The Super-Sized Sail-Backed Swimmer!
Meet Spinosaurus, one of the most amazing and mysterious dinosaurs that ever lived!
| Meaning | Spine lizard [Spino-saurus] |
| Pronunciation | SPY-no-sore-us |
| When: | Early to Late Cretaceous (about 112–93 million years ago) |
| Where: | Africa (particularly in what is now Egypt and Morocco) |
| What: | Theropod (bipedal, possibly semiaquatic carnivorous dinosaur) |
| Weight: | Approximately 7–20 metric tons |
| Length: | About 15–18 meters (49–59 feet) |
| Diet: | Carnivorous (likely piscivorous, feeding on fish, and possibly other aquatic prey) |
| Discovered: | First described by Ernst Stromer in 1912 |
Spinosaurus was like a real-life giant with its long, crocodile-like snout and a huge sail on its back that made it look truly unique.
Imagine a dinosaur as long as two school buses, with big, powerful claws and a love for splashing around in water!
Spinosaurus wasn’t just a fierce land predator – it was also a fantastic swimmer, using its sail to help it balance and its snout to catch fish, just like a giant, hungry bird.
This mighty dinosaur lived about 100 million years ago in what is now North Africa, and scientists think it spent a lot of time hunting in rivers and lakes.
With its gigantic sail and fish-catching skills, Spinosaurus is one dinosaur that you won’t forget!