Fun Suzhousaurus Facts For Kids

The Suzhousaurus was a large therizinosauroid that existed during the Mesozoic era’s Early Cretaceous period. It was alive about 145-100 million years ago, mostly in the Albian age and the Aptian age. Based on the evidence, they went extinct towards the end of the Albian age. Its fossil remains in the form of a partial skeleton specimen were found in China in Asia. Fossil remains of the specimen were found in Gansu province’s Jiuquan area, which was formerly known as ‘Suzhou’, hence the generic name. The Xinminbao group in the Yujingzi Basin was where the Suzhousaurus definitely lived, specifically the Zhonggou Formation and the Xiagou Formation. The type species is Suzhousaurus megatherioides and the specific name megatherioides comes from the resemblance to Megatherium sloths. Suzhousaurus can be described as a strange therizinosaurus that had a pot-belly, giant claws, a feathered body, a turkey-like head, and giant arms. It is the only known dinosaur that waddled. The Suzhousaurus also has the largest known upper arm bone among theropods and its closest relative is Nothronychus. The Suzhousaurus group genus was described by a group of scientists at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences that included Kenneth Lacovara, Jerrald Harris, and Dr. Hai-Lu You.For more relatable content, check out these Velocisaurus facts and these Aralosaurus facts for kids.

What did they prey on? Plants, bark, twigs, leaves

What did they eat? Herbivores

Average litter size? 3-20 eggs

How much did they weigh? 3.4 tons (3,100 kg)

How long were they? 20 ft (6 m)

How tall were they? N/A

What did they look like? Large dinosaurs with large trunks

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Natural disasters

Where were they found? Semi-arid and warm plains with ephemeral small lakes, open land biomes with short-lived and weak rivers, narrow hills with large lakes

Locations Asia (China)

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Suzhousaurus

Class Reptilia

Family Therizinosauridae Therizinosauroidea (superfamily)

Scientific Name Suzhousaurus megatherioides

How scary were they? 2

How loud were they? 3

How intelligent were they? 3

Suzhousaurus Interesting FactsHow do you pronounce ‘Suzhousaurus’?The Suzhousaurus pronunciation is ‘Su-zhu-sor-us’.What type of dinosaur was a Suzhousaurus?The Suzhousaurus was a big therizinosauroid dinosaur.In which geological period did the Suzhousaurus roam the earth?The Suzhousaurus existed in the Early Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era. The Early Cretaceous period lasted from 145 to 100 million years ago, especially close to 125 million years ago, close to the Aptian age and the Albian age.The Early Cretaceous period includes the Berriasian, Valanginian, Hauterivian, Barremian, Aptian, and Albian stages.When did the Suzhousaurus become extinct?The Suzhousaurus became extinct at the end of the Albian age of the Early Cretaceous period. This new species of therizinosauroid is thought to have inhabited the Earth from 125 million years ago to the end of the Albian age of the Early Cretaceous period.Where did the Suzhousaurus live?The Suzhousaurus dinosaur definitely existed in Asia, specifically in China. In China, the dinosaur is thought to have lived in what is today the Gansu Province, in the Yujingzi Basin. In the Yujingzi Basin, this new species of therizinosauroid dinosaur lived in the Xinminpu or Xinminbao Group.In the Xinminbao Group, two specimens in the form of a partial skeleton have been found in the Zhonggou Formation and the Xiagou formation.What was the Suzhousaurus’ habitat?Suzhousaurus dinosaurs lived in semi-arid and warm plains with ephemeral and shallow lakes.They may also have lived in open biomes with many rivers that were weak and short-lived. This new species of therizinosauroid dinosaur may have also lived near narrow hills with big lakes.Who did the Suzhousaurus live with?The Suzhousaurus dinosaur, being a herbivore, may have lived with other dinosaurs or by itself.How long did the Suzhousaurus live?Being a herbivorous dinosaur, the Suzhousaurus may have lived for 30-80 years or more.How did they reproduce?Suzhousaurus dinosaurs reproduced by mating and egg-laying.Suzhousaurus Fun FactsWhat did the Suzhousaurus look like?The Suzhousaurus was among the largest known therizinosauroids of the Early Cretaceous period. It can be separated from other therizinosauroids because its top half was round. The Suzhousaurus had a keratinous beak and hindlimbs that were stocky and robust. The belly of the Suzhousaurus was giant and the tail was reduced. Perhaps the most important known feature was that the Suzhousaurus had feathers that at least partially covered its body and not dry scales.The Suzhouosaurus dinosaur also has dorsal vertebrae centra that are flat and strongly concave on both their ends. There are no pneumatic openings. There are air-filled, small holes on the lateral side of the anterior vertebrae centra which progressively become smaller in size. Neural spines of the Suzhousaurus also elongate on its posterior sides. These neural spines orient sub vertically when going through the anterior side dorsals but become more inclined on reaching the rear. Neural spines of the Suzhousaurus form a large plate and neural canals are reduced. The sacrum of the Suzhousaurus is made up of five fused vertebrae that do not have any pneumatization. The dinosaur’s caudal vertebrae tend to be smaller than its preceding vertebrae and have more rounded facets. The neural spine progressively decreases in width.The scapulocoracoid element of the Yujingzi Basin Suzhousaurus is a robust one and it follows the same shape as the Therizinosaurus and the Segnosaurus. From the top, the scapular blade appears recurved indicating that the thorax is round. The right scapula tends to be joined with the coracoid and both of these elements look coossified like most other therizinosauroids. There are many other features of the Suzhousaurus that resemble characters of the therizinosauroids, especially Alxasaurus and Beipiaosaurus, like the thickened femur and developed trochanter.More informally, the Suzhousaurus can be described as a strange, sloth-like therizinosaur that has a feathered body, a pot-belly, enormous claws like Edward Scissorhands, a head like a turkey, and large arms. From its partial skeleton, it can be inferred that it walked and waddled on two hind legs, much like other carnivores like the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Also, the upper arm bone of the Suzhousaurus is the longest among theropods and the closest relative of the Suzhousaurus is Nothronychus.How many bones did a Suzhousaurus have?It is unclear exactly how many bones the Suzhousaurus dinosaur had.How did they communicate?The Early Cretaceous-era Suzhousaurus is famously known as the waddling dinosaur. It is one of the only dinosaurs that is known to have swayed from one side to another and walked with short steps.Like other dinosaurs, they may have used visual and vocal cues like hoots, bellows, grunts, posturing, mating, and territorial displays.How big was the Suzhousaurus?The Early Cretaceous-era Suzhousaurus was 20 ft (6 m) long on average. This makes the Suzhousaurus size three times bigger than the Lesothosaurus.How fast could a Suzhousaurus move?Exact speeds of a Suzhousaurus are not known, but being bipedal herbivores, their speeds may be slower, around 4.5 mph (7.2 kph).How much did a Suzhousaurus weigh?A Suzhousaurus weighed 3.4 tons (3,100 kg).What were the male and female names of the species?Males and females of the Suzhousaurus genus and species did not have specific names. But the ‘saurus’ suffix could follow male names and the ‘saura’ suffix could follow female names.What would you call a baby Suzhousaurus?A baby Suzhousaurus is called a hatchling or a nestling.What did they eat?The Suzhousaurus diet was herbivorous and it probably ate plants, bark, twigs, and leaves.How aggressive were they?Being herbivorous therizinosauroiods, Suzhousaurus genus dinosaurs were probably not that aggressive.Did you know…The Suzhousaurus is a new, recently found dinosaur from the Gansu Province in China. Fossils were found by a team of researchers whose leader was Dr. Hai-Lu You at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. The specimen fossil of this Early Cretaceous dinosaur was described by Geological Sciences University colleagues Kenneth Lacovara, Zhang Jianping, Li Daqing, You Hailu, Peng Cuo, Jerrald Harris, and Matthew Lamanna.The Suzhousaurus genus belongs to therizinosaurs, a group of peculiar dinosaurs that had long necks, smaller heads, giant claws and arms, flaring hips, and ribs that made their bodies appear widened.Why are they called Suzhousaurus?The type species of the Suzhousaurus genus is called the Suzhousaurus megatherioides. The generic name ‘Suzhousaurus’ comes from Suzhou. Suzhou is the older name of Gansu province’s Jiuquan area in China. The specific name ‘megatherioides’ meaning is based on the fact that the dinosaur resembles the Megatherium sloths.How strong were Suzhousaurus’ teeth?Teeth of the Suzhousaurus were small and had a minimal amount of serrations. They probably weren’t the strongest but were strong enough to rip vegetation from trees to eat.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other dinosaurs from our Condorraptor interesting facts and Gravitholus fun facts for kids pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Suzhousaurus coloring pages. Main image by FunkMonk (Michael B. H.).Second image by SSR2000.

How do you pronounce ‘Suzhousaurus’?

The Suzhousaurus pronunciation is ‘Su-zhu-sor-us’.

Fun Suzhousaurus Facts For Kids

What did they prey on? Plants, bark, twigs, leaves

What did they eat? Herbivores

Average litter size? 3-20 eggs

How much did they weigh? 3.4 tons (3,100 kg)

How long were they? 20 ft (6 m)

How tall were they? N/A

What did they look like? Large dinosaurs with large trunks

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Natural disasters

Where were they found? Semi-arid and warm plains with ephemeral small lakes, open land biomes with short-lived and weak rivers, narrow hills with large lakes

Locations Asia (China)

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Suzhousaurus

Class Reptilia

Family Therizinosauridae Therizinosauroidea (superfamily)

Scientific Name Suzhousaurus megatherioides

How scary were they? 2

How loud were they? 3

How intelligent were they? 3

Fun Suzhousaurus Facts For Kids

What did they prey on? Plants, bark, twigs, leaves

What did they eat? Herbivores

Average litter size? 3-20 eggs

How much did they weigh? 3.4 tons (3,100 kg)

How long were they? 20 ft (6 m)

How tall were they? N/A

What did they look like? Large dinosaurs with large trunks

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Natural disasters

Where were they found? Semi-arid and warm plains with ephemeral small lakes, open land biomes with short-lived and weak rivers, narrow hills with large lakes

Locations Asia (China)

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Suzhousaurus

Class Reptilia

Family Therizinosauridae Therizinosauroidea (superfamily)

Scientific Name Suzhousaurus megatherioides

How scary were they? 2

How loud were they? 3

How intelligent were they? 3

Fun Suzhousaurus Facts For Kids

What did they prey on? Plants, bark, twigs, leaves

What did they eat? Herbivores

Average litter size? 3-20 eggs

How much did they weigh? 3.4 tons (3,100 kg)

How long were they? 20 ft (6 m)

How tall were they? N/A

What did they look like? Large dinosaurs with large trunks

Skin Type Feathers

What were their main threats? Natural disasters

Where were they found? Semi-arid and warm plains with ephemeral small lakes, open land biomes with short-lived and weak rivers, narrow hills with large lakes

Locations Asia (China)

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Suzhousaurus

Class Reptilia

Family Therizinosauridae Therizinosauroidea (superfamily)

Scientific Name Suzhousaurus megatherioides

How scary were they? 2

How loud were they? 3

How intelligent were they? 3