Fun Suchosaurus Facts For Kids

The Suchosaurus is a creature of the early cretaceous period. Some holotype fossils, such as teeth have been found in areas that would suggest that the range of habitat of this species was contained in cretaceous England and Portugal.

This member of the Spinosauridae family is known to be one of the intensively fish loving species in the history of the world.

While the species bears marked resemblance with the Baryonyx walkeri, scientists such as Milner have refrained from merging the two since the holotype fossil for the two species of Suchosaurus are mainly teeth and are not diagnostic.

In addition to the teeth that were found, claws have also been discovered, which suggests that the species would reach into water bodies and catch fishes for consumption. The strong and heavy jaws made sure that their dearest prey did not slip out!

While they do not fit into the typical projection of a dinosaur that is dangerous and carnivorous, the Suchosaurus genus is fascinating nonetheless!

Suchosaurus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Suchosaurus'?

Suchosaurus is pronounced as 'soo-ko-zaw-rus'.

What type of dinosaur was a Suchosaurus?

The Suchosaurus (Owen) was first thought to be a reptilian dinosaur. While the fact that their teeth and snout resemble a crocodile, they are classified as theropod or spinosaurus dinosaurs.

In which geological period did the Suchosaurus roam the earth?

Suchosaurs (Suchosaurus cultridens and Suchosaurus girardi) inhabited the earth during the early cretaceous period.

When did the Suchosaurus become extinct?

The exact timeline as to when the Suchosaurus became extinct is not known.

Where did a Suchosaurus live?

It is hard to give an exact account of the habitat that was favored by these dinosaurs, however, the fact that they were piscivorous animals and that they had a snout that resembles the modern day crocodile is suggestive of the fact that these spinosauri lived around water bodies such as lakes or rivers.

What was a Suchosaurus' habitat?

The main habitat range of the species Suchosaurus cultridens (Owen) and Suchosaurus girardi is understood to be around England and Portugal since the fossil specimens of the species have mainly been found in these sites by paleontologists such as William Walker.

Who did a Suchosaurus live with?

It's hard to say whether or not these animals were social or solitary, simply because of the fact that they are now extinct. However, it is commonly understood that species such as this, which were not ferociously carnivorous, often enjoyed the company of other animals of the same species.

It can be therefore be assumed that the two species Suchosaurus cultridens (Owen) and Suchosaurus girardi would inhabit the same land.

How long did a Suchosaurus live?

The average lifespan of the genus Suchosaurus is not known since the fossils of the species continue to be found and studied.

How did they reproduce?

The breeding methods taken up by these fascinating creatures of the past are not known to us. However, since the discovery of dinosaur fossils, it has been assumed that they were oviparous.

Suchosaurus Fun Facts

What did a Suchosaurus look like?

The first fossil specimen that was discovered revealed that the Suchosaurus (or Baryonyx walkeri) was a claw. This specimen led the paleontologist to name the creature Baryonyx, which essentially means heavy claw.

Later, the other specimens that were found led still other scientists to conclude that the species was in fact not reptilian, as was first suspected. They found out that the Suchosaurus had long claws, which helped its fish-eating habits.

It also had flat teeth, and strong jaws, which would help in making sure that the hard earned prey did not slip out of their mouth. The jaws, and snout, in fact, are very reminiscent of the crocodiles that we see today.

How many bones did a Suchosaurus have?

Since the exact skeletal figure of the Suchosaurus has not been found yet, it is likely to take a few more peeks at history by paleontologists to find out the exact number of bones that these gigantic creatures might have had.

How did they communicate?

It is unclear as to how the call of the species such as Suchosaurus cultridens or Suchosaurus girardi would sound, but at the same time, we think it is clear that in spite of the fact that they were not ass dangerous as the carnivorous species, such a huge size would call for a rather harsh, loud call as well.

How big was a Suchosaurus?

These dinosaurs were about 22.9-29.5 ft (7-9 m) long and 6.56-9.84 ft (2-3 m) tall! While this does not compare to the humongous sized dinosaurs that have already been discovered, can you imagine coming across such a creature?

How fast could a Suchosaurus move?

Since the species existed so far back in history, it is hard to point on an exact speed that these animals might have been capable of moving at. However, the fact that they were so huge in size suggests that they might not have been the most agile creatures.

How much did a Suchosaurus weigh?

The average weight of a Suchosaurus cultridens (Owen), or the second species Suchosaurus girardi could have the range of about 1-4 metric tons (1.1-4.4 short tons). Such massive weight is unimaginable for us, isn't it?

What were the male and female names of the species?

Since there are no distinct male and female names for these dinosaurs, we have resorted to simply referring to them as the male Sauchosaurus and the female Suchosaurus.

What would you call a baby Suchosaurus?

The baby of the genus Suchosaurus, family Spinosauridae, does not have any distinct name, and hence, we shall have to resort to calling it a baby or a juvenile.

What did they eat?

The diet of this spinosaurus consisted of the fish that they were able to easily catch from the rivers and lakes that they lived around. Not only do their teeth through the discovery of one tooth in Portugal suggest so, but it is also supported by the discovery of fossilized fishes in the stomach of the Baryonyx or Suchosaurus.

How aggressive were they?

From the one tooth fossil and the jaw set that was discovered, it becomes clear that this theropod species could hardly have posed any major threat to other dinosaur species. At the same time, it is very hard to say that an animal of such size and stature would not be aggressive at all.

Their nature is still a matter of speculation and might remain so due to the sad fact that the species is now extinct.

Did you know...

The second species, Suchosaurus girardi, was named after a famous geologist, by Sauvage, after he discovered two jaw fragments and a tooth in Portugal.

The tooth of the Suchosaurus is so similar to Baryonyx that it was initially called so by William Walker.

The fossil remains, such as the tooth that was discovered in Portugal, suggest that this species was a fish eating one.

Since the holotype specimen of the Suchosaurus genus is simply one tooth that cannot be diagnosed, and that of Baryonyx is an entire skeleton, scientists such as Milner have decided to not merge the two and call them one and the same.

What does Suchosaurus mean?

The word Suchosaurus means crocodile lizard. Such a name is given to the species because of the jaw set which resembles a crocodile, and the rest of the body, which is estimated to be like that of a typical spinosaurus.

When was the Suchosaurus discovered?

The first fossil of this species, a tooth, was discovered in East Sussex in 1820. The theropod then underwent various studies to decide whether or not Suchosaurus was the same species as a Baryonyx walkeri or not.

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 berberosaurus facts or hoplitosaurus facts pages.

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

Main image by Nobu Tamura.

*Please note that this is a Baryonyx walkeri and not a Suchosaurus species. If you have an illustration of a Suchosaurus, let us know at hello@kidadl.com