Dinosaur Facts: Carcharodontosaurus
There are a group of usual suspects that are always mentioned when conversations turn to the largest Carnivorous or meat eating dinosaurs ever. These are The Tyrannosaurus Rex ( of course) , the Spinosaurus, the giganotosaurus and the Carcharodontosaurus. The Carcharodontosaurus was a massive theropod just like the others but is often overlooked by its more famous cousins. So we have some Carcharodontosaurus facts to try to share the love a little here!
The Carcharodontosaurus lived 100 -95 million years ago, during the cretaceous period. It was a carnivorous dinosaur that is suggested to reach 45 feet in length, and up to 12,000 to 30,000 lbs. in weight. It is considered to be one of the largest predators to walk the Earth and it name means “shark toothed lizard”
The Carcharodontosaurus is the only of the four super sized meat eating dinosaurs not to make an appearance in the Jurassic Park and World series of movies, though it has appeared in the games and in documentaries. This seems a little unfair so we have 25 Carcharodontosaurus facts on our little website to try to redress that balance a little.
We have fast facts directly below if you are in a hurry, and below those the meat ( haha) of our Carcharodontosaurus facts article. With Carcharodontosaurus printable fact sheets, coloring and links to more information. We hope it’s useful!
So let’s jump into our Carcharodontosaurus facts before the other three steal this limelight as well!
Carcharodontosaurus Quick Facts
- Carcharodontosaurus was a massive predator, that could grow to between 9 and 45 ft long. (12 and 14 metres)
- Its weight estimates are much more widespread due to debate around the bulk of Carcharodontosaurus. These range from 12,000 lbs. to a huge 30,000 lbs
- Carcharodontosaurus was a tall dinosaur, even though it would have walked with a more horizontal gait using its long tail for balance it could still be up to 15 feet tall
- There are skulls recreated that could be as long as 5.2 ft long. Its teeth could be 8 inches long.
- The Carcharodontosaurus lived around 100 – 94 million years ago, during the cretaceous period. It lived in what is now North Africa.
- Its size was comparable to the other largest carnivorous dinosaurs, Spinosaurus, Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus.
- Carcharodontosaurus can be very tricky to pronounce, it is one of the longest dinosaur names. and has 7 syllables and is said like this. Kar – Kar – Row – Don – Toh – Saw – Rus, or Kar – Care – Row – Don – Toh – Saw – Rus
How big was the Carcharodontosaurus ?
Carcharodontosaurus was a massive predator, that could grow to between 9 and 45 ft long. (12 and 14 metres) its weight estimates are much more widespread due to debate around of the bulk of Carcharodontosaurus. These range from 12,000 lbs. to a huge 30,000 lbs. It could stand up to 15 feet tall and is considered to be one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs to ever walk the planet.
How heavy was the Carcharodontosaurus ?
The weight of Carcharodontosaurus varies considerably as we mention above. of the Species identified so far the weight estimates range from around 10000 lbs to over 30,000 lbs. With the Carcharodontosaurus Saharicus considered the biggest, rivaling the other three largest predators Spinosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Giganotosaurus.
How long was the Carcharodontosaurus ?
As mentioned above the Carcharodontosaurus was one of the largest ever carnivorous dinosaurs, across the species the length varies from 36 feet to 45 feet.
How tall was the Carcharodontosaurus ?
Carcharodontosaurus was a tall dinosaur, even though it would have walked with a more horizontal gait using its long tail for balance it could still be up to 15 feet tall when walking like this. that is more than two people tall.
How Big was the Carcharodontosaurus Head?
As with other large carnivores Carcharodontosaurus has a massive head to go with that massive body. There are skulls recreated, we have an image of one below, that could be as long as 5.2 ft long. Its teeth could be 8 inches long.
Although currently not totally accepted, the giganotosaurus holds the record for the largest carnivorous dinosaur skulls at 6.4 feet long!
Did Carcharodontosaurus have feathers?
It is not known if Carcharodontosaurus had feathers in any form, However it is unusual for larger animals to be covered as it affects their heat regulation abilities. Currently it is not thought that Carcharodontosaurus had feathers, at most it may have had proto features that were unlikely to cover its whole body.
What was Carcharodontosaurus Habitat?
The Carcharodontosaurus lived around 100 – 94 million years ago, during the cretaceous period. It lived in what is now North Africa. North Africa now is home to the vast Sahara desert, however at the time is was much more tropical. Spinosaurus ,the swimming dinosaur, lived in the same area and at the same time which indicated there were large amounts of water in a rainforest type environment.
What Dinosaurs Did Carcharodontosaurus eat?
it is likely that carcharodontosaurus preyed on the large herbivorous, like Ouranosaurus or plant-eating, sauropods like Paralititan and Aegyptosaurus that lived at the same time in North Africa. A dinosaur of the size of Carcharodontosaurus would have needed up to about 132 pounds of meat a day!
What dinosaurs did Carcharodontosaurus live with?
Carcharodontosaurus lived in North Africa 100-95 million years ago. It lived with many other predatory dinosaurs including Spinosaurus, Rugops, Deltadromeus. as well as herbivores Ouranosaurus, Aegyptosaurus and Rebbachisaurus. The area was a huge river delta and could support large populations of carnivores
The area it lived was called the Kem Kem Ecosystem and it is known for having too many and too large numbers of predators. However, the river system held large numbers of fish and it is thought that dinosaurs adapted to include these in their diets. Spinosaurus evolving to become the only know aquatic dinosaur for example.
Possibly Carcharodontosaurus supplemented its diet with fish, however this would have brought it into direct conflict with an equally large predator the Spinosaurus and We know these encounters sometimes happened and there were fights between Spinosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus, as the sail of a Spinosaurus discovered has a bite mark form a Carcharodontosaurus on it!
What Were Carcharodontosaurus related to?
Relatives of Carcharodontosaurus include Concavenator, Giganotosaurus, and Mapusaurus which belong to the Carcharodontosauridae family. All massive predators as well.
Did Carcharodontosaurus live in packs.
There is no evidence that Carcharodontosaurus lived in packs or groups. there are relatively few fossils of Carcharodontosaurus found in general and they are solitarily finds
How Fast Could the Carcharodontosaurus Run?
The speed of large theropod dinosaurs is heavily debated as we discuss here in our how fast is a T-Rex article.
Carcharodontosaurus is suggested to have been able to run at a top speed of up to 20 miles an hour. However, studies done on other large theropods running speeds, have found that speeds above 12 mph could cause bones to break so it is probable Carcharodontosaurus would have ran slower, and walked much slower.
What Did a Carcharodontosaurus eat?
The Razor sharp 8 inch long teeth of the Carcharodontosaurus are a clear indicator of its carnivorous diet and Carcharodontosaurus was a carnivore, one of the biggest carnivores to ever walk the planet.
What Movies Have Featured a Carcharodontosaurus?
Carcharodontosaurus has not appeared in any movies to date, however it has been in Dinosaur documentaries and in Dinosaur computer games, Jurassic Park Warpath, Operation Genesis and Jurassic park evolution.
When Did the Carcharodontosaurus become Extinct?
The only fossils to date of Carcharodontosaurus are from the middle to late Jurassic Period around 100 to 95 million years ago. It went extinct around the same time as its other super massive predator competitor the Spinosaurus as they lived in the same area and at the same time.
Could the Carcharodontosaurus Swim?
As most animals are able to swim in some form, it is likely that Carcharodontosaurus could swim to survive. However with Spinosaurus living in the same area at the same time it would not have been able to compete in hunting or moving in water and likely would only swim to cross barriers or to survive.
What does the name Carcharodontosaurus Mean?
The name Carcharodontosaurus means “shark tooth lizard” although more accurately it translates as “sharp or jagged, teeth lizard” it is named for the long 8 inch sharp teeth in its mouth.
We have coloring pages to download from the below link ( click the picture)
Was Carcharodontosaurus the Largest carnivorous Dinosaur?
Although there is not enough evidence that Carcharodontosaurus was the largest carnivorous dinosaur. It was certainly one of them. At a possible 45 feet long and 30,000 lbs. It would make its size comparable to the other largest carnivorous dinosaurs, Spinosaurus, Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus.
The debate about the largest carnivore is constant and changing, the simple fact is that it will be unlikely to be answered with out a lot more fossil evidence of all of the top four largest meat eating dinosaurs, which as fossil hunting increases may happen at some point.
How many Teeth Did Carcharodontosaurus have?
Carcharodontosaurus up to 8 inch long sharp teeth were not only long and sharp, there were also numerous. Current estimates have Carcharodontosaurus as having over 64 teeth, 32 or more in each Maxima ( upper and lower jaws) It is possible to buy these teeth from fossil stores online, thought the larger ones are quite pricey!!
Where were Carcharodontosaurus Fossils discovered?
Most Carcharodontosaurus fossils have been discovered in what is now North Africa, in countries like Algeria, Morocco, Niger and Egypt. Unfortunately many of these fossils were destroyed in World War 2, but new fossils were discovered in 1995 in Morocco, including a more complete skull.
When did Carcharodontosaurus Live?
Carcharodontosaurus Fossils have been dated to 100 – 95 million years ago. it would have lived during the Cretaceous period.
Did Carcharodontosaurus have Small arms
Carcharodontosaurus is thought to have had small arms, though quite powerful, that could be used to grasp or scratch close in but not for much else. they were certainly too small to be used for movement, and Carcharodontosaurus was bipedal ( walked on two legs)
When was Carcharodontosaurus first Discovered?
Carcharodontosaurus reappeared to the world when it was first discovered in 1924 although it was only two teeth that were found initially, These teeth were originally called megalosaurus Saharicus it wasn’t till 7 years later when Carcharodontosaurus got its real name when additional fossils were examined by Ernst Stromer in 1931. ( they had been found in 1914)
Unfortunately these fossils were destroyed in a bombing raid in 1944 during World war 2, and it was not until 50 years later when new fossils were found in 1995, this was a more complete skull, claws, and legs bones as well as vertebrae and more research could be undertaken.
Who named the Carcharodontosaurus?
Carcharodontosaurus was named by Ernst Stromer in 1931, but the original name was by two other paleontologists Deperet and Savornin.
How to Pronounce Carcharodontosaurus?
Carcharodontosaurus can be very tricky to pronounce, it is one of the longest dinosaur names. and has 7 syllables and is said like this. Kar – Kar – Row – Don – Toh – Saw – Rus, or Kar – Care – Row – Don – Toh – Saw – Rus
Kar – Kar – Row – Don – Toh – Saw – Rus
Conclusion
Carcharodontosaurus was certainly a dinosaur worth paying attention too, and with a name based on the great white shark it seems unfair it wasn’t selected to be brought to life on the big screen, at least as of yet. Unless there is some big reveal at the end of the Jurassic World Dominion film. It is not looking hopeful though.
Hopefully thee Carcharodontosaurus facts have given you a little more knowledge about this massive predator, one of the biggest ever found in the fossil record.
Don’t forget to look over the rest of our dinosaur facts pages, our coloring and facts sheets are also free to download. We have popular dinosaurs Like T-Rex, Spinosaurus and Giganotosaurus (yes we did those first) to some less well known ones that are appearing in the new Jurassic World dominion movies.
There are answers to common dinosaur questions, and loads of other cool dinosaur activities and resources to look at. Just check them out on the big button below.
References
http://theropoddatabase.blogspot.com/2010/09/concavenator-part-ii-becklespinax.html
Hi, I am Roy Ford a General Studies and English Teacher who has taught all over the world. What started as a fossil collection became a great way to teach, motivate and inspire students of all ages and all over the world about dinosaurs and from that and children’s love of dinosaurs came the site dinosaur facts for kids, a resource for all ages.
