FACT SHEET: Brachiosaurus

FACT SHEET: brachiosaurus

NAME: BRACHIOSAURUS (BRAK-ee-oh-SAW-rus), meaning: "Arm Lizard" SIZE: 85 feet tall, weighed 70 tons TYPE OF DIET: Herbivore (plants, tree tops) WHEN: Late Jurassic period (156 - 57 million years ago) WHERE: Tanzania, Africa and North America

Brachiosaurus was one of the tallest and largest dinosaurs ever discovered. It lived during the middle to late Jurassic period, about 156 to 57 million years ago. Unlike most dinosaurs, its front legs were longer than its hind legs: this, together with its very long neck, made Brachiosaurus look a little like a giraffe. It also made it very tall. Brachiosaurus grew up to 85 feet tall and weighed about 70 tons. Brachiosaurus had very large nostrils on the top of its head. Brachiosaurus was an herbivore, meaning that it only ate plants. It probably ate the tops of tall trees with its large chisel-shaped teeth. Brachiosaurus was always looking for food. It would have needed about 400 pounds of food a day to stay alive! Like many large sauropods, Brachio- saurus swallowed small stones with its food. These stones were called gastroliths. Brachiosaurus probably traveled in large groups or herds. Once they ate all the food in one place, the entire group would move to another place, many miles away. The best defense this dinosaur had was its size. It also had a thick tail that could whip away most big hunters. Brachiosaurus had leathery skin that was difficult to bite through. Sauropod dinosaurs did not take care of their babies after they hatched. The babies were left to fend for themselves. As adults, they might have lived to be 100 years old! Many Brachiosaurus fossils have been found in Tanzania, Africa. They have also been found in many other places in Africa and North America.