Did you know that there were plant eating dinosaurs? Many of the prehistoric creatures that roamed our planet were herbivores. This may come as a surprise to some people, who may think of dinosaurs as being all about meat. But the truth is, dinosaurs were quite diverse in their diets. Some ate mostly plants, while others dabbled in both plants and meat.
Some of the plant eaters may have looked fearsome. With massive scales and spines, huge necks or horns, but none of these features were used to hunt prey. They might however, act as great tools for defence.
What is a Herbivore?
A herbivore is an animal that survives on a diet of plants. This could include anything from leaves, flowers, fruit, and stems. Some (but not all) herbivores can digest cellulose, which is a type of plant fiber that is notoriously difficult for most animals to digest and take energy. This allows them to eat tougher plant material, like tree bark. A herbivore does not eat other animals, alive or carrion, and they don’t eat insects.
Herbivores vs Carnivores
Herbivores and carnivores are two types of animals that can be distinguished by their diets. Carnivores are meat-eaters, while as we have described, herbivores eat plants. This difference in the diet has an impact on the way these animals digest food and the type of teeth they have.
In many cases, even today, there are animals that simply could not digest meat. Conversely, many carnivores, particularly in the extreme north and south, could not survive on plants alone. The could not get all of the energy they need to survive in these harsh environments without meat.
Plant-Eating Dinosaurs
You might think that plant eating dinosaurs would be smaller than their meat eating cousins, but this was not the case. There were some pretty gigantic herbivorous dinosaurs! Some of the most famous of these ancient beasts include the Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus, and Stegosaurus.
Some plant-eating dinosaurs had beaks and cheek teeth that were better suited for slicing and grinding vegetation. These features would have helped them to eat a wider variety of plants, including tough ones like cycads and horsetails. The herbivorous dinosaurs may also have been able to digest their food better than their carnivorous counterparts. They generally had longer intestines and this allowed them to extract more nutrients from plants.
What did these Dinosaurs Eat?
Ok, so we know that they would have eaten a variety of different vegetation – the clue is in the name! But was there anything specific that these dinosaurs loved to eat? Any favorites? Well, much like our diet today their specific diet varied depending on what was available in their habitat environment, and also by their size. The aptosaurus for example, had an extremely long neck, able to pick vegetation from tree tops. Other, smaller plant eaters were more limited to vegetation easily reached on the ground.
Evidence suggests though, that by and large, common edibles included locally available leaves, flowers, fruit, and stems.
Examples of Plant Eating Dinosaurs
Apatosaurus
One of the most famous plant-eating dinosaurs is the apatosaurus, also known as the brontosaurus. It was a massive creature, capable of growing over 70 feet long and to a weight over 20,000 pounds. By nature, it is believed the brontosaurus was a gentle giant. With a diet consisting mostly of leaves and other vegetation out of reach to many of its rivals. It used its long neck to reach high up into the trees to munch on leaves that smaller dinosaurs could not reach.
Stegosaurus
Another well-known plant eating dinosaur is the stegosaurus. This dinosaur was easily recognizable by the large plates on its back and the spikes on its tail. In comparison to it’s apatosaurus cousin, the stegosaurus was a much smaller dinosaur. It was quite a stocky dinosaur, but only measured up to around 30 feet in length and weighed between two and three tons.
Triceratops
The third example of plant eating dinosaurs is the triceratops. This dinosaur is one of the most recognizable, thanks to its three horns and large frill. In comparison to the stegosaurus, the triceratops measuring a similar length, up to 30 feet. It was a much stockier beast though with a weight up to around six to twelve tons.
