-sore-us'.
What type of dinosaur was a Struthiosaurus?
It was a nodosaurid armored dinosaur. It was originally considered to be a predator and was initially assigned to Ornithocephala.
It was in 1978, that Walter Coombs described it as a nodosaurid. There are three species recognized.
The Struthiosaurus austriacus was described by Emanuel Bunzel in 1871 after being discovered in the coal mines of Austria in Europe.
The Struthiosaurus transylvanicus, of the family Nodosauridae, was described by Nopcsa in 1915 based on a partial skeleton and skull excavated from Romania, and the Struthiosaurus languedocensis was described in 2003 by Garcia and Pereda-Suberbiola based on a partial skeleton that was excavated in France in 1998.
Struthiosaurus is one of the two members known from Europe that belong to Ankylosauria, with the other one being Hungarosaurus Ösi.
In which geological period did the Struthiosaurus roam the earth?
These Nodosaurid ankylosaurs roamed the Earth from the late Cretaceous period. They are known to have existed from the Campanian to Maastrichtian Age of the Cretaceous period, a time period when most of continental Europe was similar to an island chain.
When did the Struthiosaurus become extinct?
It is believed to have gone extinct 75 million years ago!
Where did a Struthiosaurus live?
It lived primarily in Europe during the Late Cretaceous period (Campanian to Maastrichtian Age), where Dacentrurus and Anurognathus also dwelled. It is believed to have primarily inhabited Austria, Romania, Hungary, and southern France.
What was a Struthiosaurus' habitat?
It is believed to have been a dwarf Ankylosaur of the family Nodosauridae. This suggests that its habitat was mainly terrestrial.
Who did a Struthiosaurus live with?
It is known to have co-existed with the Amurosaurus, Tarbosaurus, and Megaraptor in the Campanian to Maastrichtian Age. Struthiosaurus is often confused with Struthiomimus that was an ornithomimid dinosaur that dwelled in North America during a similar time.
How long did a Struthiosaurus live?
It isn't known how long these mighty creatures of the Late Cretaceous period lived. However, we do know that they existed for five million years!
How did they reproduce?
These ankylosaurs belong to the suborder Ankylosauria and the family Nodosauridae, whose members are known to lay eggs in nests. Analysis shows that the nest was built from large branches and was known to be raided by Nykoraptors.
Struthiosaurus Fun Facts
What did a Struthiosaurus look like?
Analysis shows that the Struthiosaurus was quite a small-sized dinosaur. Its island habitat suggests it to be small in size as there was less availability of food. It ranged between 7.2-8.2 ft (2.2-2.5 m) in length and between 661.3-881.8 lb (300 – 400 kg) in weight. It had protective body armor.
How many bones did a Struthiosaurus have?
The total number of bones it possessed is not known due to incomplete skeleton fossils. No skull or vertebrae have yet been found.
How did they communicate?
Air passages and complex chambers are characteristic features of nodosaurids and ankylosaurids, which suggests that these animals produced sounds when threats were sensed and also for social communication.
How big was a Struthiosaurus?
It was quite a small-sized dinosaur. It ranged between 7.2-8.2 ft (2.2-2.5 m) in length. This was due to its island habitat where food availability was less.
How fast could a Struthiosaurus move?
The members of Ankylosauria did not move fast because they had short limbs. This resulted in ankylosaurs moving slowly. They had a top speed of 6.2 mph (9.9 kph).
How much did a Struthiosaurus weigh?
It weighed between the range of 661.3-881.8 lb (300 – 400 kg).
What were the male and female names of the species?
The suffix of the term dino-saur is saurus for males and saura for females.
What would you call a baby Struthiosaurus?
The baby of Struthiosaurus can be referred to as a hatchling or juvenile.
What did they eat?
These animals were herbivores and mainly fed upon plant matter such as ferns and low-growing shrubs.
How aggressive were they?
These animals were probably not aggressive as they did not feed upon other animals. They were herbivores and fed upon plant matter.
Did you know...
The humble pigeon is considered to be the distant relative of a T-rex!
All species of dinosaurs possess tails!
No skull or vertebrae have yet been found of a Struthiosaurus, but paleontologists are always hunting for new discoveries.
Is Struthiosaurus one of the smallest dinosaurs to exist?
It is one of the smallest of the genus comprising Nodosaurid dinosaurs. Compsognathus is assumed to be the smallest dinosaur!
What does Struthiosaurus mean?
The name of Struthiosaurus is taken from the Latin term 'struthio' which means ostrich, and 'sauros' which means lizard. This name was kept by Emanuel Bunzel in 1871. Overall, Struthiosaurus means ostrich lizard.
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 Sphaerotholus facts and Alcovasaurus facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Struthiosaurus coloring pages.
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Rhea NischalBachelor of Business Administration specializing in Management
A background in Business Administration and Management from MCM DAV College, Rhea has led her to work for her father's global business. However, her passion for content production, where she manages operations to ensure all processes run smoothly. Outside of work, she enjoys playing the piano and spending time with her one-year-old nephew.
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