Fun Venenosaurus Facts For Kids

Dinosaurs have captured the imaginations of children all over the world. Popular films such as Jurassic Park and King Kong vs. Godzilla have aided in the expansion of the global dinosaur fandom. There was a Sauropod group in the dinosaur kingdom.

This family was distinguished by its enormous size, making this species the largest land animal. These quadrupedal herbivores possessed a small head, a massive gut, and extremely long necks and tails. The Venenosaurus dicrocei is a member of the Brachiosauridae family, a Sauropod dinosaur subgroup.

This dinosaur species was discovered in the United States by Tony DiCroce, a natural history volunteer from the Denver Museum. It has a distinct morphology. This morphology distinguishes it from other Sauropod dinosaurs, which led to it being assigned to the genus Venenosaurus.

Virginia Tidwell, Kenneth Carpenter and Suzanne Meyer named and detailed this poison strip member a small Sauropod dinosaur. All information about the Venenosaurus is known from incomplete fossils found at the Cedar Mountain formation. This includes physical appearance, diet, habitat, and so on.

It's time to get acquainted with 17 roar-inducing Venenosaurus facts! Do you like dinosaurs? Explore Kidadl's fact files on the Brachytrachelopan, the Volgatitan, and other dinosaurs.

Venenosaurus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce Venenosaurus?

The name Venenosaurus is pronounced ve-NEN-o-SAWR-es.

What type of dinosaur was a Venenosaurus?

The Venenosaurus dicrocei was a type of Titanosauriform Sauropod dinosaur (Dinosauria saurischia). In Latin, venenum means poison while sauros in Greek means lizard. It was named after the poison strip member of the Cedar Mountain formation where the first fossils were discovered by Tidwell et al.

In which geological period did Venenosaurus roam the Earth?

The Venenosaurus dicrocei existed in the early Cretaceous Aptian/Albian Age of the Mesozoic era. The evolution of the Sauropod species in this period is not well understood.

When did the Venenosaurus become extinct?

The Venenosaurus dicrocei probably became extinct like other dinosaur species by the end of the Cretaceous period (around 65 million years ago). However, there is no clear evidence to prove this fact.

Where did the Venenosaurus live?

The Venenosaurus was a species of ground-dwelling dinosaurs that stuck to terrestrial habitats. The first fossil remains of the Veneosaurus dicrocei were found in the Cedar Mountain formation of Utah, USA by a natural history volunteer. Bones of this poison strip member were found in the Aptian limestone region of the Cedar Mountain formation.

What was the Venenosaurus' habitat?

The Venenosaurus was a terrestrial dinosaur species.

Who did the Venenosaurus live with?

The Venenosaurus dicrocei has been classified as a gregarious Sauropod species. So, these dinosaurs may have lived and moved in herds or groups.

This member also shared its habitat with the Planicoxa, another poison strip member. It is a possibility for more members of the Cedar Mountain formation like the Yellow Cat family to have co-existed with the poison lizard. Whether remains of these dinosaurs were preserved has yet to be discovered.

How long did the Venenosaurus live?

The information regarding the lifespan of this poison strip member has yet to be ascertained. Research suggests that the Venenosaurus species lived between 129.40000 to 122.46000 Ma (mega annum) or the from end of the Barremian period to the start of the early/lower Aptian age.

How did they reproduce?

This genus of dinosaurs was oviparous meaning the young were born by laying eggs. Other than this, very little is known about the mating ritual and breeding behavior of the poison lizard.

It is important to note that the Sauropod dinosaur is considered to be precocial. So, the juvenile would be advanced enough to be able to fend for itself.

Venenosaurus Fun Facts

What did the Venenosaurus look like?

The fossil specimen of the poison lizard reveals it to be a long necked and tailed dinosaur. Comparative research showed the Venenosaurus dicrocei to be smaller and slender in size than other Sauropod species, especially the radius (one bone in the long forearm).

Since its vertebrae were similar to that of the Cedarosaurus, another Sauropod genus present in the early Cretaceous period, it is likely to look alike. This Sauropod dinosaur was a quadrupedal; it used all four feet to move around.

The physical description of the genus was put together from the preserved specimen DMNH 40932. This fossil contains nine disarticulated tail vertebrae, the left ulna, the left scapula, the right radius, left and right ischia, five metacarpals, the right pubis, three metatarsals, four manus phalanges, the astragalus, chevrons and ribs.

The pubis and left and right ischium of the poison lizard was similar to that found in the Brachiosaurus.

According to Tidwell et al., the Venenosaurus had a physical structure that included a short caudal central, amphiplatyan anterior caudal vertebrae, pubic articulation of the ischium restricted to the proximal half of the element, neural arches positioned anteriorly in the middle and posterior caudals, pneumatic rib heads, anteriorly directed caudal neural spines and convex anterior surface of the proximal caudal centrum.

These characteristics make it a member of Titanosauriform.

How many bones did a Venenosaurus have?

The number of bones found in this Dinosauria Saurischia has yet to be determined. This data has been determined from the incomplete specimen of an adult and juvenile recovered from the Cedar Mountain formation. Excavated fossils included bones such as caudal or tail vertebrae, the left scapula, the right pubis, left and right ischia, chevrons and ribs.

How did they communicate?

Sauropods, known for their long tails, could have used them to make noise. These dinosaurs would have been able to create sounds that could have traveled long distances by flicking the tips of their tails at supersonic speeds.

Some research shows that male Sauropods may have flicked their tails to attract mates or show strength. Sauropod dinosaurs were also characterized by their large respiratory tracts. These dinosaurs could have used them to make noise.

However, research has yet to reveal how the Venenosaurus dicrocei communicated with each other. Whether they used their respiratory tract, tail or any other body part for communication has yet to be ascertained.

How big was the Venenosaurus?

The Venenosaurus dicrocei was approximately 33 ft (10.05 m) long. This was determined based on the remains of a Venenosaurus dicrocei discovered in the USA by a natural history volunteer.

However, in comparison to other Sauropods, this poison strip member from the Cedar Mountain formation was considered small. For example, the Cedarosaurus, which resembled the Venenosaurus in appearance, was approximately 46 ft (14.02 m) long. Another Titanosaurian Sauropod dinosaur, the Aeolosaurus rionegrinus, was estimated to be around 60 ft (18.1 m) long.

The Sauropod family is known for their large bodies, large tail, huge gut, and long neck. Studies have looked into how these dinosaurs could have reached their gigantic sizes with a plant diet. Herbivore Sauropods probably swallowed their food whole without chewing.

How fast could a Venenosaurus move?

Although Tidwell et al. described the poison strip member from the Cedar Mountain formation as quadrupedal, no other information about its movement is known. But due to the huge body mass, Sauropods would have only been able to move around at slow speeds.

How much did a Venenosaurus weigh?

The weight of the Venenosaurus dicrocei was considered to be approximately 17,637 lb (8,000 kg). It did not weigh as much as other Sauropods like the Aeolosaurus rionegrinus.

What were male and female names of the species?

There was no specific name for males and females of the species. Both sexes of the poison strip member would be referred to as adult Venenosaurus dicrocei.

What would you call a baby Venenosaurus?

A baby Venenosaurus would either be referred to as young or juvenile.

What did they eat?

According to research data by Tidwell et al., the poison strip member's diet comprised only of high-growing vegetation. Their distinct physical morphology, which included a tall neck, enabled them to maintain this diet.

Herbivore by nature, the Dinosauria saurischia was similar to other Sauropods when it comes to having a plant diet. However, the types of plants they consumed is not known.

How aggressive were they?

From the Cedar Mountain formation in the USA, remains of various dinosaurs were found in the vicinity of this poison strip member. However, no research data hints towards this member of Dinosauria Saurischia being aggressive.

The Venenosaurus is known to have been gregarious and social. Some reasons for the poison lizard to be aggressive include competition for resources, mates, territory or to defend against predators.

Did you know...

The discovered fossils of specimen DMNH 40932 are on display at the Denver Museum of Natural History.

The Utahraptor, a Dromaeosaurid dinosaur, probably was one of the predators of this poison strip member.

In 2001, Tidwell et al. described the Venenosaurus dicrocei as a new species from the early Cretaceous period.

The right pubis, left and right chevrons and ribs, the radius, and the left pelvis of the poison strip member closely resembled that of the Brachiosaurus brancai.

The ostrich (Struthio camelus) is a close relative of long-necked Sauropods.

It is estimated that Sauropods would need to consume 881.84 lb (400 kg) of plant material in a day to meet nutritional requirements.

How did the Venenosaurus get its name?

The Venenosauruss dicrocei was named after the individual who discovered its remains, Tony DiCroce. It is referred to as a poison strip member because of the location fossils were found.

The Cedar Mountain formation in Utah, USA is a distinct geologic sedimentary formation. This formation has been sub-divided into five members, one being the poison strip sandstone.

Many dinosaur fossils have been recovered from the various sub-beds of the Cedar Mountain formation that can be traced back to the Mesozoic era to the early Cretaceous period.

The Venenosaurus was named after its discovery in the poison strip by the team of the Denver Museum of Natural History. Other dinosaur families that have been found in the Cedar Mountain formation quarry include other Sauropods, Theropods, and Ornithopods.

How strong were the Venenosaurus' teeth?

The strength of the Venenosaurus' teeth has yet to be ascertained. However, research conducted by a team from Stony Brook University showed the teeth of Sauropods differed based on the type of vegetation they consumed. The Venenosaurus' teeth would have adapted to chew the vegetation available at a height.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures by reading our Qijianglong facts and our Puertasaurus facts.

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

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