Discover 30 Dinosaurs That Start With S

Source：AZ Animals Time：October 21, 2023

Known from Hollywood movies like Jurassic Park, dinosaurs have been a hot-button topic for quite some time. Whether you are exploring their fossils in a museum, reading about them in a book, or watching films created in their likeness, it cannot be argued that they were impressive creatures to behold. While some are well-known, such as the Tyrannosaurus rex, others have flown under the radar. With over 1,000 different species of dinosaurs, it can be hard to know them all. This article will focus on dinosaurs that start with the letter S. It will do a deep dive into ten incredible dinosaurs that start with S and provide a comprehensive list of more than 30. Let’s visit the past and journey back to the time of the dinosaurs.

Saurolophus

Discover 30 Dinosaurs That Start With S — The name Saurolophus means “ridged lizard”.
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Saurolophus was a herbivorous ornithopod that lived about 70 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous Period. There were two species of this dinosaur, Saurolophus osborni and Saurolophus angustirostris. It lived in North America and Asia, in areas now primarily Canada and Mongolia. These massive creatures weighed 6,600 pounds and grew up to 27 feet long. Saurolophus was a hadrosaurid —duck-billed — dinosaur with thin forelegs. They had rounded triangular-shaped head and a bulky body. A distinguishing characteristic of this dinosaur is the spike-like crest situated on the top of its head. These scaled creatures traveled at about 20mph and had an average lifespan of 70-80 years.

Saurophaganax

Saurophaganax ( Saurophaganax maximus) was a large theropod and was known as the “lord of lizard-eaters.” This carnivorous dinosaur lived 154-142 million years ago in the Late Jurassic Period. These dinosaurs lived in what is now the present-day United States of America. In fact, Oklahoma’s official state fossil is the Saurophaganax maximus. This impressive creature was the largest animal of its kind in North America during the Late Jurassic Period. Weighing over 6,600 pounds and being 34-43 feet long, there was no missing this giant. Its large size, sharp teeth, and clawed limbs made them apex predators during their time.

Sauroposeidon

Living in the middle of the Cretaceous Period was the enormous Sauroposeidon (Sauroposeidon proteles). This sauropod dinosaur grew up to 112 feet long and weighed over 145,000 pounds! It is no wonder that their name means “lizard earthquake god,” as I am sure walking beside one would feel like an earthquake. However, this herbivore actually got its name after the ancient Greek god of sea and earthquakes, Poseidon. This giant lived around 110 million years ago along the Gulf of Mexico, the River Delta. In 1994, scientists discovered some bones from the Sauroposeidon on the Oklahoma side of the Oklahoma-Texas border. This was probably the heaviest dinosaur ever to walk the earth. Despite its massive size, its body was relatively short and bulky, but it had long, sturdy limbs and a similar body shape to modern-day giraffes.

Saurornithoides

This small theropod lived in the Late Cretaceous Period about 80 million years ago. The name Sauronithoides ( Saurornithoides mongoliensis) means “bird-like lizard.” Much smaller than some of the other dinosaurs that started with S, the Saurornithoides only reached about 7 feet in height and weighed around 90 pounds. This carnivorous dinosaur had powerful jaws and a bird-like head. They were thought to be able to move quickly and have excellent vision. Fossils of this species have been found in China and Mongolia.

Shantungosaurus

Shantungosaurus (Shantungosaurus giganteus) was an herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period about 78 million years ago. Reaching heights of 23 feet, lengths of 54 feet, and a weight of 32,000 pounds, this dinosaur was no small creature. Despite its massive size, this dinosaur holds another title: the largest duck-billed dinosaur ever found. Its fossils have been found in various locations in China, which suggests that they predominantly lived in Asia. The Shantungosaurus featured powerful jaws with dangerous teeth. However, despite having those powerful jaws, they were herbivores that feasted on pine branches and woody flowering plants.

Shastasaurus

Shastasaurus (Shastasaurus pacificus) was known for its massive size. Reaching lengths of up to 69 feet and weighing up to 178,74 pounds, there is no question that this dinosaur was a giant. Despite its massive size, the Shastasaurus only ate soft-bodied prey. The Shastasaurus is a genus of large fish-like reptiles resembling a modern-day whale. It existed during the Middle to the Late Triassic Period and is the largest known marine reptile. Fossils of this giant have been found in North America and Asia, suggesting that those were its countries of origin. Although it was a massive dinosaur, the Shastasaurs did have competition when it came to hunting for prey. Large sharks, teleosts, and plesiosaurs often competed for the same food sources, and it is thought that this competition may have led to depleted resources and eventually contributed to their extinction.

Sinocalliopteryx

Another dinosaur that starts with S is the Sinocalliopteryx (Sinocalliopteryx gigas). This small theropod was one of the fastest dinosaurs, reaching up to 40mph. Existing in the Early Cretaceous Period, around 124 million years ago, this dinosaur’s name means “Chinese Beautiful Feather.” That name seems fitting because there were preserved feathers in many fossils of this dinosaur, suggesting that the Sinocalliopteryx may have been fully or partially covered in feathers. In addition to their feathers, they also had a long and slender skull, large eyes, and colored patterns that allowed them to blend into their environment. Similarly to the Sauronithoides, this dinosaur was not one of the largest. Usually reaching an average height of 6.5 feet, it was not feared for its size. However, it had some fearsome characteristics, such as its ability to move quickly and its tail, covered in chevrons and spines.

Spinosaurus

The Spinosaurus (Spinosaurus aegyptiacus) was known as the “spine lizard”. It was a carnivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period around 95 million years ago. Despite the first fossils of this dinosaur — found in 1912 — being destroyed, scientists today know quite a bit about this creature. It was thought to have lived a semi-aquatic lifestyle, and its remains have been found in Egypt and Morocco. The Spinosaurus had short legs and a wide, paddle-like tail. This large theropod grew to lengths of up to 59 feet and weighed between 15,000 and 19,000 pounds. Additionally, it was an easily recognizable dinosaur because of the sail that went down its back. Some hypotheses for why the Spinosaurus had this sail were to help regulate its body temperature, as a mating display, and to propel the dinosaur through the water.

Stegosaurus

The Stegosaurus (Stegosaurus stenops) is one of the more recognizable names on our list of dinosaurs that start with S. Despite being popular in today’s pop culture, not much was known about this dinosaur for a long time. This large herbivore lived during the Late Jurassic Period around 150 million years ago. Although it was a slow-moving plant eater, it could have defended itself from other dinosaurs and threats with its powerful spiked tail.

This armored dinosaur reached lengths of up to 21 feet and weighed over 6,000 pounds. The Stegosaurus is referred to as the dumbest dinosaur despite its large size. They earned this nickname because of the size disproportion between their bodies and their brains. To put it into modern-day visuals, their height is about the same as an elephant, and their length is similar to a massive anaconda. However, their brain is similar in size to a dog’s, just under 3 ounces!

Supersaurus

Another giant on our list of dinosaurs that start with S is the Supersaurus (Supersaurus vivianae). Reaching lengths of up to 138 feet and weighing between 35-40 tons (77,261- 88,184 pounds), this dinosaur definitely makes it in the top ten largest dinosaurs to have existed. Despite its massive size, it did not have the massive weight that you may expect from such a large build. Other dinosaurs — like the Sauroposeidon — were much heavier.

This sauropod dinosaur was an herbivore and lived around 154 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous Period. Although fossils have been found in Portugal, this dinosaur is thought to have existed across the United States and is particularly known for its vertebrae bones. This giant had a very long neck and a small head. Their necks provided them with the ability to forage in trees and plants with high foliage for food, where no other dinosaurs would be able to reach.

Summary of Dinosaurs That Start With S

Here is a table that reviews the ten dinosaurs that start with S discussed above. It covers basic information about their size, location, and facts about them. Beneath the table, you can find an even larger, comprehensive list of dinosaurs that start with S.

Dinosaur	Size	Location Found	Geological Period	Diet
Saurolophus	27 feet long 6,600 pounds	North America and Asia	Late Cretaceous Period	Herbivore
Saurophaganax	34-43 feet long 6,600 pounds	United States of America	Late Jurassic Period	Carnivore
Sauroposeidon	112 feet long Over 145,000 pounds	Along the Gulf of Mexico	Middle of Cretaceous Period	Herbivore
Saurornithoides	7 feet long 90 pounds	China and Mongolia	Late Cretaceous Period	Carnivore
Shantungosaurus	54 feet long Over 32,000 pounds	China	Late Cretaceous Period	Herbivore
Shastasaurus	69 feet long 178,74 pounds	North America and Asia	Middle to the Late Triassic Period	Soft-bodied prey
Sinocalliopteryx	6.5 feet in height 44 pounds	China	Early Cretaceous Period	Carnivore
Spinosaurus	59 feet long 15,000-19,000 pounds	Egypt and Morocco	Late Cretaceous Period	Carnivore
Stegosaurus	21 feet long Over 6,000 pounds	United States of America	Late Jurassic Period	Herbivore
Supersaurus	138 feet long 77,261-88,184 pounds	United States of America and Portugal	Early Cretaceous Period	Herbivore