Fun Titanosaurus Facts For Kids

The first fossil of the Titanosaurus was discovered in 1877. This was named by the paleontologist Richard Lydekker. He named this species the Titanosaurus indicus. He also cast a light on the physical appearance of this species. The name Titanosaurus was also derived from the appearance itself. Titanosaurus means aquatic lizard. The latest information on the appearance and facts about this dinosaur was updated in June 2021. Keep reading to know what these latest updates on Titanosaurus facts are!

How do you pronounce 'Titanosaurus'? 

The word 'Titanosaurus' is pronounced as 'tight-a-no-saw-rus'. This species was named after the population of mythological Gods, the Titans. These Gods were from pre-Olympian Greek mythology. Literally translated, the name 'Titanosaurus' means 'titanic lizard'. This animal was named so because it was believed to be an aquatic reptile. The titanosaur was the first dinosaur from India that was named properly. The first species that was discovered was the Titanosaurus indicus. It was discovered in 1877. Later, in 1879, the second species was discovered and it was named Titanosaurus blandfordi. The paleontologist Richard Lydekker is credited for naming both of these species.

What type of dinosaur was a Titanosaurus?

The titanosaur was a sauropod dinosaur. This meant that they were big dinosaurs who were herbivorous in nature. Sauropods were characterized by a long tail and neck with a small head. They were often compared to lizards because of the shape of their hips. The titanosaur was one of the tallest sauropods with massive weight. Some of the most, enormous, heavyweight, largest, and biggest dinosaurs of the world belonged to the same genus as the titanosaur.

In which geological period did the Titanosaurus roam the earth?

Titanosaurs existed in this world during the Upper Cretaceous period. The Upper Cretaceous period was also known as the Maastrichtian age. It is also sometimes known as the Late Cretaceous Epoch. This time period was estimated to exist from 72.1 million years ago to 66 million years ago. This took place during the end of the Mesozoic Era or what was known as the Erathem.

When did the Titanosaurus become extinct?

This huge and tall sauropod became extinct from the world approximately 66 million years ago. That means that these animals became extinct at the end of the Late Cretaceous Epoch. In general, all dinosaurs completely became history after the world was hit by an asteroid impact about 65 million years ago.

Where did a Titanosaurus live? 

Titanosaurs occupied large areas all over the globe. The fossils of these dinosaurs were found in the continents of Asia, Europe, America, Africa, and Africa. Within Asia, the fossils and other remains of these animals were found in India. Within this genus, the holotype vertebrae of a particular species were found near Jabalpur. Remains, bones and other fossils were also found in Queensland of Australia. Records in history also show that the middle portion of the caudal vertebrae of a species from this genus was found in Pisdura. The specimens of this species came to be known in history as the Titanosaurus indicus. The trace of life of this dinosaur was notable from their fossils seen in Argentina as well. Other than this, other fossils found on the ground include those found in other parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.

What was a Titanosaurus' habitat? 

The habitat of these species varied widely according to their location. These enormous herbivores were residents of the land despite being known as 'titanic lizards'. They lived in the forests of what is known in history as Patagonia. If not forests, the animals of this genus lived in places that were thick with plants and trees. This was in line with their diet since they were herbivores.

Who did a Titanosaurus live with?

The social status or behavior of these long-neck dinosaurs is not known. Hence, it is not known if this member of the Titanosauridae family was a solitary being or if it had more social status. Usually, sauropods were known to be able to form social groups.

How long did a Titanosaurus live?

The lifespan of this member of the Animalia kingdom is not known. However, a discovery has shown that most of the enormous sauropods lived for approximately 300 years. The majority of the average-sized sauropods, who were not that large, had a lifespan of 70-80 years.

How did they reproduce?

Like all dinosaurs, the Titanosaurus also reproduced through oviparous methods. The male Titanosaur would deposit their sperm inside the females. After fertilization of the egg was complete, the female would lay the eggs. The average litter size remains unknown. There is no information about the weight of the eggs either. After a few days, the eggs would hatch into nestlings. This member of the Late Cretaceous Epoch did not take care of the young ones after they hatched. The hatchlings had to take care of themselves and search for their own food ever since birth.

What did a Titanosaurus look like?

This animal was extremely large in size. Its appearance resembled that of a lizard. It is so because, much like a lizard, this animal that lived on the ground had a long tail and neck while the head was much smaller compared to its long and large body. These large animals were different than other sauropods in the way their legs were built. The legs were wider and hence the legs allowed them to have a wider stance. Record and data on the content of the specimens that were found show that they had a stocky and long body. Data also shows that they were black, grey, and white in color. All this data on the physical appearance of the Titanosaur has been discovered from their remains which consisted of bones and certain bone protrusions which made up the Titanosaurus skeleton.

We've been unable to source an image of Titanosaurus and have used an image of a sauropod instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Titanosaurus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].

How many bones did a Titanosaurus have?

No record comments on the number of Titanosaurus bones. Dinosaurs generally had 200 bones in their body.

How did they communicate?

Even though there is no specific information on these tall, long-necked animals, dinosaurs usually communicate through body language and gestures along with sounds. For instance, there are specific calls and dances for attracting the opposite sex during the mating season. There were even love calls. Other than this, they perceived their surroundings through sight and smell.

How big was a Titanosaurus? 

The fossil of the Titanosaur suggests that it was 50 ft (15.24 m) long. This is about 40 times bigger than the Oculudentavis dinosaur. They were one of the largest dinosaurs judging by the Titanosaurus size. Nothing is known about the Titanosaurus height.

How fast could a Titanosaurus move?

The speed at which the Titanosaurs moved is not known. An average dinosaur could run at a speed of 23-55 mph (37-88 kph). On the other hand, dinosaurs could walk at a speed of 2.48-3.72 mph (4-6 kph).

How much did a Titanosaurus weigh?

The fossil suggests that the weight of a Titanosaur was about 33,600 lb (15,240 kg). The weight of its individual body parts like its tail or head is not known.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no separate names for the male and female Titanosaurs. They are usually referred to as a group of Titanosaurs irrespective of their gender.

What would you call a baby Titanosaurus?

A group of baby dinosaurs was known as hatchlings or nestlings.

What did they eat? 

Titanosaurs as a group of sauropods were herbivorous in nature. This diet of this herbivore had different types of plants.

How aggressive were they?

They can be said to be non-aggressive in nature since the Titanosaurus diet did not comprise other animals. They were in fact, quite peaceful.

Did you know...

Even though the fossil of the Titanosaur cast a light on the huge size of this animal, it was not actually the biggest dinosaur to exist. The biggest one was Argentinosaurus.

The fossil of the Titanosaurus was excavated from rocks that were found near a ranch.

It is not known if this animal was loud since not much is known about the Titanosaurus roar.

When it comes to the cast of the skeleton of the Titanosaurus, the Museum of Natural History in America is a place where people can view the same.

How much bigger was a Titanosaurus than a blue whale?

When it comes to the size of the Titanosaurus vs blue whale, there can be two different measures for comparison. In height, the Titanosaurs were about 30 ft (9.1 m) taller than the blue whale. However, the blue whale was almost double the weight of a Titanosaurus.

How many bones does a Titanosaur have?

It is not known how many bones a Titanosaurus had in its body.