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Atlantis536 — Supersaurus (MZP)

#dinosaur #herbivore #prehistoric #zoo #supersaurus
Published: 2019-04-16 09:02:46 +0000 UTC; Views: 1729; Favourites: 8; Downloads: 2
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Description Scientific name: Supersaurus vivianae
Diet: high-growing plants (at the Zoo plant matter is shipped to their enclosure three times a day)
Projected natural lifespan: 99 years
Length: 33 meters (~108 feet)
Weight: 37.5 tonnes (~41.3 tons)
Location: Colorado, United States (Morrison Formation), 153 Ma (Late Jurassic Kimmeridgian)
Exhibit: Morrison Legends (currently not on exhibit)

About:
Supersaurus was a sauropod, a large, long-necked, herbivorous dinosaur. In fact, it is among the largest dinosaurs (and by extension, land animals), to ever exist.

Description and behavior:
In particular, Supersaurus was a diplodocid sauropod, a long-necked dinosaur that had a long neck and a long tail. Like most sauropods, Supersaurus was a large high browser, feeding off the leaves of tall trees that no other dinosaur can reach. Supersaurus in particular was really big; at 33 meters (~108 feet) long, it was one of the largest dinosaurs, and by extension, land animals. Due to this, it didn't need to live in a herd for protection, and was among the few known examples of solitary sauropods. However, as a diplodocid, it was indeed quite lazy, in the sense that it would often be seen just standing in one place, grazing off the plants in its area with its 11 meter (~36 foot)-long neck. (For reference, that neck is one-third of its total body length!) They can stay in one area for a very long time, i.e. until all the plants in their feeding area are grazed off. Only then would they move, but only for a few more meters (feet) where there are fresh plants again. This "laziness" makes Supersaurus a viable target for carnivorous dinosaurs. However, Supersaurus can't just surrender to the attacks of predators, so it defends itself by using its long, whip-like tail, covered in sharp, keratinous spines.

At the Zoo:
The sauropod pen at the Morrison Legends exhibit houses a single male Supersaurus called Clark. He is only a subadult because if an adult is housed it would take up too much space. Clark was unfortunately a victim of DINOVID-23, and as such as of the canon present (January 3rd, 2023), he is not on exhibit.

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The behavior is inspired by lizards, elephants and giraffes.

The skeletal I used belongs to DrScottHartman .

The mass estimate comes from Franoys ' chart: www.deviantart.com/franoys/art…
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