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Dinosaur Habitats Facts & Worksheets

Dinosaurs, a group of extinct animals, inhabited Earth during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. These eras, indelibly recorded in Earth's history, showed a variety of weather and vegetation conducive to a range of dinosaur habitats.

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Dinosaurs, a group of extinct animals, inhabited Earth during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. These eras, indelibly recorded in Earth’s history, showed a variety of weather and vegetation conducive to a range of dinosaur habitats.

See the fact file below for more information about Dinosaur Habitats, or you can download our 26-page Dinosaur Habitats worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

  • The dinosaurs did not all exist at the same time. They also did not all reside in the same region of the globe. 
  • During the 180 million years that dinosaurs roamed the planet, various habitats came about due to the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea and the significant changes in temperature that followed.
  • Because it altered the direction of ocean currents and determined how much of the planet was covered in ice, continental drift influenced the temperature of the entire planet. 
  • Dinosaur species were split based on their preferred diets: herbivorous dinosaurs preferred leafy areas, whereas carnivorous dinosaurs thrived where food was plentiful. Dinosaurs were omnivores with adaptable diets and multiple environments.

TRIASSIC HABITATS (250 – 200 MILLION YEARS AGO)

  • The world’s landmasses were all combined into one supercontinent called Pangaea during the Triassic period. Due to the size of the subcontinent, many inland regions were far from the coast and had vast deserts. The only places on the continent with adequate moisture for vegetation were on the fringes. The earliest dinosaurs appeared at this time and were widespread.
  • RIVERSIDE. The Herrerasaurus, often known as the Herrera’s lizard, is a dinosaur species that may have inhabited the Jurassic riverbanks. The Late Triassic Ischigualasto Formation, located in northwest Argentina, is where the 1958-discovered Herrerasaurus is believed to have first emerged.
  • The fir trees and ferns that the Herrerasaurus lived among were not its food; instead, it preferred eating animals.
  • SCRUBLAND. Scrublands or shrublands, which contain geophytes, herbs, grasses, and shrubs, are another dinosaur habitat. Most scrubland vegetation will germinate in the heat, maybe as a result of fire. These plants also have a propensity to produce more seeds than is required for survival.
  • Scrublands may have been home to the Plateosaurus. The territories now known as Asia, Africa, and Europe are where they lived in the late Triassic period and for longer.

JURASSIC HABITATS (200 – 145 MILLION YEARS AGO)

  • Pangaea was fragmenting by the Jurassic. Similar to the present-day Red Sea in Egypt, rift valleys formed lengthy ocean arms that extended into the depths of the continent. Most locations had damper conditions due to shallow waters spreading across lowlands and into ancient deserts. Even though the plants remained the same, there was a lot more greenery than there was in the Triassic.
  • RIPARIAN FOREST. Riparian forests develop next to a marsh, bay, river, stream, reservoir, sink, or pond and retain sediment from the nearby body of water even though they frequently flood. The trees and vegetation that flourish here tend to grow big and dense. 
  • It’s possible that the Stegosaurus once inhabited riparian forests. Remains of this herbivorous dinosaur have been discovered in Portugal, the western United States, and the Morrison Formation, particularly in its higher regions.
  • CONIFEROUS FOREST. Sauropod dinosaurs with exceptionally long necks with up to 14 or more vertebrae may have lived in the coniferous woodlands.
  • Warm, humid conditions in these forests allowed for the establishment of a variety of plants, including monkey puzzle trees, cypresses, and podocarps.

CRETACEOUS HABITATS (145 – 65 MILLION YEARS AGO)

  • By the Cretaceous period, the continents had split apart, with several taking on the appearance of the continents we know today. The climates were much more variable since there were so many various types of land. Each animal group evolved independently, and the animal life varied between the continents. As an illustration, North American and South American dinosaurs were distinct.
  • SWAMPLAND. Swamps were commonly found in the continents of the region during the Cretaceous period and were relatively hot and humid. Only trees that could withstand a lot of dampness could grow here, and swamp cypresses were widespread. Fish were present in bodies of water, attracting certain dinosaur species. 
  • MIXED FOREST. During the Cretaceous period, more species of flowering plants started to appear. As a result of these changes, vaster regions of mixed woods emerged, including deciduous and coniferous forests. 
  • When dinosaurs lived in mixed forests, it was fascinating to observe how they would consume plants on the ground and those growing in trees. 
  • Corythosaurus was one of the dinosaurs that could both graze near the ground and forage from trees thanks to its effective chewing capability. As a result, plants evolved with seeds that could withstand this treatment.

CRETACEOUS HABITATS (145 – 65 MILLION YEARS AGO)

  • MOUNTAINS. In the Cretaceous period, mountain dinosaurs also first appeared. Most dinosaurs who made the mountains their home at this time are thought to have lived lower in the mountains rather than higher, based on the placement of fossils. 
  • Depending on the time period, conifers and plants were present in mountain environments. The Jurassic had less vegetation than the Cretaceous period had in the hilly regions.
  • Given that the Edmontonia thrived on low-lying plants like cycads and ferns that would have been available around the mountain’s base, it is possible that it did well in these steep areas.
  • DESERT PLAINS. These plains occupied an ecosystem that covered a vast area of land. The different grass species had not yet evolved where they could grow plentifully; therefore, the vegetation included some ferns and plants from the Paleolithic era.
  • Triceratops has also been discovered in portions of North America, indicating that during the Cretaceous period, the desert plains here may have been its habitat.
  • Gallimimus, a theropod whose remains have been discovered in Central Asia’s Gobi Desert, may have lived in the desert plains. It raises the possibility that the arid plains of the Cretaceous period may have reached Central Asia from North America.

OTHER DINOSAUR HABITATS

  • FLOODPLAINS. An area near a river or stream known as a floodplain frequently floods as the seasons change. It indicates that the land is dry or was dry during some periods of the deluge. Due to the flat terrain, rivers and streams poured overland during the seasonal rains.
  • At first, paleontologists believed that Brachiosaurus mostly lived in the water. However, it is now believed that this dinosaur was more of a land-dwelling species and spent most of its life on land rather than in the water as fossil evidence became clearer and they could study them more thoroughly with cutting-edge technology.
  • The Parasaurolophus most likely also inhabited floodplains. It was a hadrosaurid dinosaur with a duck bill and a hollow crown on its skull. It is thought that these dinosaurs lived in groups called herds where they could protect one another from predators, build nests together, and raise their young.
  • COASTAL AND ISLAND. Sand beaches, rocky shorelines, sand dunes, low and high cliff areas, and salt marshes are distinct ecosystems common to coastal locations and islands.
  • Paleontologists have also discovered the remains of the small dinosaur Compsognathus. Because marine fish, crabs, and other coastal animals have been discovered beside dinosaur bones, it is believed that these dinosaurs lived in coastal regions.

Dinosaur Habitats Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Dinosaur Habitats across 26 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Dinosaur Habitats. Dinosaurs, a group of extinct animals, inhabited Earth during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. These eras, indelibly recorded in Earth’s history, showed a variety of weather and vegetation conducive to a range of dinosaur habitats.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Dinosaur Habitats Facts
  2. Habi-truth
  3. Earth Before Time
  4. Habit-ask
  5. Dino World
  6. Welcome to Asia!
  7. Paleontology
  8. Once Upon a Million Years Ago
  9. Home is Where the Dino Is
  10. Take me Home
  11. Jurassic Park

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of environments did dinosaurs live in?

Dinosaurs lived in a wide range of environments, including forests, grasslands, swamps, deserts, and coastal regions. The specific environment varied depending on the dinosaur species.

Were all dinosaurs terrestrial, or did some live in aquatic habitats?

While most dinosaurs were terrestrial, some dinosaurs adapted to aquatic habitats. Examples of aquatic dinosaurs include the ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs, which lived in the oceans, and the spinosaurus, which was semi-aquatic and lived near rivers and swamps.

How did dinosaurs adapt to different habitats?

Dinosaurs adapted to their environments in various ways. For example, herbivorous dinosaurs in forested areas may have evolved long necks to reach vegetation in tall trees, while those in open grasslands might have been built for speed. Carnivorous dinosaurs adapted for hunting and often had sharp teeth and claws suited for catching prey in their specific habitats.

Did dinosaurs live in polar regions, and how did they survive the extreme cold?

Yes, some dinosaurs inhabited polar regions, but it was challenging for them due to the extreme cold and seasonal darkness. They likely had adaptations like insulating feathers and behaviors such as migration to survive in these harsh environments. Some dinosaurs, like the theropod Cryolophosaurus, have been found in Antarctica.

What evidence do paleontologists use to determine dinosaur habitats?

Paleontologists determine dinosaur habitats through various types of evidence, including the fossilized remains of dinosaurs and the geological characteristics of the rock formations in which they are found. Fossilized plants and other organisms in the same rock layers can also provide clues about the ancient environment, helping scientists reconstruct the habitats in which dinosaurs lived.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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