The Eustreptospondylus oxoniensis was a relatively small theropod dinosaur, but it was still a top predator. This bipedal carnivore had a large head with sharp, serrated teeth, short forelimbs, and a long tail for balance. The Eustreptospondylus is one of those early dinos with not enough to put all of our big questions to rest.
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Some Quick Facts about the Eustreptospondylus
| Name | Eustreptospondylus (meaning “Well-spined lizard” or “well-curved vertebrae”) |
| Type of dinosaur | Oxoniensis (large theropod) |
| Territory | Terrestrial habitat (coastal woodlands), England |
| Size | Relatively large, 23 feet long, 10 feet tall |
| Color | Likely greenish or brown |
| Interesting Characteristics | Bipedal posture, curved vertebrae in the spine, very sharp teeth |
| Diet | Meat-eater (carnivore) |
| Major Threats | Other dinosaurs, natural disasters |
The Eustreptospondylus holds the number four slot in the list of dinosaurs with the longest names. The others are Micropachycephalosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, and Archaeornithomimus.
Eustreptospondylus (which translates to “well-spined lizard”) is an average-sized theropod that lived in England, United Kingdom during the Middle Jurassic period, approximately 150 million years ago. “Eustreptos” is Greek for “well” while “spondylos” is Greek for “spine.”
What Is the Average Size of the Eustreptospondylus?
The single Eustreptospondylus oxoniensis skeleton that has been found is of a creature around 10 feet long, which is quite small for the average theropod. However, the skeleton looked as if it had not grown fully, so this particular specimen was most likely not mature and the real size of a full-grown Eustreptospondylus is not known for sure.
Based on estimates, a full-grown Eustreptospondylus should have been an average-sized theropod (possibly around 20 feet long). This suggests that the Eustreptospondylus could have developed to be a more formidable dinosaur, had it lived longer.
What Is Different About the Spine of the Eustreptospondylus?
What makes Eustreptospondylus different from other members of the Stegosauridae family of dinosaurs is its skeletal structure. In fact, the name Eustreptospondylus is Greek for “true, well-curved vertebrae,” which refers to this dinosaur’s unusual skeletal structure. It was named in reference to the number and location of spikes along the spine. It had light and curved vertebrae.
The Eustreptospondylus may be a smaller member of its family, but it was still a deadly predator, often using its claws and sharp teeth to catch and kill its prey.
What Did the Eustreptospondylus Specialize In?
The mighty Eustreptospondylus was a land-dwelling predator that specialized in foraging for fish, smaller dinosaurs, and carcasses of marine reptiles.
Although the Eustreptospondylus was a carnivore that feed mainly on fish, they were also content eating flying reptiles (pterosaurs) like the Rhamphorhyncus or the decaying flesh of dead animals. They often patrolled the shorelines after a strong storm, combing the area for dead animals bodies left behind.
Did the Eustreptospondylus hunt?
These creatures would either chase after their prey over short distances or lunge at the prey in a surprise attack from the cover of vegetation. Hunting was easy for them because they lived in a terrestrial habitat.
Were they facing danger from other dinos?
Despite being both effective hunters and foragers, they weren’t invulnerable. The Eustreptospondylus was smaller in size than other predators at the time, and they could put their lives at risk of other predators by swimming from island to island in search of food.
Could the Eustreptospondylus swim?
Eustreptospondylus fossil remains suggest that this creature could actually swim. it is thought that the Eustreptospondylus swam from one island to another, making it a semi-amphibious animal, while mainly staying on land.
Where Did the Eustreptospondylus Live?
The Eustreptospondylus was discovered in the United Kingdom. A teenage Eustreptospondylus fossil was found in the Middle Jurassic of Oxfordshire, England, in 1870 and remains one of the most complete fossil remains of a carnivorous dinosaur ever discovered.
Unfortunately, the skeleton of the Eustreptospondylus was found before paleontologists had created a method of classifying dinosaurs. Initially, this large theropod was thought to be a genus of Megalosaurus (the very first dinosaur to be scientifically named and published).
It took a whole century for scientists to realize that its well-curved vertebrae deserved classification in its own genus. Since the skeletal remains of a Eustreptospondylus were collected from marine sediments, paleontologists agree that this theropod dinosaur foraged for smaller dinosaurs and marine reptiles along the shores of the islands scattered along the southern coast of England during the Middle Jurassic Period.