Download FACT SHEET: supersaurus

FACT SHEET: supersaurus
NAME: SUPERSAURUS (SOO-per-SAW-rus) - "Super Lizard"
SIZE: 138 feet long, 54 feet tall (the size of an airplane), weighed 55 tons
TYPE OF DIET: Herbivore (leaves from conifers, cycads, mosses and horsetails)
WHEN: Late Jurassic period (155 - 145 million years ago)
WHERE: Colorado (North America)
Supersaurus lived about 155 to 145 million years ago, during the late Jurassic period.
Supersaurus is one of the longest and largest land animals ever discovered. It was a huge
dinosaur with a long neck and a long, whip-like tail. It grew to be about 138 feet long and 54 feet
tall. It may have weighed up to 55 tons. Its front legs were shorter than its back legs. This meant
that it kept its head close to the ground to look for plants that didn’t grow very tall. Because of the
big bones in its neck, it might not have been able to move its head very easily. All its legs had
elephant-like feet, with five toes and fleshy pads to protect them. One toe on each foot had a
thumb claw. This was probably used for protection against hunting carnivores. It may also have
used its tail to whip predators away.
Supersaurus lived in the forests. It was an herbivore, meaning that it ate only plants. It had
to eat lots and lots of plants every day – about 300 pounds - to keep itself alive! It used its small,
blunt teeth to rip leaves off plants. It mainly ate conifers. Like many huge sauropod dinosaurs,
Supersaurus swallowed leaves whole, without chewing them.
Supersaurus moved slowly in herds, or large groups. Once a herd of Supersaurus had
eaten all the food in one area, they would migrate together as
a group to a new area. A Supersaurus could live to be 100
years old. It had a small brain compared to its huge body.
It was not a very intelligent dinosaur. We know this by
studying this creature’s skull.
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