# Camarasaurus (*Camarasaurus supremus*)

Camarasaurus was a prehistoric dinosaur known for its distinctive features. Scientists study its bones to learn about how dinosaurs lived.

- **Category:** [Ancient](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/ancient)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Mesozoic forests and floodplains

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

Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cope_Quarry.jpg)

## Appearance

The Camarasaurus is a large, sturdy sauropod with a relatively short, boxy skull and a shorter, thicker neck compared to other long-necked dinosaurs. Its sturdy limbs were nearly equal in length, giving it a somewhat squat appearance. It had distinctive broad, spoon-shaped teeth.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia

## Interesting facts

- Even though it was enormous, its brain was only about the size of a grapefruit!
- It lived at the same time and in the same places as the fierce hunter Allosaurus!
- Its name means "chambered lizard" because its huge backbones had hollow, air-filled spaces!
- This giant dinosaur swallowed stones, called gastroliths, to help grind tough plants in its stomach!

## Special abilities

- **High-Reach Browser:** Camarasaurus could reach high branches because of its sturdy, muscular neck that helped it browse tall foliage.
- **Heavy-Duty Muncher:** Camarasaurus had broad, spoon-shaped teeth that helped it strip tough leaves and branches from plants.
- **Built for Balance:** Camarasaurus had front legs nearly as long as its hind legs, which helped distribute its massive weight for stability.
- **Lightweight Bones:** Camarasaurus had hollow, air-filled spaces in its vertebrae that helped lighten its huge skeleton.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 15-23 m
- **Weight:** 18000-30000 kg
- **Era:** Mesozoic (Late Jurassic)
- **Extinct Millions Years Ago:** 145

## Diet & Feeding

This gentle giant was a plant-eater, using its strong teeth to strip leaves and browse on high branches.

- **Primary Foods:** Conifers, Cycads, Ferns, Ginkgos, Horsetails
- **Foraging Method:** Grazing

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Allosaurus](https://www.snappit.app/explore/allosaurus) (*Allosaurus fragilis*) — Juveniles or sick adults might have been prey.
- **Eats:** Ginkgo tree (*Ginkgo biloba*) — Its broad teeth were adapted for stripping leaves from these trees.
- **Eats:** Monkey Puzzle tree relative (*Araucaria mirabilis*) — It browsed on the tough needles and branches of these conifers.

## 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.
- [Artifact](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/artifact): An artifact is an object made or modified by human culture, typically of historical or archaeological interest.
- [Armored](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/armored): Armored describes animals protected by a hard, external covering or shell for defense.
- [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

- [Ancient](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/ancient)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

While extremely dangerous in their time, this creature is now extinct.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Camarasaurus?

Compare skull shape, horns, plates, limbs, posture and tail. Museum models and toys can mix features or follow outdated reconstructions. Dinosaur Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Camarasaurus?

15-23 m

### How much does Camarasaurus weigh?

18000-30000 kg

### What does Camarasaurus eat?

This gentle giant was a plant-eater, using its strong teeth to strip leaves and browse on high branches.

### Where is Camarasaurus usually found?

Mesozoic forests and floodplains

### How does Camarasaurus hunt?

Grazing

### What geologic era did Camarasaurus live in?

Mesozoic (Late Jurassic)

### When did Camarasaurus go extinct?

145

## 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*)

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Source: [Camarasaurus: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/camarasaurus)