Commonly known as the water beast lizard, the Hydrotherosaurus (scientific name: Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae) is an Extinct genus of the elasmosaurid plesiosaur order. The marine reptile generally belonged to the Upper Cretaceous, also known as the Maastrichtian stage, which spanned from 72.1 to 66 million years ago. The Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae is the only species that belonged to the genus. The species inhabited salt or marine waters and used to prey on fish and several other marine reptiles and invertebrates.The average length of the species is around 26-43 ft (8-13 m). Unlike other elasmosaurids, the length of necks of the species is quite long; it had 60 vertebrae in total. The small head measured about 13 in (33 cm). Four large flippers helped the marine reptile to move, balance, and accelerate itself. The majority of plesiosaurs including the Hydrotherosaurus are known for having oddly shaped teeth. Teeth were long and pointed and angled in such a way that helped the dinosaurs catch and hold prey easily. Studies also reveal that these teeth acted like a trap for catching small fish and invertebrates.A well-preserved and almost complete fossil skeleton had been found in the Moreno Formation, Fresno County, California, the United States. The species was discovered by two American paleontologists, Annie Montague Alexander and Samuel Paul Welles.Let’s read more fun facts about the Hydrotherosaurus, and if you find this article interesting, don’t forget to check out exciting facts about different animals like the Harpactognathus and the Austroraptor.
Fun Hydrotherosaurus Facts For Kids
What did they prey on? Fish and marine animals
What did they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? N/A
How much did they weigh? N/A
How long were they? 26-43 ft (8-13 m)
How tall were they? N/A
What did they look like? Blue and white
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Climate change, drought, volcanic eruptions, asteroid impact
Where were they found? Oceans
Locations The United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Hydrotherosaurus
Class Reptilia
Family Elasmosauridae
Scientific Name Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae
How scary were they? 4
How loud were they? 3
How intelligent were they? 4
Hydrotherosaurus Interesting FactsHow do you pronounce ‘Hydrotherosaurus’?The pronunciation is quite tough and it would require continuous practice to say the name properly but we have a very simple way to pronounce it perfectly. You just have to break the word into three parts, like, ‘Hydro-thero-saurus’.What type of dinosaur was a Hydrotherosaurus?The water beast lizard is an Extinct genus of the elasmosaurid plesiosaur order. The marine reptile belonged to the Animalia kingdom, the Reptilia class while Hydrotherosaurus itself is a genus. The Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae is the only species that belonged to the genus.In which geological period did the Hydrotherosaurus roam the earth?While talking about the geological period, the Hydrotherosaurus dinosaur belonged to the Upper Cretaceous, also known as the Maastrichtian stage, which spanned from 72.1 to 66 million years ago. The Upper Cretaceous is also known as the Late Cretaceous age.When did the Hydrotherosaurus become Extinct?According to the temporal range of the dinosaur, the Hydrotherosaurus became Extinct about 70-66 million years ago. There are multiple causes that resulted in the extinction of several dinosaurs including Plesiosaurs. The reasons could be volcanic eruptions, climate change, drought, and several other natural disasters.Where did a Hydrotherosaurus live?A well-preserved and almost complete Hydrotherosaurus skeleton had been found in the Moreno Formation, Fresno County, California, the United States. Thus it can be said that the dinosaur would have been quite common in countries of North America.What was a Hydrotherosaurus’s habitat?As the name suggests, the water beast lizard was one of the dangerous marine reptiles. The fossil reveals that the elasmosaurid species inhabited oceanic and sea terrains, but it is not known if the dinosaur inhabited lakes and rivers.Who did a Hydrotherosaurus live with?Very little is known about the plesiosaur species, but like other carnivores, the dinosaur must have hunted in groups or packs. During breeding, they were found in pairs.How long did a Hydrotherosaurus live?The exact lifespan of these plesiosaurs is not known as of now, but species such as the Apatosaurus and the Diplodocus lived for around 70-80 years and some species such as the Supersaurus had a life expectancy of around 100 years.How did they reproduce?Mating patterns of Plesiosaurs were quite similar to modern-day reptiles and birds. The Plesiosaur species used a sexual mode of reproduction to produce young dinosaurs. Also, like modern animals, these creatures used courtship displays to attract potential partners. Male dinosaurs also used to fight over females.The litter size of the species is not known, but most species had a clutch size of around three to five eggs, while some laid around 15-20 eggs. It is not known whether parental care was involved after the birth of offspring.Hydrotherosaurus Fun FactsWhat did a Hydrotherosaurus look like?The dinosaur was one of the best hunters and swimmers in the marine world. The species is also known as the water beast lizard. The length of the necks of the species is quite long with 60 vertebrae in total. Teeth of the species were quite long, pointed, and sharp and helped it to hunt and catch prey easily. The bottom-dwelling dinosaur also used its teeth as a rake to dig and shift sand at the bottom of the ocean or sea. Four large flippers helped the marine animal to move, balance, and accelerate itself. In a nutshell, the most unique feature of the species was its exceptional swimming abilities.We’ve been unable to source an image of a Hydrotherosaurus and have used an image of an Aristonectes instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a Hydrotherosaurus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].How many bones did a Hydrotherosaurus have?No information regarding the Hydrotherosaurus body parts is available as of now, but a well-preserved and almost complete fossil skeleton had been discovered in Moreno Formation, Fresno County, California, the United States by Annie Montague Alexander and Samuel Paul Welles. The neck of the species possessed 60 vertebrae.How did they communicate?Very little is known about communication patterns of marine animals, but the species possessed similar patterns to modern-day animals. These Extinct reptiles used to communicate both vocally and visually, and some were able to make low, short guttural sounds. Also, some were quite territorial and used to display their dominance to intruders. They also used courtship displays to attract potential partners.How big was a Hydrotherosaurus?While talking about the Hydrotherosaurus size, the average length of the species is around 26-43 ft (8-13 m). The species is quite large compared to the Tyrannosaurus and the Spinosaurus.How fast could a Hydrotherosaurus move?The exact speed of the dinosaur is not known, but four large flippers helped the marine animal to move, balance, and accelerate itself in oceans and seas. Due to its ability to swim efficiently, the dinosaur was known as a water beast lizard.How much did a Hydrotherosaurus weigh?The exact weight of the Hydrotherosaurus dinosaur is not known as of now.What were the male and female names of the species?There are no specific names given to male and female dinosaurs; people generally call them Hydrotherosaurus.What would you call a baby Hydrotherosaurus?There are no specific names given to babies of the plesiosaur species, but like modern-day reptiles, these young dinosaurs were called hatchlings.What did they eat?When it comes to the Hydrotherosaurus diet, the dinosaur was a carnivore and used to prey on large fish and marine animals.How aggressive were they?No information regarding the social behavior of the species is known as of now.Did you know…The Mosasaurus is regarded as one of the largest marine dinosaurs.How did they get their name?The dinosaur got its name from two great personalities: a keen fossil collector, Annie Montague Alexander; and an American paleontologist, Samuel P. Welles.How strong were their teeth?Teeth of the species were quite long, pointed, and sharp and helped it to hunt and catch prey easily. The bottom-dwelling dinosaur also used its teeth as a rake to dig and shift sand at the bottom of the ocean or sea.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Homalocephale facts and Mosasaurus facts for kids.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Hydrotherosaurus coloring pages.We’ve been unable to source an image of a Hydrotherosaurus and have used an image of an Aristonectes instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a Hydrotherosaurus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].
How do you pronounce ‘Hydrotherosaurus’?
The pronunciation is quite tough and it would require continuous practice to say the name properly but we have a very simple way to pronounce it perfectly. You just have to break the word into three parts, like, ‘Hydro-thero-saurus’.
Fun Hydrotherosaurus Facts For Kids
What did they prey on? Fish and marine animals
What did they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? N/A
How much did they weigh? N/A
How long were they? 26-43 ft (8-13 m)
How tall were they? N/A
What did they look like? Blue and white
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Climate change, drought, volcanic eruptions, asteroid impact
Where were they found? Oceans
Locations The United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Hydrotherosaurus
Class Reptilia
Family Elasmosauridae
Scientific Name Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae
How scary were they? 4
How loud were they? 3
How intelligent were they? 4
Fun Hydrotherosaurus Facts For Kids
What did they prey on? Fish and marine animals
What did they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? N/A
How much did they weigh? N/A
How long were they? 26-43 ft (8-13 m)
How tall were they? N/A
What did they look like? Blue and white
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Climate change, drought, volcanic eruptions, asteroid impact
Where were they found? Oceans
Locations The United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Hydrotherosaurus
Class Reptilia
Family Elasmosauridae
Scientific Name Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae
How scary were they? 4
How loud were they? 3
How intelligent were they? 4
Fun Hydrotherosaurus Facts For Kids
What did they prey on? Fish and marine animals
What did they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? N/A
How much did they weigh? N/A
How long were they? 26-43 ft (8-13 m)
How tall were they? N/A
What did they look like? Blue and white
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Climate change, drought, volcanic eruptions, asteroid impact
Where were they found? Oceans
Locations The United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Hydrotherosaurus
Class Reptilia
Family Elasmosauridae
Scientific Name Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae
How scary were they? 4
How loud were they? 3
How intelligent were they? 4
Fun Hydrotherosaurus Facts For Kids
What did they prey on? Fish and marine animals
What did they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? N/A
How much did they weigh? N/A
How long were they? 26-43 ft (8-13 m)
How tall were they? N/A
What did they look like? Blue and white
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Climate change, drought, volcanic eruptions, asteroid impact
Where were they found? Oceans
Locations The United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Hydrotherosaurus
Class Reptilia
Family Elasmosauridae
Scientific Name Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae
How scary were they? 4
How loud were they? 3
How intelligent were they? 4
What did they prey on? Fish and marine animals
What did they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? N/A
How much did they weigh? N/A
How long were they? 26-43 ft (8-13 m)
How tall were they? N/A
What did they look like? Blue and white
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Climate change, drought, volcanic eruptions, asteroid impact
Where were they found? Oceans
Locations The United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Hydrotherosaurus
Class Reptilia
Family Elasmosauridae
Scientific Name Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae
How scary were they? 4
How loud were they? 3
How intelligent were they? 4
What did they prey on? Fish and marine animals
What did they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? N/A
How much did they weigh? N/A
How long were they? 26-43 ft (8-13 m)
How tall were they? N/A
What did they look like? Blue and white
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Climate change, drought, volcanic eruptions, asteroid impact
What did they prey on?
Fish and marine animals
What did they eat?
Carnivores
Average litter size?
N/A
How much did they weigh?
How long were they?
26-43 ft (8-13 m)
How tall were they?
What did they look like?
Blue and white
Skin Type
Scales
What were their main threats?
Climate change, drought, volcanic eruptions, asteroid impact
Where were they found? Oceans
Locations The United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Hydrotherosaurus
Class Reptilia
Family Elasmosauridae
Scientific Name Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae
How scary were they? 4
How loud were they? 3
How intelligent were they? 4
Where were they found?
Oceans
Locations
The United States
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Hydrotherosaurus
Kingdom
Animalia
Genus
Hydrotherosaurus
Class Reptilia
Family Elasmosauridae
