
- 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
- The Diplodocus was first discovered in 1877, by Benjamin Mudge and Samuel W. Williston in Canon City, Colorado, USA.
- The Diplodocus got its scientific name Diplodocus longus in 1878, from Othniel Charles Marsh.
- The name Diplodocus means: “Long Double Beam”.
- The name Diplodocus is pronounced: “dih-PLOD-uh-kus”.
- The Diplodocus was part of a group of dinosaurs known as Sauropods (Diplodocid).
- They lived in the Late Jurassic Period between 146.8 and 156.3 million years ago.
- The Diplodocus lived in mid-western North America.
- Paleontologists estimate the Diplodocus could reach a maximum length of 80 feet.
- Paleontologists estimate the Diplodocus could reach a maximum weight of 16 tons.
- The Diplodocus is one of the longest known dinosaurs to walk on our planet.
- The Diplodocus had an extremely long neck that could reach up to 21 feet in length.
- The Diplodocus had an extremely long whip-like tail that contained around 80 vertebrae and could reach up to 45 feet in length.
- 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.
- The Diplodocus was a herbivore that ate foliage it stripped from the upper top of trees.
- Paleontologists believe the Diplodocus traveled and fed together in large herds.
- There are two other species of Diplodocus besides D. longus and they are D. carnegii and D. hallorum.
- Fossilized remains of the Diplodocus have been discovered inside of the Morrison Formation in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.
- Paleontologists estimate the Diplodocus grew at a rapid rate and could reach sexual maturity in as little as 10 years.
Diplodocus Pictures

A photo of a Diplodocus exhibit at an unknown museum.Credit: Tanja Martin / Flickr

A sketch of what a Diplodocus might have looked like.Credit: Natural History Museum, London

A close-up photo of a Diplodocus Longus skull.Credit: Amy Martiny / Ohio University
Additional Resources on Diplodocus
- Diplodocus – Wikipedia – Learn more about the Diplodocus on the Wikipedia website.
- Diplodocus longus – National Park Service – Discover more cool information about the Diplodocus on the U.S. National Park Service website.
- Diplodocus: Facts About the Longest Dinosaur – Find some amazing facts about the Diplodocus on the LiveScience website.