Josh Gregory - Brachiosaurus

Published in the United States of America by Cherry Lake Publishing
Ann Arbor, Michigan
www.cherrylakepublishing.com

Content Adviser: Gregory M. Erickson, PhD, Paleontologist, Department of Biological Science,
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

Reading Adviser: Marla Conn, Read With Me Now

Photo Credits: Cover and pages 10 and 14, Elenarts/Shutterstock.com; pages 4 and 6,
Catmando/Shutterstock.com; page 8, Kostyantyn Ivanyshen/Shutterstock.com; page 12,
Sofia Santos/Shutterstock.com, page 16, Bob Orsillo/Shutterstock.com; page 18,
Michael Rosskothen/Shutterstock.com; James St. John / tinyurl.com/q8uk8mk / CC-BY-2.0.

Copyright 2016 by Cherry Lake Publishing
All rights reserved, No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any
form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Gregory, Josh, author.
Brachiosaurus / by Josh Gregory.
pages cm.(Dinosaurs) (21st century junior library)
Summary: Learn about dinosaur known as Brachiosaurus, from what it ate to how it lived.
Provided by publisher.
Audience: K to grade 3.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-63362-381-1 (lib. bdg.)ISBN 978-1-63362-409-2 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-1-63362-437-5 (pdf)ISBN 978-1-63362-465-8 (e-book)
1. BrachiosaurusJuvenile literature. 2. DinosaursJuvenile literature. I. Title.
QE862.S3G7667 2016
567.913dc23
ISBN-13 978-1-68444-517-2 (e-book) 2014045646

Cherry Lake Publishing would like to acknowledge the work of
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Please visit www.p21.org for more information.

Printed in the United States of America
Corporate Graphics
July 2015

Synchred Read-Along Version by:
Triangle Interactive LLC
PO Box 573
Prior Lake, MN 55372

contents

Brachiosaurus was one of the largest
land animals on Earth.

What Was
Brachiosaurus ?

L ong ago, a huge dinosaur called
Brachiosaurus lived on Earth. It was very
tall. Other dinosaurs could have walked
between its legs! This giant reptile roamed
the forests of North America and Africa.
A Brachiosaurus might have walked through
what is now your backyard!

Experts think Brachiosaurus lived in
groups called herds.

Brachiosaurus lived between million
and million years ago. You wont find
one living today. Like all dinosaurs, it is
extinct . We know about dinosaurs from
fossils of their bones. Scientists study these
objects to learn how these prehistoric
reptiles lived.

Ask
Questions!

Why do you think the dinosaurs went extinct?
Scientists have some ideas about why this happened.
Look for information in books or on Web sites. Ask
your teachers to help you.

Brachiosaurus's tail was short compared
to its long neck.

What Did
Brachiosaurus
Look Like?

B rachiosaurus looked a lot like a
huge giraffe. It had a very long neck and
a small head. The neck connected to a
heavy, round body. Most of the dinosaurs
weight was in the front. The back of its
body led to a small tail.

Brachiosaurus had strong legs to
hold its heavy body.

Brachiosauruss legs were round like
tree trunks. Its front legs were longer than
its back legs. Its feet looked like those of an
elephant. Each foot had a soft pad in the
middle. This cushioned the dinosaurs
heavy steps. Its toes came around the sides
of the pad.

Brachiosaurus was much bigger than an
adult human is today.

Brachiosaurus was one of the largest
dinosaurs ever to live. With its neck
stretched high, it reached a height of around
feet (12 meters). That is about the height
of a four-story building! It weighed more
than 110,000 pounds (50,000 kilograms).
That is the weight of a fully loaded
semi truck!

Create!

Now you have an idea what Brachiosaurus looked
like. But how do you think the dinosaur moved?
What kind of poses could it make? Try drawing some Brachiosaurus pictures of your own. How do they look?

Brachiosaurus could rise onto its back legs if it
needed to. This allowed it to reach higher.

How Did
Brachiosaurus Live?

B rachiosaurus ate plants. Scientists
think it used its long neck to reach leaves
at the top of trees. This dinosaur probably
spent its time searching for food and eating.
Because its body was so huge, it needed
a lot of food.

Brachiosaurus did not have any wide grinding
teeth for chewing its food.