# Ammonite

Ammonites are ancient creatures that lived in the oceans long before there were dinosaurs. Their spiral shells are like beautiful jewelry from the past.

- **Category:** [Ancient](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/ancient)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Deep Sea

![Ammonite](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Asteroceras_BW.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Nobu Tamura ( http://spinops.blogspot.com ), CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asteroceras_BW.jpg)

## Appearance

The Ammonite has a distinctive spiral, coiled shell, often resembling a ram's horn, with intricate patterns called sutures on its surface. Fossilized shells frequently display a beautiful iridescent shimmer, setting them apart from other ancient creatures.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia

## Interesting facts

- Ammonites swam by squirting water like a tiny jet-powered submarine!
- Scientists use special patterns on their shells like a barcode to date ancient rocks!
- Some ammonite fossils glow with incredible rainbow colors, prized as ancient jewels!
- Their closest living relatives today are not snails, but clever octopuses and squid!

## Special abilities

- **Chambered Buoyancy:** Ammonite can adjust its depth using gas-filled chambers, helping it float or sink in the ancient oceans.
- **Jet Propulsion:** Ammonite could move quickly through water by expelling a jet of water, allowing for agile hunting and escape.
- **Growth Spurt Shells:** Ammonite has a shell that grows continuously by adding new, larger chambers, providing lifelong protection as it matures.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 0.01-2 m
- **Weight:** 0.001-75 kg
- **Era:** Mesozoic
- **Extinct Millions Years Ago:** 66

## Diet & Feeding

Ammonites hunted small marine creatures like tiny crustaceans, plankton, and larval fish.

- **Primary Foods:** small crustaceans, plankton, larval fish
- **Foraging Method:** Pursuit

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Mosasaur (*Mosasaurus hoffmannii*) — Powerful marine reptiles hunted ammonites with crushing jaws.
- **Eaten by:** Plesiosaur (*Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus*) — Long-necked plesiosaurs preyed on ammonites in ancient seas.
- **Eaten by:** Crow Shark (*Squalicorax pristodontus*) — Ancient sharks like Squalicorax also hunted ammonites.

## Traits

- [Ancient](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient): Ancient refers to organisms, objects, or geological formations that have existed for an extremely long period.
- [Deep Sea](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deep-sea): Deep sea habitats are characterized by extreme pressure, darkness, and cold temperatures, supporting unique life forms below the sunlit zone.
- [Crystalline](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/crystalline): Crystalline describes a mineral or rock composed of crystals, often exhibiting a regular atomic structure and geometric external form.
- [Fossil](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fossil): A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of an ancient organism embedded in rock or other geological deposits.

## Collections

- [Fossils](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fossils)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Ammonites are fossils and not living creatures, so they are safe to explore and learn about.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Ammonite?

Look for repeated ribs, shell structure, symmetry, pores or other patterns that look grown rather than random. A suggestive shape in a stone isn't always a fossil. Fossil Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Ammonite?

0.01-2 m

### How much does Ammonite weigh?

0.001-75 kg

### What does Ammonite eat?

Ammonites hunted small marine creatures like tiny crustaceans, plankton, and larval fish.

### Where is Ammonite usually found?

Deep Sea

### How does Ammonite hunt?

Pursuit

### What geologic era did Ammonite live in?

Mesozoic

### When did Ammonite go extinct?

66

## More Ancient

- [Tyrannosaurus rex](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tyrannosaurus-rex) (*Tyrannosaurus rex*)
- [Triceratops](https://www.snappit.app/explore/triceratops) (*Triceratops horridus*)
- [Stegosaurus](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stegosaurus) (*Stegosaurus stenops*)
- [Brachiosaurus](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brachiosaurus) (*Brachiosaurus altithorax*)

---

Source: [Ammonite: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ammonite)