What Dinosaur Has 500 Teeth?
Meet Nigersaurus — the amazing dinosaur with hundreds of tiny replaceable teeth! Learn fun facts, discover where it lived, and download a free coloring page.
Quick Answer
The dinosaur with around 500 teeth was Nigersaurus. It was a gentle plant-eating dinosaur that lived about 110 million years ago in what is now Niger, Africa.
Meet Nigersaurus
Nigersaurus (pronounced NEE-zhair-SAW-rus) was a remarkable sauropod dinosaur that roamed prehistoric Africa about 110 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. Its name means "Niger reptile," named after the country where its fossils were first discovered.
What made Nigersaurus truly unique was its extraordinary mouth. While most dinosaurs had teeth spread throughout their jaws, Nigersaurus had up to 500 tiny needle-like teeth packed in rows at the very front of its wide, flat snout — like a living lawnmower!
It had a long neck and a small head held low to the ground, perfectly designed for grazing on ferns and low-growing plants. Its mouth was shaped like the wide end of a vacuum cleaner — perfect for sweeping up vegetation.
Nigersaurus was about 30 feet (9 metres) long — roughly the size of a school bus — and weighed around 4–5 tonnes.
Fun Facts About Nigersaurus
Why Did Nigersaurus Have So Many Teeth?
Nigersaurus had so many teeth because plants are tough to eat. Chewing ferns and fibrous vegetation all day long wears teeth down very quickly. To keep up with this constant wear, Nigersaurus evolved a remarkable "conveyor belt" system: new teeth were always growing in behind the ones being used, ready to replace them.
Scientists estimate that Nigersaurus replaced each tooth roughly every 14 days — one of the fastest tooth replacement rates of any dinosaur ever discovered! With about 9 columns of teeth stacked in each position, there was always a fresh tooth ready to take over.
This meant Nigersaurus could eat rough, fibrous vegetation day after day without ever running out of teeth. It is one of nature's most amazing dental solutions!
🤯 Fun comparison: Humans only get 2 sets of teeth in a lifetime. Nigersaurus got a fresh set roughly every two weeks!
Was Nigersaurus Dangerous?
Not at all! Nigersaurus was a completely peaceful herbivore. Despite having hundreds of teeth, its teeth were tiny and designed only for snipping plants — not for defending itself or attacking other animals.
Nigersaurus had no sharp claws, no horns, and no powerful tail for fighting. Instead, it relied on its large size and living in herds to stay safe from predators like Carcharodontosaurus.
🌿 Nigersaurus was a gentle giant — more like a prehistoric cow than a scary monster!
Where Did Nigersaurus Live?
Nigersaurus lived in what is today the Sahara Desert — but 110 million years ago it was a very different place! The region was a lush tropical floodplain crossed by rivers and covered in dense vegetation.
The first Nigersaurus fossils were discovered in the Gadoufaoua region of Niger, West Africa, in the 1950s. American palaeontologist Paul Serenoled major excavations in the 1990s–2000s that brought Nigersaurus to the world's attention.
Nigersaurus shared its ancient habitat with other fascinating dinosaurs including Jobaria, Ouranosaurus, and large predators like Suchomimus.
Niger, West Africa
Where Nigersaurus fossils were first discovered — in the Gadoufaoua region of what is now the Sahara Desert
Free Nigersaurus Coloring Pages
Let your little one bring Nigersaurus to life with their favourite colours! Download and print any of these free coloring pages — perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and dinosaur fans of all ages.
Nigersaurus Face
Nigersaurus Full Body
Nigersaurus 500 Teeth
Free for personal and educational use. More coloring pages on our Dinosaur Coloring Pages page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What dinosaur has 500 teeth?
Nigersaurus is the dinosaur known for having around 500 teeth. It was a plant-eating sauropod that lived about 110 million years ago in what is now Niger, Africa.
Did Nigersaurus really have 500 teeth?
Yes! Nigersaurus had approximately 500 small, needle-like teeth packed in rows at the front of its wide, flat mouth. New teeth grew in continuously to replace worn ones — like a living conveyor belt.
Was Nigersaurus dangerous?
Not at all. Nigersaurus was a peaceful herbivore that spent its days grazing on low-growing ferns and plants. It had no claws or large teeth for attacking other animals.
What did Nigersaurus eat?
Nigersaurus ate low-growing plants like ferns, horsetails, and soft ground-level vegetation. Its wide mouth and downward-facing jaw were perfectly shaped for grazing close to the ground — like a prehistoric lawnmower!
How do you pronounce Nigersaurus?
Nigersaurus is pronounced NEE-zhair-SAW-rus. It is named after the country Niger in Africa, where the first fossils were discovered.
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