Fun Grallator Facts For Kids

Are you interested in knowing more about dinosaurs? If so, then come here to learn about the ichnogenus of Grallator.

Yes, it's a dinosaur from an ichnogenus, meaning that the data has been derived based on fossils, in this case, the three-toed footprints. These are thought to be rare specimens that have been found in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil, and China.

The Grallator footprints from the East Coast of North America are thought to be the most valuable. Even though footprints may not tell a lot about how the dinosaur may have looked, these well-preserved fossils are said to have been from a bipedal carnivorous dinosaur.

It's said to have lived between the Early Triassic and Early Cretaceous periods, so quite a long lifetime. The footprints measure around 4-8 in (8-10 cm), which is quite interesting, as the animal was initially taken to be some sort of wading bird.

The latest data shows that discovery was made as recently as January 2021 in Wales. So, to learn more Grallator facts, do keep reading.

Also, check out our articles on indominus rex and dryptosaurus to gain knowledge about various dinosaurs.

Grallator Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Grallator'?

The name of this dinosaur ichnogenus is pronounced as GRA-luh-tor. It translates to a stilt walker and is related to the word, Grallae, as it was previously assumed to have been long-legged wading birds.

What type of dinosaur was a Grallator?

The animal that's part of the Grallator ichnogenus has been described to have been a bipedal saurischian dinosaur from the clade theropod. The Grallator tracks usually point towards a dinosaur that walked on two legs. However, even though the tracks show only three toes, these distinct groups of dinosaurs might have had four or five toes on their feet.

In which geological period did the Grallator roam the earth?

Rather than being confined to one period, the Grallator footprints suggest that the animals possibly existed between the Early Triassic and Early Cretaceous periods.

When did the Grallator become extinct?

Well, we don't know when the Grallator footprints stopped happening. However, it's suggested that the animal just has gone extinct by the Early Cretaceous period.

Where did a Grallator live?

One of the most interesting mysteries about this ichnogenus is that the three-toed Grallator footprints are found all over the world. But, they are mainly seen in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil, and China.

The most important marks are found on the East Coast of North America and are said to belong to the Newark Supergroup of the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic periods.

These footprints show digits II, III, and IV, but the digits I and V are missing, and there are seldom any traces of these outer toes. So, we wouldn't say that it was endemic to a specific place.

What was a Grallator's habitat?

We don't know the habitat in which these dinosaurs would have existed because the animals are said to have existed through long prehistoric periods. Having said that, as a carnivorous species, it would have certainly preferred to inhabit areas with a high concentration of its prey. We don't anything about how the climate would have been.

Who did a Grallator live with?

There is no information about the living behaviors of the dinosaurs present in this ichnogenus. But, we can say that the probable Grallators would have been able to come by other dinosaur species that lived during the long period in which these animals existed. As smaller dinosaurs, it might have had predators, but we aren't sure about it.

How long did a Grallator live?

As no bone specimens have been found of the Grallator, it would be quite hard to put a lifespan on it. However, it would have probably had a similar lifespan to other theropod dinosaurs.

And, we would like to note that none of the dinosaurs that have been discovered to date had a long lifespan of around 300 years. Even the dinosaurs from the genus sauropod had a lifespan of around 70-80 years.

How did they reproduce?

If you didn't know already, dinosaurs were animals that reproduced with the help of eggs. Hence, it would have been likely the same for the dinosaurs of this ichnogenus. Having said that, we are yet to come by a lot of conclusive data that can tell us about the mating behaviors shown by dinosaurs.

Grallator Fun Facts

What did a Grallator look like?

Well, we don't really know much about the appearance of Grallator, as only three-toed footprints were found for the dinosaurs of this ichnogenus. Moreover, when the Grallator tracks were first discovered, it was taken to be that of a wading bird like a heron rather than that of a dinosaur.

How many bones did a Grallator have?

As we have only found Grallator footprints, there are no data about the number of bones that these dinosaurs might have had. Having said that, even though there are three-toed marks on the fossil, the Grallators are said to have had four or five toes.

In the fossil, usually, the II, III, and IV digits are visible while the others are missing.

And, the fingers of these dinosaurs were quite slender, like that of birds.

One of the recent discoveries of these three-toed prints has been in the Bendricks Bay of Wales. The print was found by a four-year-old girl, Lily Wilder, in January of 2021, and scientists say that the marks are from 215-220 million years ago, which is phenomenal.

How did they communicate?

We have limited knowledge about communication in dinosaurs. But, it's said that the dinosaurs would have communicated vocally and physically. Moreover, scientists believe that dinosaurs had air sacks instead of vocal cords, quite similar to the birds of today.

How big was a Grallator?

Unfortunately, although the actual length of this dinosaur is not known to us, scientists studied the footprints found in Wales and estimated the individual to have been around 8 ft (2.5 m) in length and 29.5 in (75 cm) in height. Hence, even though it had a long body, the dinosaur would have had a stout height.

In comparison, another theropod, the deinonychus, is said to have had a size of around 11 ft (75 cm).

How fast could a Grallator move?

Well, we know that the Grallator tracks were made by a dinosaur that walked on two legs, but we lack any data about how fast the dinosaur would have moved. In general, most carnivorous dinosaurs had a slow gait except for the time when they had to run to catch food.

How much did a Grallator weigh?

As we lack any conclusive data about the Grallator in general, the weight can't be determined.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There were no separate names for the male and female of this species.

What would you call a baby Grallator?

Like most other species of reptiles, the baby of a Grallator would have been known as a hatchling.

What did they eat?

Even though this data isn't thoroughly proven, the Grallator is said to be an ichnogenus that was carnivorous in nature. We couldn't have possibly found out about the diet from its footprints, but it would have depended on eating small reptiles or mammals that existed during its period.

How aggressive were they?

There's no way in which we could have figured out how aggressive the dinosaurs from this ichnogenus may have been. But, it's a common myth to think that all dinosaurs may have been aggressive, irrespective of their diet.

Did you know...

The Grallator tracks found in the Newark Supergroup site were first thought to have been of another ichnogenus, the Atreipus that belonged to the Triassic period.

When was the Grallator alive?

There are no conclusive data about when these dinosaurs were alive. Having said that, scientists think that these dinosaurs existed during the Early Triassic to Early Cretaceous periods.

Did all dinosaurs have three toes?

No, dinosaurs didn't have only three toes. What might have usually happened is that the dinosaurs had three dominant toes that made the prints while walking or running despite the animal having more toes.

In fact, the dinosaurs from the ichnogenus grallator are said to have had feet with four or five toes. Theropods like the Allosaurus or Tyrannosaurus are said to have had three-toed feet. The tyrannosaurus is even said to have two-fingered arms.

 Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our herrerasaurus facts, or carcharodontosaurus fun facts for kids.

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

Main image by Vassil

Second image by Tomwsulcer