The Scelidosaurus was an armored dinosaur that lived in the Lower Jurassic period. This quadrupedal dinosaur was covered in boney-plated scales called scutes, which ran along its neck, back, and tail. The Scelidosaurus was closely related to the Ankylosaur and the Stegosaurus.
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Some Quick Facts about the Scelidosaurus
| Name | Scelidosaurus (meaning “Limb Lizard”) |
| Type of dinosaur | Ornithischia |
| Territory | Forested areas with palm-like plants, conifers, and tree-sized ferns, England, and Ireland |
| Size | A smaller kind, 12.5-13 feet long, 3.3 feet tall |
| Color | Light brown lower body, dark brown back, scaly skin with long horizontal rows of keeled oval scutes along the neck, back, and tail |
| Interesting Characteristics | Small head, long neck, and thick body. Osteoderms and scutes create armor to protect this thick, slow dinosaur |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Major Threats | Natural disasters and climate change |
While the Scelidosaurus was discovered in England, this mighty dinosaur’s relationship with Ireland was one of the more interesting things about it. Currently, the Scelidosaurus is the only dinosaur that has ever been found in Ireland. But that’s not Scelidosaurus’s only claim to fame.
The Scelidosaurus fossil found in 1859 was well-preserved and the first complete skeleton of a dinosaur ever found.
What Is the Meaning of “Scelidosaurus”?
Scelidosaurus means “Limb Lizard.” When James Harrison first found the fossil, he gave it to paleontologist Richard Owen. It was Richard Owen who named the genus Scelidosaurus. The species name Scelidosaurus harrisonii is in honor of James Harrison.
Even though Richard Owen named the Scelidosaurus in 1859, the species wouldn’t be thoroughly described until 2020. This modern description was given by David B. Norman.
How Tall Was the Scelidosaurus?
The Scelidosaurus was around 3.3 feet tall. This is about half the height of an adult human. Compared to other dinosaurs during the Early Jurassic period, the Scelidosaurus was actually pretty small (still larger than Lesothosaurus).
Scelidosaurs are believed to be quadrupedal, meaning they walked on all fours. But as paleontologists study this amazing dino, they’ve discovered that Scelidosaurus might have stood on its hind limbs as well.
The heavy hind limbs and developed forelimbs mean that it’s very possible the Scelidosaurus was more steady on two legs than paleontologists thought! This means the Scelidosaurus could stand on its hind limbs when it needed to reach taller trees.
How did Scelidosaurus defend itself?
In addition to the oval scutes that covered large areas of the body, Scelidosaurs had spur-like brow-ridge section (osteoderms), protecting the back of their skulls.
Osteoderms were used by the Scelidosaurus to protect it from predators. Armored dinosaurs like Ankylosaurs and Stegosaurs also used these bony plates to protect themselves. Theropods like Ceratosaurus also had osteoderms.
Today, crocodiles and alligators have osteoderms to protect their skin, just like the dinosaurs did!
What did Scelidosaurus eat?
Scelidosaurus ate plant material available during the Early Jurassic period. This includes large ferns, low scrubby plants, palm-like trees, and possibly even seaweed!
But one thing this herbivore did not eat was grass. That’s because grass didn’t appear until the Cretaceous period, almost 100 million years after Scelidosaurus.
Could Scelidosaurus swim?
Scientists believe that Scelidosaurus was built for short swims. This meant the hungry herbivore was able to go into the ocean to dine on seaweed and other sea plants if needed. The Scelidosaurus really was an amazing and versatile dino.
Still, advances in paleontology over the last 150 years don’t seem to have taught us much about Scelidosaurus.
Despite being the very first complete dinosaur found in the 1850s, it wasn’t until 2020 that Scelidosaurus got the attention it deserved. We’ve learned so much about Scelidosaurus in just the past three years, and we will learn more in the future.
Was the Scelidosaurus Related to the Ankylosaurs?
The Scelidosaurus was related to Ankylosaurs and Stegosaurs. Ankylosauria and Stegosauria are considered descendants of the Scelidosaur. They lived much later in the Mesozoic era than the Scelidosaurus did.
Scelidosaurs were also related to Ornithischian dinosaurs from the Triassic period. Scelidosaurus was a basal (early) thyreophoran, which evolved from ornithischia. Ornithischian dinosaurs are known as bird-hipped dinosaurs.