Omeisaurus

(o-MY-ee-sawr-us)

Omei = sacred mountain
Saurus = lizard

Size: 30 feet tall, 60 feet long
Weight: About 20-30 tons
Range: South central China
Habitat: Woodlands
Diet: Plants, leaves, other foliage
Time period: Mid to late Jurassic

Named for Mount Omei in China where it was discovered, the Omeisaurus is similar to other large plant-eating dinosaurs with big necks and tails. However, the Omeisaurus had an exceptionally long neck and relatively small torso - which gave it an easier-to-fill stomach and less skin to keep warm.

But an Hour Later, It's Hungry Again

Its unusually long neck gave Omeisaurus a real advantage when competing for food, because it could reach into taller trees without having to share. Omeisaurus also had small teeth that probably weren't good for heavy chewing, so it needed lots of tender vegetation.

Graze Anatomy

The long-necked Omeisaurus is like a modern day Reticulated Giraffe, the world's tallest living land animal and another muncher of treetops. A giraffe also has distinctive color patterns, which were the inspiration for our Omeisaurus. No one knows what colors dinosaurs really were, so we made the call.

That's a Stretch

With his extremely long neck, the Omeisaurus could do nothing more than reach higher-up food. For example, if he knew extinction was coming, he could literally kiss his own tail goodbye.