Facts About Dilophosaurus
While the Dilophosaurus might not be the most well-known dinosaur, it was one of the most fascinating creatures of the Jurassic period. You might have even seen it in movies before, with its fancy frill and venomous spit! Although it didn’t really have a frill and wasn’t able to spit venom, we’ve got lots of fun facts for you to explore about the Dilophosaurus. Keep reading to learn more and become a Dilophosaurus pro!
What did the Dilophosaurus look like?
The Dilophosaurus had a long, slim body that was built to be fast and agile. Unlike heavier dinosaurs, the Dilophosaurus didn’t have thick scales or bony armour. It was quite slender and probably wasn’t particularly heavy. The Dilophosaurus had a light frame overall, but its legs were powerful to help it run fast, and it had sharp claws to help it hunt or protect itself. While we can’t say exactly what dinosaurs looked like, check out an example of the Dilophosaurus below!
Although they were slim and light, you can see that they were still pretty strong, even with their smaller front limbs. Their arms would typically be used to grab food and potentially hold it up to their mouths. Their much longer hind legs were built for sprinting, helping them catch up quickly to prey or escape from other predators. Along with their sharp, serrated teeth, it’s unlikely that smaller creatures could survive a Dilophosaurus’s attack.
You might also have noticed the bumps on its head! These are called crests, which are bony lumps that some other dinosaurs had too, like the Parasaurolophus . Although scientists don’t know exactly what crests were for, it’s possible they were used to attract mates or make signals to other dinosaurs. It’s also possible they had a variety of colours, particularly if they were used to show off!
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 Dilophosaurus?
Despite its fearsome appearance, the Dilophosaurus wasn’t as big as later dinosaurs like the Giganotosaurus. However, it was still a mighty predator and could grow up to 7 metres long and 2 metres tall. That makes it similar to a horse that’s as long as a bus, which would be funny to see! They also weighed similarly to a horse, coming in at about 1000 pounds. While that might sound like a lot, there were certainly other dinosaurs. Brachiosaurus, for example, weighed up to 120,000 pounds! That makes the Brachiosaurus a whipping 120 times heavier than a Dilophosaurus.
What did the Dilophosaurus eat?
As you might have already guessed from its sharp teeth and grabbing arms, the Dilophosaurus was a carnivore. Although there were other small animals around at the time, it likely hunted smaller dinosaurs and maybe even fish! Its long teeth were great at slicing through flesh, but it didn’t have strong jaws like a T. Rex to crush up bones. Scientists believe the Dilophosaurus would pick the meat off bones and use its serrated teeth to grind it up.
Although carnivorous dinosaurs were typically much bigger and had stronger jaws, the Dilophosaurus’s lightweight body made it a great hunter. Where other predators were built for power, the Dilophosaurus was built for speed. Its strong legs helped it run up to 30 miles an hour, while its small arms could quickly grab prey. Imagine a car with giant, sharp teeth and claws running to grab you!
Some scientists believe the Dilophosaurus might even have been a scavenger, picking meat from carcasses it came across. Although it could hunt efficiently, it seems the Dilophosaurus wasn’t a picky dinosaur and likely ate any food it could find, whether it was alive or dead. They would have been even more interesting hunters if they really could spit venom, huh?
Where did the Dilophosaurus live?
The Dilophosaurus lived during the early Jurassic period, a massive 193 million years ago! It lived in what we now call North America, though it was very different to how we see it today. Back then, the Earth was warm and humid, making areas like North America the perfect place for wildlife to thrive. With an abundance of plants growing, there would be plenty of herbivores for the Dilophosaurus to hunt and lots of lakes or rivers for fishing.
What killed the Dilophosaurus?
Unlike many other dinosaurs, we actually don’t know how the Dilophosaurus went extinct. We know that it disappeared millions of years before the mass extinction event that killed all dinosaurs, but scientists aren’t sure exactly how. Similar to the mass extinction event, it may be that shifts in the climate made it hard for the Dilophosaurus to adjust or find food. However, it may also have come down to competition from other predators and not enough food for all of them! What do you think happened to the Dilophosaurus?
Interesting facts about Dilophosaurus
- The name Dilophosaurus means “two-crested lizard” in Greek, referring to the two bony bumps it had on its head.
- Dilophosaurus fossils were first found in the 1940s, in what we now call Arizona!
- While it wasn’t as big as other dinosaurs, it was still one of the largest land predators of the Jurassic period.
- The Dilophosaurus had a great sense of smell and could likely smell prey or other food sources from far away.
- Similar to dinosaurs like the velociraptor, the Dilophosaurus might have hunted in packs. If they worked together, they would have been able to take on much larger prey!
- The Dilophosaurus had hollow bones like modern birds do, which was likely to make it lighter and faster than other, bulky dinosaurs.
- The Dilophosaurus had about 30 teeth! It might not sound like lots, but considering how big and sharp they were, that’s a lot of teeth to fit in one head! Its front teeth were also shaped differently, suggesting it might have scavenged.
Closing Summary:
It might not have been as tall and beefy as other predators, but the Dilophosaurus was a skilled hunter. As a lightweight carnivore with hollow bones, it was also pretty unique! While many predators relied on brute strength, the Dilophosaurus equally relied on its speed and pack tactics, making it a very efficient hunter.
Now that you know lots of facts about the Dilophosaurus, how about checking out some other dinosaurs? If you keep exploring, you might one day be looking for dinosaur fossils too! Maybe you’ll find out what colour the Dilophosaurus’s crest was or what its skin was like. Some dinosaurs are thought to have feathers!
Dilophosaurs Questions & Answer Sheet
Test your knowledge of the Dilophosaurus with this fun quiz! While not as famous as other dinosaurs, the Dilophosaurus had unique features like its speed, sharp teeth, and bony head crests. In this quiz, you’ll answer questions about its size, diet, and hunting tactics, all based on the blog post above.
Download the quiz to see how much you’ve learned! From its running speed to its diet, all the answers are in the blog post. Challenge yourself and discover more fascinating facts about this amazing dinosaur!
