Dinosaur Showcase: Psittacosaurus

Meet the Psittacosaurus - a small but fascinating herbivore from the Cretaceous period! With eye-catching tail frills and a laid-back attitude, Psittacosaurus slot easily into mixed enclosures.

Notable characteristics:

Social and well-suited to mixing with ceratopsids and stegosaurids in group enclosures.
Psittacosaurus herds will be protective and care for all juveniles as a group.
Favours a mix of cover and ground nuts & fruit for food in their enclosures.

Dating from the Cretaceous period, Psittacosaurus have mostly been found in Asia, including Russia, Mongolia and China. Ancestors of horned dinosaurs like Triceratops, their name literally means ‘parrot-lizard’.

These small, bipedal horned dinosaurs are herbivores and have distinctive parrot-like beaks. They use these beaks to dig for roots and plants, visually engaging guests with constant activity that brings their habitat to life. Similarly to modern birds, they swallow stones to wear down food as it passed through their digestive systems.

Psittacosaurus is known to flock together in herds for survival. They are sociable and thrive in herd environments, even with other peaceful herbivores in mixed enclosures.

They don’t need specific requirements for their nests, but make sure to give them plenty of room and food as young Psittacosaurus’ are known to follow almost any adult dinosaur they feel comfortable with.