Carnotaurus (name meaning "Meat-Eating Bull") is a genus of abelisaurid dinosaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous in what is now South America. Measuring 8 meters long and weighing 2 tons, Carnotaurus is one of the world's best-known dinosaurs, famous for its predatory nature and bull-like horns.
In the Series 2 episode "Jungle of the Cannibal", a family of Carnotaurus were brought to the park from Late Cretaceous South America 70 million years ago.
Facts[]
Era & Discovery[]
Carnotaurus lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period, from 86 – 65 million years ago. Carnotaurus was first discovered in 1984 by an expedition led by Argentinian paleontologist José Bonaparte. Since its discovery, Carnotaurus has become one of the most famous dinosaurs in the world.
Physical Attributes[]
Carnotaurus was relatively large for a medium-sized predatory dinosaur. On average, they stood around 8 – 10 feet (2.5 – 3 m) tall, measured 24 – 34 feet (7 – 10 m) long, and weighed around 2 tons (4,000 lbs.). However, it was smaller than larger predators, such as Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus.
Details of its skull indicate that it had a good sense of smell, but poor eyesight. Its forelegs were very small - some of the smallest among dinosaurs, some scientists even think they were fully internal, but this point of view isn't widely accepted. Being a lightweight, Carnotaurus could run extremely fast, and in fact, was one of the fastest theropods that had ever lived, running as fast as 30 – 35 mph.
Perhaps Carnotaurus's most recognizable attribute was the pair of small horns on top of their heads, just above their eyes. Rather than for confrontations, these horns seem to be for display in courtships during mating season.
Behavior & Traits[]
Said to have the same short temper as a bull, Carnotuaurs was a ferocious dinosaur, hence its name. Like some carnivores, Carnotaurus hunted in pairs as well as packs but were also solitary. The pack would be made up of the parents and their offspring. During mating season, the males would show off their horns and the females chose the males with the largest and most colorful horns. Additionally, rival males would fight each other with bites, tail-whips, and ramming attacks.
Carnotaurus skeleton
When female Carnotaurs had babies, they were very wary of the males being around them, as male carnivores often eat their young. However, the males would help the females raise their offspring if it was ever necessary.
As far as hunting went, Carnotaurus would lie in wait within trees, waiting for the right moment to strike. Once they locked on a target, they would erupt out of the trees and chase down prey. Like most predatory dinosaurs of their size, Carnotaurus had been known to attack animals that rival their own size. Together in a pack, Carnotaurus would even be able to bring down small sauropods.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The sound effects of Carnotaurus are that of cheetah, custom dinosaur sounds, jaguar, and leopard.