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Did you know the “terrible lizards” we’ve come to know started out as cute dinosaurs? It sounds unimaginable how the kings of the prehistoric era could ever have been cute at all but they were.
Everybody starts somewhere, right? And the dinosaurs are no different.
So we’re here to share cute baby dinosaurs that are going to tug at your heartstrings like those cute puppies and kittens on Instagram. On top of that, some are so odd-looking you’ll laugh over their cuteness!
Here’s our list of dinosaurs who are cuter than your favorite exploding kittens.
Are you ready? Let’s check them out together.
Cute Dinosaurs #1: Baby Tyrannosaurus rex
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Before T. rexes were the tall fearsome predators of prehistoric jungles, they were small dinosaurs too. You wouldn’t believe how these wide-eyed balls of fuzz would grow up to be commanding powerful creatures when they grew up.
They were also weak and vulnerable just like any other baby animal. These cute baby dinosaurs even had a mortality rate of 60% during their first year of life because of other predators, sickness, or accidents.
But those who did reach past their first birthdays enjoyed an incredible growth spurt. Live Science reports that baby T. rexes gained 3 kgs every day during that period. It helped them become the giant predators they’re known for.
Cute dinosaurs like a baby T. rex are a good way to introduce prehistoric creatures to your kids. They’re familiar, famous, and adorable too.
You can use a baby T. rex puppet either as a teaching aid or as a gift to get them off to a good start in the love of dinosaurs. A baby T. rex puppet might just be the answer if you’re also wondering what to buy a kid who loves dinosaurs.
Cute Dinosaurs #2: Baby Velociraptor
Source by: Only Dinosaurs on Only Dinosaurs
Cute baby dinosaurs include Velociraptors too. Paleontologists discovered a baby Velociraptor’s jawbone in Alaska that’s only as long as 14 millimeters. And based on the size of the fossil, it might have only been as large as a small puppy.
Woof woof! We told you they were as cute as those Instagram puppies.
The baby Velociraptor jawbone was discovered in July 2020 near the Arctic Ocean at the Colville River’s bank. Scientists believe these small dinosaurs may have fed on small creatures like the Cimolodon or the Unnuakomys.
Cute Dinosaurs #3: Unaysaurus
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Get to know someone new like these cute dinosaurs from the Triassic period, the Unaysaurus. The Unaysaurus aren’t often talked about when the conversations turn dino. But did you know they’re on the list of oldest dinosaurs ever known? They lived around 225 to 200 million years ago during the Triassic Period’s Carnian or Norian times.
What makes these ancient small dinosaurs cute is their small size. Unsaysaurus measure only as long as 8.2 feet and grow only up to about 2 1/2 feet in height.
Cute Dinosaurs #4: Europasaurus
Source by: Paleoarte on paleoarte.blogspot.com
If the Unaysaurus was one of the oldest known cute dinosaurs, the Europasaurus is one of the world’s smallest known cute dinosaurs. What a peculiar way to describe cute dinosaurs, isn’t it? They’re either old or small.
But smallness plays to the advantage of the Europasaurus because its natural habitat was an island in Germany that had very little food. It was just enough to feed the small population of dinosaurs that lived within the area. Their small size kept them alive and well within the limits of their land area.
And as a result of the limited environment, these Brachiosaurus mini-mes grew only as much as their resources could enable them to grow. That’s why they’re also known as dwarf sauropods.
These small dinosaurs grew as long as 6.2 meters and only as heavy as 1,100 pounds. Their sizes were only just like cows even though they’re sauropods. Regular sauropods grew up to 50 feet long and weighed up to 130,000 lbs.
But as we earlier said, smallness played to their advantage. It was a matter of survival and sustainable living for these cute dinosaurs.
Europasaurus is also on the list of the 10 Unique Small Dinosaurs [+ 4 Interesting FAQs About Them].
Cute Dinosaurs #5: Gigantoraptor
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These cute dinosaurs aren’t exactly small because they’re technically too tall to be small. The Gigantoraptors were 26 feet tall and weighed around 5,900 lbs.
But they’re in the top 15 cute dinosaurs list because of their physical features. The Gigantoraptors are depicted in paleoart and sculptures as a hybrid between a chicken and an oversized turkey. They had long necks, long bodies, and small faces that had horned beaks.
When it comes to cuteness, sometimes odd looks like the Gigantoraptors are what add to the cuteness factor. Looks that are unique, quirky, and different can give a dinosaur fun and cute impression.
Cute Dinosaurs #6: Nothronychus
Source by: Mohamad Haghani on Dinopedia Fandom
Do you remember the furry fringes that sloths rock on their arms? That fashion statement was inspired by the cute dinosaurs of the prehistoric era, the Nothronychus. The Nothronychus have prominent arms that are lined with feathers that drop down like a fringe.
What also adds to their cute factor are their pot belly torso and chunky limbs. They have long necks, four-toed feet, and sloth-like claws on their hands too. A unique combination that’s distinct from other cute dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous period.
Cute Dinosaurs #7: Baby Stegosaurus
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Have you ever seen real-life footprints of cute baby dinosaurs? Morrison Natural History Museum curator and director Matthew Mossbrucker has. What he discovered were footprints of a baby stegosaurus in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
What made the finding so special was it gave scientists clues as to how stegosauruses lived. Because aside from the baby footprints, adult ones were found too.
Mossbrucker’s fellow paleontologist and colleague, Bob Bakker, says the footprints show that these baby stegosaurus traveled with their families so they can protect each other. They weren’t as intelligent as other dinosaurs and were slow-moving too. So they probably found strength in numbers instead of brute force.
They also found that these cute baby dinosaurs had “…widespread, stubby hind toes, tipped square claws”. The paleontologists also think it could just be as large as a house cat.
Because of its slow movement and meek demeanor, a writer even authored a children’s book whose main characters included a Stegosaurus. The title perfectly matches its nature, “Stegosaurus: The Friendliest Dinosaur”.
So if your kids are asking, “what was the friendliest dinosaur?” or “what is the nicest dinosaur?”, the answer is in one dinosaur — the Stegosaurus. Cute, friendly, and nice, that’s a stegosaur, alright!
Source by: Only Dinosaurs on Only Dinosaurs
Cute Dinosaurs #8: Limusaurus
Source by: Yu Chen on Sci-News
If toothless dragons like Toothless from the movies were cute, take a look at these toothless cute dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic era. Introducing the Limusaurus.
The Limusaurus is one of those small dinosaurs who lived 161 to 157 million years ago in what is now known as China. They’re slender creatures who are estimated to have grown only a little more than 5 1/2 feet and weighed a meager 33 lbs.
These cute dinosaurs were wide-eyed and toothless as adults. What’s unique is they had teeth when they were cute baby dinosaurs but lost them in adulthood.
Scientists are still studying why and how they lost their teeth as they grew. What they know for now is that baby Limusauruses may have been carnivores and became herbivores when they got older.
Cute Dinosaurs #9: Compsognathus
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Nothing spells cuter than small dinosaurs with a curious gaze like the Compsognathus. Despite being tiny, these cute dinosaurs make up for it by being fast. Compsognathus can run as fast as 40 mph!
Their speed and small size complemented each other and helped these small dinosaurs survive the otherwise competitive Jurassic period they lived in. In those times, they were carnivores that lived off small vertebrates like lizards.
They also hid from the sights of other predators who could snatch them up for lunch using their small bodies. Compsognathus is estimated to grow up to 3 feet and weigh up to 12 lbs. These confirm its light-built and cute size.
Cute Dinosaurs #10: Microraptor
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Did you know raptors can be as small as two pounds? That’s the case for the Microraptors who are the world’s smallest raptors.
Microraptors are cute dinosaurs who can weigh as light as two pounds. They can also be as wide as 2 1/2 feet only. Aside from those, these small dinosaurs rocked four wings. One pair for their forelimbs and another for their hindlimbs.
They may look like a bird as you imagine them right now but they’re true raptors. We guess cuteness runs in the raptor family.
Cute Dinosaurs #11: Juravenator
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We’ve all heard about the sharp sense of touch using the hands. But have you heard about a sharp sense of touch with a tail? Cute dinosaurs like the Juravenator can do just that by using their unique sensory scales on their tails.
Imagine these barely 2 1/2-foot small dinosaurs wading in bodies of water searching for dinner. National Geographic shares that Juraventors may have used their sensory scales to assess the environment they’re in. It let them know when there’s fish around that they could catch and eat.
They also share that the Juravenator’s wide eyes are probably signs that these cute dinosaurs are nocturnal. They were active at night more than during the day.
Wide-eyed and sensitive cute creatures. Who knew such could exist in prehistoric periods?
Cute Dinosaurs #12: Coelophysis
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Another species of cute dinosaur is the Coelophysis. You’ll enjoy these small creatures if you enjoyed the idea of the speedy little lizards like the Compsognathus.
Coelophysis are small slender carnivores who lived at a time when dinosaurs weren’t the kings of the food chain. Other kinds of prehistoric creatures reigned which was why these small dinosaurs took care of their survival using speed.
Coelophysis can measure up to 9.8 feet in length and weigh only 44 lbs. Light physical builds helped them run fast from foes and run fast towards prey when the opportunity arose.
What allows for their cuteness aside from their size are their facial features. These cute dinosaurs have long narrow heads, eyes that face the front, and a smile that extends. If you think that’s cute, these dinosaurs are for you.
Cute Dinosaurs #13: Aquilops
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Can you imagine small dinosaurs as cute as bunnies? The Aquilops is your bet for the cutest dinosaur of the Early Cretaceous era. Growing as large as a rabbit and having eyes as wide as baby Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, the Aquilops couldn’t be any cuter.
It’s cute and it looks like an eagle which inspired its name. Aquilops means “eagle-faced”. Its unique physical features also clued scientists in on the fact that it’s part of the family where dinosaurs like the Triceratops belong. What makes them different from their famous relatives is that they don’t have the iconic horns and neck frills.
But never mind the absence of those horns and frills because their small size and eyes are more than enough to make them cute. The Aquilops just might be the cutest dinosaur ever.
Cute Dinosaurs #14: Chaoyangsaurus
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Another contender for the family where cuteness runs through its veins is the one where the Chaoyangsaurus belongs. These cute dinosaurs belong to the ceratopsian family which includes famous relatives like the Triceratops and the Aquilops.
The Chaoyangsaurus were small dinosaurs who grew as long as 3 feet and munched on the best of the late Jurassic’s vegetation. They were herbivores whose fossils were discovered in China in 1999.
Cute Dinosaurs #15: Stegoceras validum
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The late Cretaceous period doesn’t seem to be lacking cute dinosaurs as another one joins our list and wraps it up. The Stegoceras validum is a species of small dinosaurs who look like fawns. But they had bodies with shorter forearms, longer hind legs, long graceful tails, and smooth halved domes on their heads.
Despite their delicate appearance, these cute dinosaurs are strong. Its very name means “horn roof” and “strong” that’s inspired by the dome on its head.
The Stegoceras had bodies as long as 8.2 feet and weighed as light as 88 lbs. They had the stance of a kangaroo which all the more adds to their cuteness.
21st Century Humans React To Cute Dinosaurs
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What do you think about all the cuteness we just discovered? It’s a refreshing perspective of prehistoric creatures, isn’t it?
We hope you enjoyed this light read! It’s great to take a break from all the heavy reading once in a while.
And what’s better is if you get to share what you know about cute dinosaurs with others. May it be your kids or students if you’re a teacher. Or maybe even your special someone.
Maybe even making a vlog about it will be a great idea. You can use dinosaur puppets or other visual aids to make it exciting. However, you’ll have it, just have fun! See you in our next blog post.
