Dinosaurs A to Z
Silesauridae

Sacisaurus

Generic small ornithischian body-plan outline
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Sacisaurus 1.1 m (3.6 ft) long
as long as 2 people standing fingertip to fingertip
generic small ornithischian body plan, scaled to length — not a silhouette of Sacisaurus
Length
1.1 m (3.6 ft)
Period
Late Triassic (225 Mya)
Place
Brazil
Food
Herbivore
Clade
Silesauridae

Sacisaurus (“Saci lizard”) is a silesaurid dinosauriform from the Late Triassic (Norian) Caturrita Formation of southern Brazil. The scientific name, Sacisaurus agudoensis, refers to the city where the species was found, Agudo in the Rio Grande do Sul state, whereas Sacisaurus refers to Saci, a famous one-legged creature from Brazilian mythology, because among the dozens of fossil material unearthed, 35 right femora were collected whereas only 1 left femur was found.

What we know

  • Named by Ferigolo & Langer 2006.
  • Body length estimated at about 1.1 m.
  • Fossils found in Brazil.

What we guess

The reconstruction notes for Sacisaurus — soft tissue, color, behavior — haven't been written up yet. Only the recorded basics above are filled in so far.