Facts About Diplodocus
The Diplodocus lived in the late Jurassic period, at the same time as ferocious dinosaurs like the T. Rex or Allosaurus !
The Diplodocus was quite well-known itself, particularly known for its extremely long neck and tail. We’ve got lots of fun facts about it right here to highlight what an impressive and unique creature the Diplodocus was!
What did the Diplodocus look like?
If you haven’t recognised the name already, you’ll surely recognise its looks! The Diplodocus was kind of like a giant lizard, with a long, stretching neck and an even longer tail. Although it was a huge dinosaur, it had a small head with flat, spoon-shaped teeth. Imagine having teeth shaped like spoons! While it had a mighty body, it also had smaller legs, though they were likely still pretty muscular to hold up its body. If you still don’t recognise the mighty Diplodocus, check out the examples below.
As the exact appearance of dinosaurs remains uncertain, the images above are provided for illustrative purposes only and have been generated using AI technology.
How big was the Diplodocus?
The Diplodocus was one of the biggest dinosaurs ever, with its neck along stretching as long as 30 feet! That wasn’t even its most impressive feature, as its tail could grow even longer, stretching to 40 feet. That means its neck alone was the length of a bus, and its tail could be as long as a fire truck. In total, the Diplodocus could be 85 feet long, which makes it even longer than a basketball court!
Given its huge size, the Diplodocus weighed about 20 tons, which is similar to the weight of 15 cars. Although that might sound pretty heavy, it’s surprisingly light for a dinosaur of this size! Coincidentally, it weighed about the same as a fire truck! Although its legs were smaller, they were like tall pillars that helped carry the Diplodocus’s weight.
At 15 feet tall, the Diplodocus was about as tall as a giraffe. Combined with its length and overall size, its legs had to be quite strong! It wasn’t designed to move quickly, but its structure helped it move efficiently. Its long tail would help it balance, enabling it to run despite its massive size. Some scientists also believe they hunted in packs, so it’s unlikely any predators would’ve wanted to take on a herd of such big dinosaurs, even if the Diplodocus couldn’t fight back well.
What did the Diplodocus eat?
If you’ve brushed up on similar-looking dinosaurs like the Apatosaurus , you might have already guessed that the Diplodocus was a herbivore! It would have needed to eat quite a bit to have energy for its big body, so it likely spent most of its time munching on plants like ferns or horsetails. It had a very strong digestive system, helping its bulky stomach break down all of the plants it ate, particularly tougher plants.
Its long neck helped it reach high-up plants, while its spoon-shaped teeth helped it scrape leaves from branches. Its height gave it quite an advantage over most other dinosaurs, so it could probably see and eat all of the food that others couldn’t reach! This also meant it likely didn’t need to fight with other herbivores for food, as there would be plenty of food up high and down below.
Where did the Diplodocus live?
Like many other herbivores in the late Jurassic period, the Diplodocus lived in what we now call North America. Although it’s now filled with cities, houses, and people, it was very different back then! It was covered in forests and plains, containing lots of vegetation for herbivores like the Diplodocus to munch on.
The Diplodocus likely lived in areas with lots of trees and other tall plants. The Earth back then was humid and warm, making plants abundant and providing the perfect climate for many dinosaurs. Similar to lizards, dinosaurs liked it warm, so they really were like big lizards!
What killed the Diplodocus?
Like other dinosaurs, the Diplodocus went extinct at the end of the Jurassic period when a mass extinction event occurred. You probably know that this was when a meteor hit the Earth, but it wasn’t the meteor itself that killed dinosaurs like the Diplodocus. The impact of the meteor caused drastic changes to the climate and environment. The temperature would rapidly change before dinosaurs could evolve to acclimate.
As a result of dramatically changing temperatures, wildfires and tsunamis became common, as well as dust clouds covering the sun. All of these factors would make it very difficult for dinosaurs to survive, but it would also have made plant-life impossible. Even had dinosaurs like the Diplodocus survived the catastrophic climate changes, they wouldn’t have had any food to eat.
Fun facts about Diplodocus
- Although the Diplodocus wasn’t much of a fighter, it might have used its long tail as a whip to scare away predators!
- The Diplodocus’s long neck was quite flexible, allowing it to reach food much lower down as well as higher up plants.
- The Diplodocus was similar to other herbivores like the Brachiosaurus , but it was much lighter and could likely move quicker than most other herbivores of its size.
- Due to its massive size, scientists believe it would have needed to drink quite a lot of water, as well as munching lots of food.
- Considering the Diplodocus’s small head, its brain was only the size of a grapefruit! It might not have been super intelligent, but it would have been smart enough to find food and evade predators, especially if travelling in groups.
- Its name comes from the Greek words “diploos” and “dokos”, which means “double beamed”. While that might not sound exciting, it refers to the double-beamed shape of its tail bones, which is pretty neat!
Closing Summary:
It might not have been the most fearsome dinosaur around, but the Diplodocus was still pretty cool! Its flexible neck and long, whipping tail made it quite unique compared to other herbivores. Can you imagine wondering around forests and seeing a giant Diplodocus munching on trees? They were probably peaceful creatures, so you wouldn’t have anything to worry about!
Now that you know lots of cool facts about the Diplodocus, how about checking out some of our other dinosaurs? If you explore and learn enough, you might be a dinosaur detective yourself one day, looking for fossils and making discoveries! Alternatively, why not check out our activities to get your imagination going—What kind of colour do you think a Diplodocus was?
Diplodcus Questions & Answer Sheet
Check out our fun Diplodocus quiz for kids! After learning all about this amazing dinosaur, test your knowledge with 10 exciting questions. The quiz covers everything from the Diplodocus’s impressive size and diet to where it lived and how it might have used its long tail. It’s a great way to see how much you’ve learned about this gentle giant!
We’ve also included an answer sheet to help you check your answers. Whether you’re studying dinosaurs or just looking for a fun activity, this quiz is a perfect way to dive deeper into the world of the Diplodocus. Challenge your friends or family to see who knows the most about this incredible dinosaur!
