Species · GBIF taxon 4967373
Saltasaurus loricatus
Saltasaurus loricatusSaltasaurus browsed Cretaceous vegetation in small herds, relying on a dense mosaic of thousands of small bony ossicles and larger oval plates across its back to deter predatory theropods. Robust, columnar limbs and a comparatively short neck supported a low-slung, compact frame capable of tripodal rearing against tree trunks to reach elevated foliage. Fossilized nesting colonies linked to saltasaurids indicate females gathered along braided river floodplains to excavate shallow scrape nests for clutches of spherical, hard-shelled eggs.
PrehistoricHerbivoreArmored
Licensed referenceLadyofHats Altered by Steveoc 86 and FunkMonk / Public domain · cc0
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Conifer foliage
- Cycads
- Fern fronds
Predators
- Abelisaurids
- Megaraptorans
ThreatsAbelisaurid theropod predators and climatic shifts
HabitatsSemi-arid floodplains and riparian woodlands
Life span30–50 years
Classification
- FamilyTitanosauridae
- SpeciesSaltasaurus loricatus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct prehistoric species known only from Late Cretaceous fossil deposits.
Responsible observation
- Museum Displays: Study articulated skeleton casts and preserved dermal scutes in Argentine natural history museums.
- Fossil Identification: Look for distinctive rounded, pebble-like ossicles alongside larger oval armor plates in the field.
Predator (c) D. Gordon E. Robertson, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableNeighbor 
Close Relative Jl FilpoC / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Rodolfo A. Garcia and Leonardo Salgado / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.