Dino Camp and Dino Nursery exhibits
We've gone prehistoric with two new Dinosaur exhibits. Dino Camp and Dino Nursery educate visitors on the evolution of animals and the link between the modern-day species in the zoo and their Jurassic ancestors. Dinosaurs are classified as a group of reptiles, although some of their features are found in mammals and birds living today.
Visit our dinosaur exhibits, located near the top of the hill (included in your Belfast Zoo ticket) and see the prehistoric beasts which became extinct around 66 million years ago, after living on Earth for about 160 million years.
Dino Camp
Dino camp houses the following models:
Tyrannosaurus
- T-Rex was a large, predatory dinosaur that lived in the Upper Cretaceous period, about 66 to 68 million years ago.
- T-Rex had a huge, heavily built head, a long, powerful tail, and muscular rear legs. Its arms were very small in relation to its body.
- T-Rex was part of a group of dinosaurs called theropods, meaning "beast feet". It was the king of the tyrant lizards.
Velociraptor
- Velociraptor had a curved claw on each foot that it used to cut its prey.
- Velociraptor lived in the late Cretaceous Period, about 73 million years ago, in the Gobi Desert.
- Velociraptor was about the size of a turkey and could run up to 40 mph (60 kph).
Pterodactyls
- Pterodactyls lived around 150.8 to 148.5 million years ago, during the late Jurassic Period.
- Pterodactyls had a long beak filled with around 90 short, sharp teeth.
- The first specimen of Pterodactyls was discovered in 1784.
Allosaurus
- Allosaurus was a meat-eater and hunted in packs.
- It could unhinge its flexible jaws like a snake to eat large chunks of meat.
- Allosaurus could stand between 12 to 17 feet tall.
Dino Nursery
The Dino Nursery houses the following models:
Brontosaurus
- The Brontosaurus is a dinosaur that had a long, large neck, a large body, short limbs, and a tail that was similar in shape to a whip.
- It could weigh as much as 50,000 pounds and measure up to 74 feet from its head to its tail.
- The Brontosaurus is believed to have lived 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Period.
Baby T-Rex
- T. Rex hatchlings were about the size of very skinny turkeys, with 'arms' that were longer in proportion to their tiny bodies than in adults.
- Scientists believe they were the size of a chihuahua when they exited the egg.
- Baby T-Rex had triangular teeth with shallow roots, meaning they were the baby teeth of the tyrannosaur.
Baby Brontosaurus
- It took about 10 years for a Brontosaurus to reach its full adult size.
- Newly-hatched Brontosaurus were extremely small compared to their adults.
- Young brontosaurs were most likely kept close to their mothers by solid family bonds.