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Plesiosaurus Facts for Kids

Plesiosaurus Facts for Kids

  • Common Name: Plesiosaurus
  • Order: Plesiosauria
  • Type Species: Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus
  • Total Species: 1
  • Diet: Carnivorous (Ate Meat)
  • Period: Early Jurassic Period
  • Description: A Large Aquatic Predator

19 Plesiosaurus Facts For Kids

  1. The Plesiosaurus was a marine reptile that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period.
  2. Plesiosaurus is not a dinosaur; it is a plesiosaur that is a member of the Sauropterygia superorder.
  3. Plesiosaurus was a large marine sauropterygian predator.
  4. The Plesiosaurus was carnivorous and ate marine animals.
  5. You pronounce the name Plesiosaurus by saying: “plee-SEE-uh-sore”.
  6. The meaning of the dinosaur name Plesiosaurus is “near to lizard”.
  7. There is only one species of Plesiosaurus recognized by paleontologists.
  8. The type species for the Plesiosaurus is Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus.
  9. English paleontologist Mary Anning was the first person to discover a Plesiosaurus specimen in 1823.
  10. English paleontologist William Conybeare was the first person to scientifically described the Plesiosaurus in 1824
  11. The holotype specimen for Plesiosaurus is NHMUK PV OR 22656.
  12. The Plesiosaurus was estimated to have an average body length around 11 feet.
  13. The Plesiosaurus was estimated to have an average body weight around 400 pounds.
  14. The lifespan of the Plesiosaurus is estimated to have been between 10 and 20 years.
  15. The running speed of the Plesiosaurus is estimated to have been around 10 miles per hour.
  16. Paleontologists believe the Plesiosaurus had live births in the water, like sea snakes.
  17. The Plesiosaurus swim through schools of fish and snatch them up using its long neck, u-shaped jaw, and sharp teeth.
  18. We know that the Plesiosaurus lived in the Atlantic Ocean and its nearby seas with its discovery near England.
  19. There are some cryptozoologists (pseudoscience) who think the Lock Ness Monster that inhabits the Loch Ness of the Scottish Highlands is a Plesiosaurus.

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Plesiosaurus Pictures

There is a saying that claims a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is true then the below images will help you with your research on the Plesiosaurus Below you will find three pictures related to the Plesiosaurus dinosaur. These pictures should give you a bettering understanding of the Plesiosaurus and what it may have looked like.

A Plesiosaurus Deep In The Ocean

A picture of a Plesiosaurus deep in the ocean.

Two Plesiosaurus Hunting Fish

A picture of two Plesiosaurus hunting fish.

A Plesiosaurus In The Water

A picture of a Plesiosaurus in the water.

Plesiosaurus Resources

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