Saltopus facts for kids

Saltopus was a small, quick reptile that lived a very long time ago, during the Upper Triassic period. This was about 237 to 201 million years ago! It was a bit like a tiny, early relative of the dinosaurs. Scientists don't have many bones of Saltopus, so there's still a lot we don't know about it.

Discovering Saltopus

Saltopus was first found in Scotland in 1910. A scientist named Friedrich von Huene discovered its bones. The name Saltopus means "leaping foot," which suggests it might have been good at jumping or running.

What We Know About It

This ancient animal was quite small, only about 60 centimeters (23 inches) long. That's not much bigger than a rabbit! It was lightly built, meaning it had a slim body and probably moved very quickly.

Scientists believe Saltopus was a carnivore, which means it ate meat. It likely hunted small animals or insects that lived during its time. Because only a few bones have been found, it's hard for scientists to know exactly what Saltopus looked like or how it lived its daily life. Finding more fossils would help us learn much more about this interesting creature from the past.

Images for kids

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  Life restoration

See also

In Spanish: Saltopus para niños