Plesiosaurus Coloring Pages

A long-necked reptile swimming in the sea! Name origins and English name

Plesiosaurus is a super famous long-necked marine reptile that swam smoothly in ancient seas. Even though it has "saurus" in its name, it was not a dinosaur that lived on land. It belonged to a group of reptiles that evolved to live in the ocean.

The name "Plesiosaurus" means "near to lizard" or "close to lizard." When its fossils were first found, its bone structure was closer to modern lizards than other ocean reptiles known at the time, like Ichthyosaurus. That is how it got its name. In English, it is called "Plesiosaurus," and it is a super popular ancient creature that some people think inspired Nessie, the famous monster of Loch Ness.

When did it live? Its active period

Plesiosaurus lived during a time called the Early Jurassic, about 200 million to 175 million years ago. When giant meat-eating dinosaurs like Allosaurus were taking over the land, Plesiosaurus was swimming around the ocean like a king.

Where did it live? Discovery spots and first secrets

Fossils of Plesiosaurus have been found mostly in the seas of Europe, especially the UK. The very first fossil was found by Mary Anning, a famous British female fossil hunter. She found a beautiful and complete full-body Plesiosaurus fossil on a coastal cliff. Scientists all over the world were amazed that such a strange, long-necked creature once lived in the sea!

What did it eat? Meals of an ocean hunter

Plesiosaurus was a meat-eating hunter that caught and ate sea creatures. It is believed to have eaten small fish, octopus and squid relatives, and ammonites, which were classic ocean creatures long ago. When it opened its mouth, thin and sharp spike-like teeth locked together, so slippery fish could never escape.

How long did it live? About its lifespan

We do not know for sure how long Plesiosaurus lived just from fossils. But scientists have compared it to modern reptiles like sea turtles, large lizards, and crocodiles, and studied growth rings in its bones. They think it took many years to grow up, and then lived about 20 to 30 years or more. Some might have lived even longer!

Not a dinosaur!? 4 sea turtle flippers and body secrets

Plesiosaurus was about 3 to 5 meters long. That is about the same size as modern dolphins or smaller whales. Its body had many surprising secrets!

• Four sea turtle flippers: Regular fish have pectoral fins and tail fins, but Plesiosaurus had four big flippers like a sea turtle's legs. It is believed to have moved these flippers up and down in the water, just like a bird flapping its wings in the sky, to swim forward gracefully.

• A small tail: It swam using its flippers instead of wiggling its tail side to side like a fish. Because of this, its tail was very short and neat.

Sharp teeth and the job of its super long neck

When you think of Plesiosaurus, its long, thin neck is definitely its biggest feature. This long neck helped it sneak its head up to prey underwater without being noticed while swimming, so it could snap up small fish in one bite, just like a modern pelican. It had over 30 neck bones, allowing it to bend softly like a snake.

How to make the long neck and round body look 3D

Let's color Plesiosaurus's cool, smooth body to make it look awesome and 3D!

• Use different colors for the back and belly: Sea animals back then likely used colors to hide, just like dolphins and sea turtles today. Their tops (backs) were dark to blend into the dark sea. Their bottoms (bellies) were light to blend into the bright sunlight. Try using deep blue, emerald green, or gray for the back, and light cream or white for the belly!

• Use the neck wrinkles: Add a little dark blue or purple softly to the small neck wrinkles and the shadowy parts under the belly. This will make the big, round body look real and strong.

How to color the 4 big flippers like a sea turtle

Here are tips to make the 4 big flippers look awesome as they push through the water!

• Blend the flipper colors: Color the base of the flippers (near the body) a bit darker. Then make the color lighter as you go toward the tips.

• Scale patterns: Trace the scale lines on the flippers with a sharp, slightly darker colored pencil. This makes the flippers look tough and hard!

Details for sharp teeth and shiny eyes

Color the small parts of the face carefully to make Plesiosaurus come to life!

• A mouth like a crocodile: Keep the sharp, pointy teeth inside the mouth white or light beige. Do not color over them! Trace the line inside the mouth with dark red or black. Now you have a cool hunter face!

• Gentle eyes: Color the middle of the eye black. Leave a tiny white dot for light. This makes the eye look shiny, smart, and cute!

Create an exciting underwater sea world

The space around Plesiosaurus is a beautiful ocean world!

• Blend the sea colors: Move your colored pencil in big side-to-side or diagonal lines. Start with light blue at the top and change to deep navy blue at the bottom. This makes the ocean look deep with sunlight shining in!

• Draw popping bubbles: Use yellow or white crayons or colored pencils to draw round bubbles near the mouth and behind the moving flippers. It will look like Plesiosaurus is swimming on a big sea adventure!

Is It True That Plesiosaurus Isn't Really a Dinosaur?

Many people think Plesiosaurus is a dinosaur, but it is actually not a dinosaur at all. Dinosaurs are creatures that walked on land. Since Plesiosaurus lived in the sea, it is grouped as a sea reptile (plesiosaur), which is closer to lizards and crocodiles.

It Swam by "Flapping" in the Water

It didn't swim by wiggling its tail like a fish. Instead, it moved its four big flippers up and down, just like sea turtles and penguins do. People think it moved gracefully through the sea, almost like it was flapping its wings.

It Had Way More Neck Bones Than Humans!

Humans have only 7 neck bones, but Plesiosaurus had about 30 neck bones! Some of its close relatives even had more than 70 neck bones. It used its long neck to move around easily and catch fish.

The Model for the Famous Monster "Nessie"

Plesiosaurus is also famous as the model for Nessie, the famous mystery monster rumored to live in Loch Ness in Scotland. Isn't it exciting to imagine what it would be like if Plesiosaurus had survived until today?