Saltasaurus Facts
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 3m |
| Length | 12m |
| Weight | 7 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Sauropod |
| Location | Argentina |

| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 3m |
| Length | 12m |
| Weight | 7 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Sauropod |
| Location | Argentina |
Saltasaurus was a remarkable sauropod that lived in Argentina during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 72 million years ago. Unlike its massive relatives, this dinosaur was relatively small for a sauropod, measuring about 12 metres in length and standing 3 metres tall at the hip. What truly set Saltasaurus apart was its revolutionary discovery as the first sauropod known to possess body armour—a feature that completely changed our understanding of these gentle giants.
This herbivorous dinosaur had a distinctly compact build compared to other sauropods, with a notably short neck and stubby limbs that gave it a more robust appearance. Its most extraordinary feature was the collection of small, bony plates called osteoderms that were embedded directly in its skin, providing protection from predators. These armoured plates varied in size and were scattered across its back and sides, creating a natural shield.
Saltasaurus lived in the lush, subtropical environments of Late Cretaceous Argentina, where it browsed on ferns, conifers, and flowering plants using its long neck to reach vegetation at various heights. Despite its shorter neck compared to other sauropods, it could still access food sources unavailable to ground-level herbivores. The discovery of Saltasaurus fossils has been crucial in understanding the evolution of titanosaurian sauropods and has revealed that armoured sauropods were more common than previously thought.
Saltasaurus was distinguished by its unique combination of small bony plates (osteoderms) embedded in its skin, making it the first armoured sauropod ever discovered. It had a notably short neck and stocky, stubby limbs compared to other sauropods, giving it a more compact and robust appearance.
Saltasaurus likely lived in herds for protection, using its armoured skin as defence against large predators like Abelisaurus. Its compact build suggests it may have been less migratory than other sauropods, possibly staying in favourable feeding areas for longer periods.
Saltasaurus was first described by José Bonaparte and Jaime Powell in 1980. The original fossils were discovered at Salta Province, Argentina.