Saltasaurus was a small, Cretaceous Sauropod.
Size
Saltasaurus was small for a Sauropod, only 10 metres long and weighing 8 tonnes. They had the classic whip-lash tail and long neck of a Sauropod, and they were herbivorous. Since they were small, Saltasaurus had another means of defence - its body was covered in bony scutes, similar to those of Minmi. The scientific name for these scutes is osteoderms.
When it was found
Saltasaurus (meaning 'Lizard from Salta'), was first described by Jose Bonaparte and Jaime E. Powell in 1980. As well as being found in north-west Argentina, fossils of it have also been discovered in Uruguay. Saltasaurus was estimated to live 70 million years ago.
Classification
Saltasaurus was a Titanosaur.
A Saltasaurus