Aucasaurus Coloring Pages

An Abelisaurid Hunter That Lived in South America Aucasaurus was a medium-sized meat-eating dinosaur. It lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period. It is a close relative of the famous Carnotaurus and belongs to a group called abelisaurids. It strongly shows the features of this group, like super short arms and a short, tough head.

Its Name and English Origin

• English Name: Aucasaurus

• Name Origin: It was named after Auca Mahuevo, the place in Patagonia, Argentina, where its fossils were found. "Auca" comes from the name of this land. "Saurus" means lizard in Greek. So its name means "Lizard of Auca."

When and Where It Lived

• Time Period: It lived in the Late Cretaceous period, about 80 million to 70 million years ago.

• Where It Lived: It mainly lived in what is now South America (Argentina).

• How It Was Found: An almost complete skeleton was found in 1999. Most abelisaurid fossils are just broken pieces. But Aucasaurus was found complete from head to tail! This super rare find helped scientists learn a lot.

Size and Body Features

• Size: It was about 4 to 6 meters long. Scientists think it weighed about 700 kilograms. It was medium-sized for a meat-eating dinosaur.

• Tiny Arms: The most surprising thing is its super short front arms compared to its body size. Its arms were even smaller than a Tyrannosaurus's arms! They had no claws on the fingers, so scientists think they were not very useful.

• Head Shape: It did not have big horns like Carnotaurus. But it had low bumps and ridges above its eyes. It had a short snout and very strong jaws.

• Running Ability: Its back legs were very long and strong. Scientists think it was a great runner for chasing prey.

What It Ate and How It Lived

• Diet: It was a carnivore, which means it ate meat from other animals.

• Prey: Scientists think it hunted medium-sized plant-eating dinosaurs living in South America at that time. Auca Mahuevo was also a nesting site for giant sauropods with long necks. So some people think Aucasaurus hunted their babies and eggs too.

• Smartness: Studies of its brain show that it might have had better eyesight and balance than other abelisaurids.

Here are some tips to make your picture look cool and powerful!

Make the skin look real

• Base colors: Aucasaurus lived in dry plains! Try coloring the body in sand beige, dull orange, or dark green.

• Scales and bumps: Aucasaurus had bumpy skin. Use dark brown or gray to add little dots. This will make it look tough like a real reptile!

Sharp eyes and a fierce mouth

• Eyes: Color the eyes yellow or bright orange. Draw a sharp black center to show it is a hunter!

• Inside the mouth: Color the inside deep pink or red-purple. Leave the sharp teeth white or light cream. It will look like a scary meat-eater!

Add shadows to make it look active

• Use dark gray to draw shadows under the belly and by the feet. Color light and dark along the leg muscles. It will look ready to run!

It Means "Auca Lizard"

The name Aucasaurus comes from "Auca Mahuevo" in Argentina, the place where its fossils were found. It was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived in South America about 80 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.

A Relative of Carnotaurus!

It is a very close relative (an abelisaurid) of Carnotaurus, which is famous for the horns on its head. Aucasaurus did not have horns, but it had bumpy ridges above its eyes instead.

Surprisingly Short Front Legs

Its biggest feature is its "front legs (arms)," which were super short compared to its body. They were even shorter than those of Tyrannosaurus, and its fingers were very small, too. People say it hardly used them for hunting, and maybe had them just to keep its balance.

An Almost Perfect Fossil Was Found

Dinosaur fossils are often found as just parts of the body, but Aucasaurus was found in very good condition with almost all its bones connected. Thanks to this, it is a rare dinosaur whose appearance we know in great detail.