# Maiasaura (*Maiasaura peeblesorum*)

Maiasaura 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
- **Also known as:** Good Mother Lizard

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

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

## Appearance

The Maiasaura has a broad, flat 'duck-bill' snout and a small, bony crest in front of its eyes. Its body was robust with strong hind legs, likely covered in scaly skin, possibly in earthy greens or browns for camouflage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia

## Interesting facts

- It had hundreds of tiny teeth packed together for chewing up tough plants!
- Maiasaura means 'good mother lizard,' named for its amazing parenting skills!
- Scientists discovered whole nesting colonies with eggs and baby dinosaurs!
- Some Maiasaura herds stretched for miles, making them super social!

## Special abilities

- **Good Mother's Nurturing:** Maiasaura cared for its young because fossil evidence shows nested eggs and juveniles, helping them survive.
- **Herd Protection:** Maiasaura lived in large herds that helped them defend against predators and forage for food safely.
- **Powerful Plant Munching:** Maiasaura has hundreds of self-replacing teeth that help them grind tough plants into digestible bits.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 7-9 m
- **Weight:** 2000-4000 kg
- **Era:** Late Cretaceous
- **Extinct Millions Years Ago:** 75.5

## Diet & Feeding

A gentle giant, Maiasaura munched on plants, using its special beak and teeth to pluck and grind vegetation.

- **Age differences:** Young Maiasaura likely ate softer, more easily digestible plants compared to the tougher vegetation consumed by adults.
- **Primary Foods:** Leaves, Twigs, Conifer needles, Ferns, Fruits
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Daspletosaurus (*Daspletosaurus torosus*) — A large tyrannosaur, hunted Maiasaura.
- **Eaten by:** Gorgosaurus (*Gorgosaurus libratus*) — Another tyrannosaurid that likely preyed on herds.
- **Eats:** Ginkgo tree (*Ginkgo adiantoides*) — Its leaves were a common food source for Maiasaura.

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [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.
- [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

- [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 Maiasaura?

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 Maiasaura?

7-9 m

### How much does Maiasaura weigh?

2000-4000 kg

### What does Maiasaura eat?

A gentle giant, Maiasaura munched on plants, using its special beak and teeth to pluck and grind vegetation.

### Where is Maiasaura usually found?

Mesozoic forests and floodplains

### How does Maiasaura hunt?

Foraging

### What geologic era did Maiasaura live in?

Late Cretaceous

### When did Maiasaura go extinct?

75.5

## 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: [Maiasaura: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/maiasaura)