# Dreadnoughtus (*Dreadnoughtus schrani*)

Dreadnoughtus 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

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

Photo: Matthew Martyniuk, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dreadnoughtus_scale.png)

## Appearance

The Dreadnoughtus is an unimaginably massive, long-necked titanosaur with an equally long, powerful tail. It likely had thick, elephantine legs and a broad body, possibly clad in leathery, grey-green skin to help it blend with ancient forests.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia

## Interesting facts

- Dreadnoughtus weighed as much as a dozen fully grown elephants combined!
- It ate so much, it spent almost its entire day just munching on plants.
- Its name means 'fears nothing,' a perfect fit for this giant!
- The bones of a Dreadnoughtus are the most complete of any super-massive dinosaur.

## Special abilities

- **Colossal Reach:** Dreadnoughtus could effortlessly browse treetops because of its incredibly long neck, helping it access high-level vegetation.
- **Earthquake Stride:** Dreadnoughtus possessed immense body mass and pillar-like legs that helped it walk with unstoppable, ground-shaking power.
- **Whip-Strong Tail:** Dreadnoughtus had a colossal, muscular tail that could be used as a formidable defensive weapon against large predators.
- **Mega-Grazer Metabolism:** Dreadnoughtus had a huge digestive system to process vast amounts of tough plants, fueling its giant body.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 25-28 m
- **Weight:** 40000-60000 kg
- **Era:** Late Cretaceous
- **Extinct Millions Years Ago:** 77

## Diet & Feeding

This enormous dinosaur was a plant-eater, munching on massive amounts of leaves and branches to fuel its huge body.

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

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** Monkey Puzzle Tree (*Araucaria araucana*) — Ate ancient relatives of this sturdy conifer.
- **Eats:** Ginkgo Tree (*Ginkgo biloba*) — Consumed leaves from ancient relatives of this resilient tree.
- **Eats:** Sago Palm (*Cycas revoluta*) — Browsed on cycads, a common plant group in its era.

## 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.
- [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 Dreadnoughtus?

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 Dreadnoughtus?

25-28 m

### How much does Dreadnoughtus weigh?

40000-60000 kg

### What does Dreadnoughtus eat?

This enormous dinosaur was a plant-eater, munching on massive amounts of leaves and branches to fuel its huge body.

### Where is Dreadnoughtus usually found?

Mesozoic forests and floodplains

### How does Dreadnoughtus hunt?

Grazing

### What geologic era did Dreadnoughtus live in?

Late Cretaceous

### When did Dreadnoughtus go extinct?

77

## 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: [Dreadnoughtus: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dreadnoughtus)