Dino card No. 1711 of 2,015

Struthiosaurus

Say it: STROO-thee-oh-SORE-us

Name means: “ostrich lizard”1

Ate: PlantsArmoured dinosLate Cretaceous

Struthiosaurus was a small armoured dinosaur that lived on islands in Europe. It had bony plates on its back for protection and ate plants. Scientists think it was a dwarf ankylosaur because it was much smaller than its relatives.2 1

Lived

84 to 66 million years ago3

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Austria, Romania, France, and Spain3 2

Food

Plants3 2

Length

2 to 3 m1

Weight

300 kg to 400 kg1

Artist's life restoration of Struthiosaurus — How Struthiosaurus may have looked, by Baron Franz Nopsca (Life time: 1877–1933). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Scientists still argue about colours and details.

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

Struthiosaurus had very poor hearing and relied mostly on its armour for defence.1

It was one of the smallest armoured dinosaurs, only about 2 to 3 metres long.1

Struthiosaurus lived on islands in Europe during the Late Cretaceous, which may have made it a dwarf species.2

Its name means 'ostrich lizard' because the first skull piece found looked bird-like.1

Scientists think Struthiosaurus was a slow and solitary animal.1

Three valid species of Struthiosaurus are known: S. austriacus, S. transylvanicus, and S. languedocensis.1

Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Struthiosaurus was a giant dinosaur.

Truth: It was actually one of the smallest armoured dinosaurs, only 2 to 3 metres long.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Struthiosaurus
Named by: Bunzel 18703
Group: Armoured dinos
Family / clade: Nodosauridae3
Classification: Ornithischia > Ankylosauria > Nodosauridae > Thyreophora3
Age of the rocks: 84 to 66 million years (Campanian to Maastrichtian)3
Rock formations: Grünbach, Sebeş, Râul Mare3
Countries: Romania, Austria, Spain, France3
Fossil records: 23 in the Paleobiology Database3
Also known as: Crataeomus, Danubiosaurus, Leipsanosaurus, Pleuropeltus (older names now counted as the same animal)3
Discovery: The first fossils were found in 1859 in a coal mine in Austria by geologist Eduard Suess. The dinosaur was named Struthiosaurus by Emanuel Bunzel in 1871.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate whether Struthiosaurus was one of the most primitive nodosaurids or more advanced.1

Where the facts come from

Struthiosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Struthiosaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Struthiosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.