Diplodocus Facts for Kids

A Picture of Diplodocus Longus
  • Species Type: Diplodocus Longus
  • Type of Dinosaur: Sauropod (Diplodocid)
  • Period: Late Jurassic
  • Diet: Foliage (herbivorous)
  • Lifespan: Unknown
  • Length: Up to 79 feet
  • Weight: Up to 17 tons

18 Diplodocus Facts for Kids

  1. The Diplodocus was first discovered in 1877, by Benjamin Mudge and Samuel W. Williston in Canon City, Colorado, USA.
  2. The Diplodocus got its scientific name Diplodocus longus in 1878, from Othniel Charles Marsh.
  3. The name Diplodocus means: “Long Double Beam”.
  4. The name Diplodocus is pronounced: “dih-PLOD-uh-kus”.
  5. The Diplodocus was part of a group of dinosaurs known as Sauropods (Diplodocid).
  6. They lived in the Late Jurassic Period between 146.8 and 156.3 million years ago.
  7. The Diplodocus lived in mid-western North America.
  8. Paleontologists estimate the Diplodocus could reach a maximum length of 80 feet.
  9. Paleontologists estimate the Diplodocus could reach a maximum weight of 16 tons.
  10. The Diplodocus is one of the longest known dinosaurs to walk on our planet.
  11. The Diplodocus had an extremely long neck that could reach up to 21 feet in length.
  12. The Diplodocus had an extremely long whip-like tail that contained around 80 vertebrae and could reach up to 45 feet in length.
  13. The massive size of the Diplodocus was an excellent predator deterrent. Once they reached sexual maturity, it’s possible they didn’t have to worry about predators.
  14. The Diplodocus was a herbivore that ate foliage it stripped from the upper top of trees.
  15. Paleontologists believe the Diplodocus traveled and fed together in large herds.
  16. There are two other species of Diplodocus besides D. longus and they are D. carnegii and D. hallorum.
  17. Fossilized remains of the Diplodocus have been discovered inside of the Morrison Formation in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.
  18. Paleontologists estimate the Diplodocus grew at a rapid rate and could reach sexual maturity in as little as 10 years.

Additional Resources on Diplodocus