Camptosaurus Facts
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 1.7m |
| Length | 5.5m |
| Weight | 500 kg |
| Speed | 25 km/h |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Jurassic |
| Period | Late Jurassic |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | North America And Possibly Europ |

| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 1.7m |
| Length | 5.5m |
| Weight | 500 kg |
| Speed | 25 km/h |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Jurassic |
| Period | Late Jurassic |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | North America And Possibly Europ |
Camptosaurus was a medium-sized ornithopod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period, approximately 158 to 149 million years ago. This herbivorous dinosaur roamed the ancient floodplains and woodlands of western North America, with possible remains also discovered in Europe. Its name, meaning 'flexible lizard', refers to its relatively flexible backbone compared to other dinosaurs of its time.
Growing up to 5.5 metres long and standing about 1.7 metres tall at the hip, Camptosaurus was built for both bipedal and quadrupedal movement. It had a distinctive beaked mouth perfect for cropping vegetation, along with rows of small, leaf-shaped teeth designed for grinding plant material. Its hands featured both grasping fingers and weight-bearing adaptations, allowing it to switch between walking on two legs when moving quickly and dropping to all fours when feeding or moving slowly.
As a herbivore, Camptosaurus fed on ferns, cycads, and conifers that dominated Late Jurassic landscapes. Its flexible spine and strong hind legs suggest it was capable of reaching higher vegetation than many contemporaries. The dinosaur's relatively large brain compared to other herbivorous dinosaurs of its era indicates it may have exhibited complex behaviours, possibly including basic social interactions when gathering at feeding sites.
Camptosaurus represents an important evolutionary step in ornithopod development, showing characteristics that would later be refined in more advanced duck-billed dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period.
Camptosaurus had a distinctive toothless beak at the front of its mouth, complemented by rows of small, leaf-shaped cheek teeth for grinding vegetation. Its hands were particularly notable, featuring both sharp claws for grasping and flattened fingertips that could support its weight when walking on all fours.
Camptosaurus likely lived in small groups, gathering at rich feeding sites where they could browse on low-growing vegetation or rear up on their hind legs to reach higher plants. When threatened, they probably relied on their speed and agility, running on their powerful hind legs to escape predators like Allosaurus.
Camptosaurus has appeared in several dinosaur documentaries and educational programmes, often shown as prey for famous predators like Allosaurus in Late Jurassic ecosystem reconstructions.
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Ornithischia |
| Genus | Camptosaurus |
Camptosaurus was first described by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1879. The original fossils were discovered at Como Bluff, Wyoming, USA.