Fun Tuojiangosaurus Facts For Kids

Moumita Dutta
Sep 27, 2022 By Moumita Dutta
Originally Published on Mar 28, 2022
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao
Tuojiangosaurus facts are all about a dinosaur of the Late Jurassic period.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 3.8 Min

Tuojiangosaurus (Tuojiangosaurus multispinus) was a dinosaur of the Late Jurassic period that existed about 155 million years ago. It was first thought to have belonged to the Stegosauridae family, with quite a few similarities to the Kentrosaurus dinosaurs. The skeletal remains of this dinosaur were excavated from the Sichuan Province, China.

They had a bulky body with an average weight of 4 ton (3629 kg). The back of these dinosaur species consisted of narrow spikes that extended till the long tail.

The spines on the back probably helped them in thermoregulation or for defending themselves from the potential threats. Their skull specimen reveals to us that they had powerful jaws along with strong teeth.

They followed a herbivorous diet and foraged on a wide array of plants. Researchers also claimed that this dinosaur species could not rear up on their hind legs, and therefore, they were low-lying eaters that mainly foraged on the ground.

Read on to learn more fun facts about this dinosaur.

Tuojiangosaurus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Tuojiangosaurus'?

Tuojiangosaurus is pronounced as 'Too-oh-jang-oh-sore-us'.

What type of dinosaur was a Tuojiangosaurus?

Tuojiangosaurus from Asia had similarities with Kentrosaurus dinosaurs.

In which geological period did the Tuojiangosaurus roam the Earth?

These dinosaurs existed during the Late Jurassic period.

When did the Tuojiangosaurus become Extinct?

It is unknown when exactly Tuojiangosaurus dinosaurs became Extinct.

Where did Tuojiangosaurus live?

The complete skeleton specimen was recovered from the Sichuan Province, China, in Asia.

What was the Tuojiangosaurus' habitat?

As these dinosaur species were herbivores in nature, we can assume that they have inhabited in the regions of dense vegetation and thrived well foraging in the grasslands as well.

Who did the Tuojiangosaurus live with?

Tuojiangosaurus dinosaurs may have loved most of the time solitarily. Also, they may have foraged in small herds and probably lived a social life.

How long did a Tuojiangosaurus live?

Due to a lack of specimen evidence, we do not know about the lifespan of these dinosaurs with long tails and plates and spikes on the back.

How did they reproduce?

As all the reptiles are egg-laying animals, dinosaurs, belonging to the class Reptilia, also reproduced by laying eggs. Their eggs were huge in size and were amniotic in nature. They were quite territorial and protective of their eggs.

Tuojiangosaurus Fun Facts

What did the Tuojiangosaurus look like?

Tuojiangosaurus dinosaur was extremely bulky with thick spikes on its back, and out of these, the third pair, after every four spikes, pointed backward. It had a long tail with plates and thick limbs.

These plates were triangular in shape, and the longest plates were on the hip of the dinosaur. The skull remains were pear-shaped with strong jaws containing broad teeth, with which they foraged on all types of plants.

You might find Tuojiangosaurus dinosaur toys with a long tail.

How many bones did a Tuojiangosaurus have?

Although the total number of bones in these creatures is not recorded, we do know that two skeleton remains were excavated, which included the vertebrae, the vertical pairs of thick spines or plates on the back, forelimbs, the hind legs, skull along with the pear-shaped lower jaws.

How did they communicate?

These dinosaurs may have communicated with low grunts and other sounds that were typically produced by most of these prehistoric animals of that epoch.

How big was the Tuojiangosaurus?

The mounted skeleton of Tuojiangosaurus reveals that these dinosaur species were quite bulky with a robust body of length 23 ft (7 m) and height of 6.5 ft (2 m). However, their length was almost three times smaller than the Gobititan dinosaur.

How fast could a Tuojiangosaurus move?

The mounted cast of this dinosaur highlights the fact that they were quite bulky with thick limbs. So we may assume that they were not fast runners.

How much did a Tuojiangosaurus weigh?

The average weight of the Tuojiangosaurus dinosaur is assumed to be about 4 ton (3629 kg) according to the various researches conducted by paleontologists.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no particular names given to the male and female dinosaur species.

What would you call a baby Tuojiangosaurus?

A baby Tuojiangosaurus dinosaur can be called a hatchling because of the fact that dinosaurs laid eggs.

How aggressive were they?

Since the Tuojiangosaurus dinosaur species were plant-eaters, it is safe to assume that they were not aggressive in nature. However, their bulky body with narrow spikes on the hip region should not be ignored. These were probably their defense mechanisms. Also, they were territorial in nature.

Did You Know…

The name 'Tuojiangosaurus' means 'Tuo River lizard', and the naming of this dinosaur was done in the year 1977.

1974 was the year when the first skeletal remains were excavated.

You can check out the remains of this herbivore beast at the Municipal Museum in Chongqing, China.

Sinraptor could have been one of its predator.

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

Tuojiangosaurus Facts

What Did They Prey On?

Unknown

what Type of Animal were they?

Herbivore

Average Litter Size?

Unknown

What Did They Look Like?

Large scaly body

How Much Did They Weigh?

4 ton (3629 kg)

Skin Type

Dry scales

How Long Were They?

23 ft (7 m)

How Tall Were They?

6.5 ft (2 m)

Kingdom

Animalia

Class

Reptilia

Genus

Tuojiangosaurus

Family

Unknown

Scientific Name

Tuojiangosaurus multispinus

What Were Their Main Threats?

Natural disasters

What Habitat Did They Live In?

Grasslands and dense vegetation areas

Where Did They Live?

Sichuan Province, China
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Written by Moumita Dutta

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

Moumita Dutta picture

Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.

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Fact-checked by Pradhanya Rao

Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

Pradhanya Rao picture

Pradhanya RaoBachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR

With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Christ University, Bangalore, Pradhanya's passion for the English language and literature led her to explore the field of content writing, where she has gained extensive experience in writing, reviewing, editing, and fact-checking. She has also earned certifications in Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display, and Social Media Marketing, showcasing her proficiency in digital marketing.

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