Diplodocus is one of the most famous of the four-legged prehistoric plant eaters. A complete skeleton of Diplodocus was dug up by the famous Scottish-American millionaire, Andrew Carnegie. It was 88 feet long, included a 26-foot neck and a 45-foot tail. The quite small and had two rows of peg-like teeth. These were used to pull leaves from tree branches like a comb rakes through hair.

With its long neck, the dinosaur could see over trees and across great distances. This was just as well. It would not have been a fast mover and proved an easy prey to the big flesh-eaters. Diplodocus weighed more than 11 tons. It needed a special skeleton to support that weight. The dinosaur takes its name, which means "double beam," from small bones beneath the backbone. These had a piece that ran forward as well as another piece that piece that ran back - a double-beamed bone.

Diplodocus is one of the longest dinosaurs that ever lived. It is not the heaviest. In fact, for its size, Diplodocus was light. Compare Diplodocus with Apatosaurus, which weighed 33 tons and yet was nearly 20 feet shorter in length.

Location: USA

Diet: Tree leaves, ferns

Size: Length 27m (89ft)

      Weight 12 tonnes

Classification:

Family Diplodocidae

Infraorder Sauropoda

Suborder Sauropodomorpha

Order Saurischia

Time (million years ago): 150