Dino card No. 1824 of 2,027

Traskasaura

Name means: “Trask lizard”1

Ate: MeatPlesiosaursLate CretaceousNot technically a dinosaur

Traskasaura was a long-necked marine reptile that lived in the ocean around Vancouver Island, Canada, about 85 million years ago. It was a fierce predator with strong, sharp teeth that could crush the shells of its prey. This ancient sea monster is the official fossil of British Columbia!1 2

Fun fact: this sea reptile swam while dinosaurs walked on land. Everyone calls them dinos, but they were a different branch of reptiles.

Lived

86 to 84 million years ago3

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Haslam Formation, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada1 3

Food

Meat2

Length

10 to 12 m1 2

estimated

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

as long as 2.5 cars parked in a rowas long as 67 bananas end to end

How big was Traskasaura compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Traskasaura had a very long neck with at least 50 bones, making it one of the longest-necked elasmosaurs.2

This marine reptile could swim downwards to dive on its prey from above, a hunting style that was unusual for elasmosaurs.2

The first Traskasaura fossil was found in 1988 by Michael Trask and his daughter Heather along the Puntledge River.1

Traskasaura was named the official Provincial Fossil of British Columbia in 2023, even before it got its scientific name.1 2

Scientists think Traskasaura had a strange mix of features from both early elasmosaurs and a later group called aristonectines.1

Three Traskasaura specimens have been found, including a nearly complete adult skeleton and a well-preserved juvenile.1

AI-made picture of Traskasaura — An AI-made picture of how Traskasaura might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Traskasaura

?How big was Traskasaura?

About 12 metres (39 feet) long. That is roughly as long as a large bus.2

?What did Traskasaura eat?

It likely ate ammonites, shelled sea creatures that lived in the same ocean. Its strong, sharp teeth were perfect for crushing their shells.2

?Is Traskasaura a dinosaur?

No, it is a plesiosaur, a type of marine reptile that lived in the sea. It is not a dinosaur.1

?When did Traskasaura live?

It lived about 85 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period.1 2

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Traskasaura
Named by: O’Keefe et al. 20253
Group: Plesiosaurs
Family / clade: Elasmosauridae3
Classification: Plesiosauria > Elasmosauridae > Sauropterygia3
Age of the rocks: 86 to 84 million years (Santonian)3
Rock formations: Haslam3
Countries: Canada3
Fossil records: 3 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: The first Traskasaura skeleton was discovered in 1988 by Michael Trask and his daughter Heather on the bank of the Puntledge River near Courtenay, British Columbia. It was officially named Traskasaura sandrae in 2025 by paleontologist F. Robin O'Keefe and colleagues.1
Still debated: Scientists debate whether Traskasaura was a very early aristonectine or if its similar features evolved separately.1

Where the facts come from

Traskasaura (en.wikipedia.org)
Mystery of “very odd” elasmosaur finally solved: one of North America’s most famous fossils identified as new species - Taylor & Francis Newsroom (newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com)
Traskasaura 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.

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