Tag: tyrannosaurus

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6 Dinosaur Documentaries You Don’t Want To Miss

Every Dinosaur fan loves a good Dinosaur documentary. It’s a great way to learn more about dinos; how they lived, grew and (unfortunately) died. It’s also fun to think about what it would be like if they still roamed our planet! Out of the many film and tv series you can watch about dinosaurs, here are a few of our favorites to watch!

Sky Monsters

Sky Monsters is a 2005, TV film documentary about Pterodactyls. Made by National Geographic, this dinosaur film is based on the findings of a group of researchers from Stanford University. They studied the aerodynamics and feeding patterns of the prehistoric flying reptiles to show how these amazing animals could fly. A Pterodactyl was as big as a Boeing plane… That’s a big creature!

Dinosaur 13

In 1990, paleontologist Sue Hendrickson and a team of geographical researchers discovered the largest, complete T-Rex skeleton ever documented in history. They name the dinosaur, “Sue”. Unfortunately, “Sue’s” discovery began a long legal battle over the findings. This 2014 film documentary by Todd Douglas Miller is a deep look into the T-Rex discovery near the Black Hills Institute in South Dakota, as well as the legal and political battle that took place afterward.

Walking With Dinosaurs

Walking with Dinosaurs is still one of the most highly regarded dinosaur documentaries ever made. It’s filmed like a real nature documentary, using animatronics and computer animation, making you feel like you are actually watching real dinosaurs roam. In fact, it’s so good, that it became the inspiration for the “Walking With…” series spin-off.

Clash of the Dinosaurs

This 2009 dinosaur documentary looks at the evolution of these prehistoric creatures over an entire century. It takes a deep dive into how they lived, using 3D images to show how they were built from bone to skin. The biggest thing this particular dinosaur documentary is known for is the scenes highlighting the body armor some dinosaurs had to defend themselves against predators.

Prehistoric Planet

A Dinosaur Documentary list wouldn’t be complete without Sir David Attenborough! This 2022 documentary series is narrated by the famous natural historian and is shot the same way as most of his other nature documentaries. Its high-end graphics and editing really provide an “immersive experience”. It’s also the first dinosaur documentary to ever focus on the long-debated idea that dinosaurs had feathers!

The Ballad of Big Al

If your favorite dinosaur is the Allosaurus, you’ll love this one. The Ballad of Big Al follows “Al” the Allosaurus throughout its life from hatching right up until its untimely death as a mature adolescent from injuries sustained during a fight. The BBC dinosaur documentary is a spin-off special from the Walking With Dinosaurs series creators and is based on an Allosaurus fossil found in Wyoming in the early 1990s.

With back-to-school coming up quickly, it’s a great time to watch dinosaur documentaries! With there being so much to learn about these prehistoric creatures, dinosaur films and tv series are always on the top of my watch list! I hope you enjoyed our selection; if you have seen them too, or if I have missed your favorite, let me know! Send me an email or let me know on Instagram! We would love to hear about them! And don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter! You will hear about fun dino stuff, and even get a dinosaur treat on your birthday from Vester the Velociraptor!

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5 Delicious Dinosaur Cakes That Will Get Your Mouth Watering

@shawnaodom

Dinosaur cakes are my jam. I love to bake, and I love dinosaurs, so what could top a dinosaur cake? I have all kinds of ideas for dinosaur cakes and cupcakes. Kids love dinosaur cakes for their birthday party, for sure, but so do adults! I recently made a dinosaur cake for our Lead Illustrator, Kara. It’s a cake featuring dinosaurs who get trapped in a tar pit! Yes, some dinosaur cakes can be funny, right?! You can use Dinosaur cupcakes as a delicious addition to a craft night too! Trust me, I know this from experience! Here are a few favorite dinosaur cake ideas to get you started on your dinosaur baking adventures!

IG: @merri.bakes

Roaring T-Rex Cake:
This dinosaur cake from @merri.bakes on Instagram is a pretty sweet dinosaur cake idea. Featuring a roaring T-Rex on the top, surrounded by some leaves and dirt would be a great cake for any celebration. Topped with a chocolate ganache drip and green frosting, it is sure to level up any party!

Chocolate Dinosaur Eggs Cupcakes:
This is a great Easter treat! There are so many ideas you can try with dinosaur cupcakes! These chocolate cupcakes have a thin layer of chocolate frosting and then are topped with chocolate sprinkles to make the nests. You could even mix chow mein noodles with some chocolate and peanut butter to make haystack cookie nests, or sprinkle crushed-up Oreo cookies. If you want to go extra fancy, you can use a #233 (grass) piping tip, and pip brown or green frosting to get a nest or grass look for your dinosaur eggs cupcake nest. The best dinosaur eggs are the malted milk easter eggs. They make great dinosaur eggs because they are speckled. You can also use mini eggs.

chefclub.tv

Cute Brachiosaurus Cake:
For a simpler take on the dinosaur cake, this brachiosaurus is a really fun dinosaur cake idea. Make this dinosaur cake by baking a sheet (flat) cake, and then use a template to cut out the design of your dinosaur. Really, with a piece of parchment or cardboard and some buttercream, you could make any dinosaur cake you want! Then all you need to do is get some frosting to ice the cake and use candies to decorate it! The ideas for this dinosaur cake are limitless! This cake will be a hit at kids’ birthday parties, or really any party!

Tar Pit Cake

I hope you found some inspiration with these dinosaur cake ideas! Kids and adults both love dinosaur cakes; I know this because Vester, our Velociraptor Event Coordinator at the Dinoverse, and I both bake for the Dinoverse Team quite often! I will leave you with Vester’s favorite cake recipe; it’s so simple, that even a Velociraptor can bake it! And don’t forget to share your dinosaur cakes with us on Instagram! We would love to see them!

To get more dinosaur info and fun activities, and to hear about the latest The Dinoverse promotions, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll even get a gift from Vester the Velociraptor on your birthday!

Doctored Up Boxed Cake Mix:
So good, people will think you baked it from scratch!

1 box (1 box) white cake mix
5 oz (142 g) AP flour 1 cup (spooned into cup, not scooped)
7 oz (198 g) granulated sugar 1 cup
1/4 tsp salt
9 oz (255 g) sour cream 1 cup room temp
4 oz (113 g) melted butter 1/2 cup
8 oz (227 g) milk 1 cup room temperature
4 large (4 ) egg whites at room temperature (or 3 whole eggs)
1 tsp (1 tsp) almond extract (or whatever you want the cake to taste like)

Instructions:
This cake is really easy. Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 2 9” or 4 6” pans. This will also make about 36 cupcakes. Then just put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix it on medium speed for 2 minutes. Tada! Your cake batter is ready to use! Pour batter into your prepared pans, and bake for 30-40 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. For cupcakes, it’s about 18-20 min, but keep an eye on them.

If you want to flavor your cake (we love coconut around the office), try adding different flavored extracts instead of the almond. This recipe also works great using lemon and strawberry flavored cake mixes!

Recipe From: sugargeekshow.com

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Our Top Favorite Dinosaur Songs For Kids And Adults

Everyone loves a song about dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are a big theme in kid’s music, and there are tons of options out there if you are looking for some good dinosaur songs to groove to with the kids on a fun afternoon. Here is a list of our favorite dinosaur songs to start your dinosaur dance party!

Dinostory: The Ultimate Dinosaur Rock Opera

This is our top pick. It has everything you could possibly want in your dinosaur songs! It’s a full album, with songs that are not only fun but educational as well. Even though it’s geared towards kids ages 4 and up, older kids and adults will enjoy the catchy tunes that tell a story about a young triceratops who gets separated from her family and learns to survive in a dangerous world by making friends.

The Dinosaur Song – Johnny Cash

You wouldn’t normally think of Johnny Cash as a children’s entertainer, but this dinosaur song from his 1975 album, “The Johnny Cash Children’s Album” is just plain fun. He asks, “…dinosaurs would be nice pets and friends to have around to run outside and play with every day, don’t you think?”.

Perpetual Preschool

Perpetual Preschool has some great Dinosaur song options for you to sing with the kids. Our favorite is the dinosaur version of “We Will Rock You”. It gets the kids involved by clapping their hands and stomping their feet, while singing, “We will, we will stomp you!” Each verse teaches about a different dino in the most rockin’ way!

“Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was)

Of course, we can’t talk about dinosaur songs without mentioning this gem! The lyrics, “Boom acka-lacka boom boom!” will get stuck in your head for days, and you will find yourself mindlessly shaking your hips back and forth to the rhythm long after it’s over. This particular song plays at all our get-togethers, and it has been a crowd pleaser since its release in 1988. This one will please older kids and adults alike, and should be on everyone’s playlist!

Dinosaur songs can be engaging and educational, while also incredibly entertaining! Listening to music expands the brain and stirs creative energy, and including dinosaur themed music just makes it even more fun! These are just a few of the dinosaur songs out there; If I have missed your favorite dino song, send me an email or tag us on Instagram! Everyone here at The Dinoverse would love to hear about them! And don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter! You will hear about fun dino stuff, and even get a dinosaur treat on your birthday from Vester the Velociraptor!

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Dinosaur Museums

Dinosaur museums are the best place to learn about dinosaurs. Here in Canada, we are really lucky to have many museums that centre around Dinosaurs! If you travel to Drumheller, Alberta, where many dinosaur fossils have been found, you’ll get to experience a variety of dinosaur specimens. Canada has an amazing dinosaur history for you to explore, and new dinosaur fossils are being found all the time!

George: Lambeosaurus at UBC

You don’t have to travel to Alberta, Canada to see dinosaurs though! Almost all of the provinces in Canada have museums with dinosaur exhibits. Not only that, there are many universities that study dinosaurs too, like the University of British Columbia. Victoria, British Columbia also has a place called “Dino Lab“, where they restore dinosaur fossils and get them ready for exhibits all around the world! Read more about Dino Lab in this blog here!

Dino Lab, Victoria

Usually places where a large amount of dinosaur fossils have been found have the largest museums for dinos and dinosaur artefacts. The Jurassic Morrison Formation in the Western part of the United States has provided lots of dinosaur fossils, including stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex fossils! The Field Museum in Chicago has the largest, best preserved, and most complete of all the T-Rex fossils found. She is so well known, they simply call her “Sue”.

Sue: Tyrannosaurus Rex at the Field Museum in Chicago

Dinosaur museums are educational and fun for the whole family. There is so much to learn about dinosaurs, and we are really lucky to have so much access to what paleontologists have found over the last hundred years. If you want to take a trip to see dinosaur fossils, I’m sure you won’t have to travel very far!

Royal Tyrrell Museum Drumheller, Alberta

What dinosaur museums have you visited? Tag us on Instagram in your dinosaur adventures! We would love to see them! And sign up for our email newsletter to get more fun dinosaur stuff delivered to your inbox, including a discount to The Dinoverse shop!

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Dino Lab

I want to tell you about one of the greatest birthday parties I have ever been to. It was so much fun, and super educational too! And, yes, full of dinosaurs!

The funniest part of this story is that the birthday party wasn’t for a kid. Nope; it was for our Internet Ninja, Lisa! She decided that the best way to celebrate her birthday was with dinosaurs (obviously!), and so she booked us all to visit Dino Lab in Victoria, BC, Canada. When she first called them, they asked her twice if she was sure this was for an adult’s birthday; I guess back then (it was in the “before times”) it seemed unusual for adults to have a birthday party at Dino Lab. Tours, yes, birthday parties? Not so much.

Oh boy was it awesome! The two lovely people who met us in the shop to get us started for our tour knew everything about dinosaurs! They took us on the coolest tour, showing us many fossils, specimens, and even a giant T-Rex skull! There was so much to learn, and they were also incredibly patient with us. We all suddenly turned into 10 year old kids, asking a million questions a minute, and wanting to see everything. There was lots to touch, hold, and take pictures with; it was very exciting.

The next stop on our tour was the actual lab itself, where we all got to don lab coats and spend time with the tools, gently sanding away rock to try to expose real dinosaur fossils! This was very serious work! And also a little loud.

After we had a chance to grind away for a bit (unfortunately, none of us made any great discoveries), we went on to the party room, where we were met with a really fun dinosaur cake! Lisa blew out her candles all in one go (amazing!) and we had a really great time talking about all the cool dinosaur stuff we had just seen.

Our last stop before heading out was the gift shop. Everybody loves a gift shop, especially when it is full of dinosaurs! A few of us purchased stickers, some purchased art, and one person even bought an actual fossil! It was the best shopping spree ever! Fun Fact: The Dino Lab shop now has exclusive stickers from The Dinoverse that you can’t get anywhere else!

We had so much fun at the Dino Lab! If you haven’t been there yet, you really should put it on your list of things to do this summer. They have all different types of programs for kids and adults, including the opportunity to go on your own real dig! And if you haven’t guessed it yet, we here at The Dinoverse think Dino Lab birthday parties are definitely the best birthday parties!

To get more dinosaur info and fun activities, and to hear about the latest Dinoverse promotions, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll even get a gift from Vester the Velociraptor on your birthday!

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Facts About Mosasaurus

You know that intense scene in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, where the guy is clinging to the ladder under the helicopter? They fly away, barely escaping a T-Rex, just to be then eaten by the mighty Mosasaurus? You heave a sigh of relief, just get it snatched from you mid-breath. Well, although it’s a really cool scene, and even more cool that the Mosasaurus is finally getting some attention in pop culture, they don’t have all the facts quite right.

Mosasurus was not as big as Jurassic World would like us to think. They were actually not much bigger than Tyrannosaurus Rex! The largest discovered specimen had a length of up to 17 metres. The largest blue whales today are around 30 metres long, so the Mosasaurus wasn’t even the largest sea creature the earth has known.

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a terrifying creature! Mosasaurus had double-hinged jaws that would allow it to swallow its prey whole. It also had a second row of teeth on the top of its mouth, used to keep a strong hold of its meal. This apex predator from the Late Cretaceous period had a skull that was designed for crushing and they would make easy meals of other sea dwellers, such as fish, sharks and even other Mosasaurs.

Technically Mosasaurus isn’t a dinosaur; they were prehistoric marine reptiles similar to modern-day lizards and snakes rather than dinosaurs, but for dinosaur lovers like me, that’s just semantics! The name Mosasaur was given to this mighty aquatic beast because it was first found in Holland, by the Meuse River, “Mosa”, and “Sauros” is Greek for “Lizard”. Mosasaurus was one of the very first dinosaurs ever discovered, way back in the 1700’s, however back then they didn’t know what dinosaurs were, and thought it was a whale. It wasn’t until the 1820’s when Georges Cuvier examined it, that scientists realised that extinct species had lived on the earth before us.

It’s super cool to see different dinosaurs represented in movies and pop culture, even if they aren’t exactly accurate. To be fair, what we actually know about each dino often changes with each new discovery, so who knows? Maybe one day we will find larger fossils of Mosasaurus! Regardless, this massive sea monster is one of my favourite dinosaurs, even if it’s just a little bit scary!

What’s your favourite Dinosaur? Send us an email or tag us with your pictures on Instagram! We would love to hear about them! And don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter! You will hear about fun dino stuff, and even get a dinosaur treat on your birthday from Vester the Velociraptor!

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Dinosaur gif

A Dinosaur gif is a great way to add a little bit of fun into everyday communication. Dinosaur gifs are often the way my friends and I communicate. When talking about my kids running away from housework, a running dinosaur gif often shows up. Similarly, a roaring T-Rex gif usually makes it into that conversation! My husband likes the Jurassic World gif of Owen Grady and the Velocirators. Jurassic World gifs are abundant in our communications.

Dinosaur gifs are also a way to make your messages more interesting. I am a bit of a language nerd, and find myself fascinated by the way how we talk evolves. Dinosaur gifs are a big part of that. Did you know that gifs have been around since 1987, and that there were even “protogifs” that date back to the 19th century? They weren’t as interesting, of course. 19th century protogifs weren’t triceratops gifs. Scientists are even using dinosaur gifs to punctuate their thoughts, or other types of gifs to show examples of their work. Just like dinosaur memes, dinosaur gifs are now a part of everyday written communication.

Funny dinosaur gifs make a great way to lighten any message. How can you not laugh at the pole dancing dinosaur gif? Show your enthusiasm with a happy dinosaur gif or even say “I love you” with a kissing dinosaur gif. A simple “Hi” dinosaur gif will be sure to brighten anyone’s day. Dinosaur gifs and memes belong in almost every conversation.

What are your favourite dinosaur gifs? We would love to see them all! Tag us on Instagram, and don’t forget to sign up for our email newsletter to get the news, activities and general fun dinosaur stuff in your inbox! You’ll even get a discount to The Dinoverse shop!

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Dinosaur Colouring Pages

Dinosaur coloring pages can be a great addition to any kid’s rainy day activities. You can find lots of different, free printable dinosaur coloring pages online. Some have cute little dinos, surrounded by their favourite nature. Others are more slightly real looking; a T-Rex or triceratops roaming the countryside. We don’t actually know what dinosaurs looked like, so kids can color them any color they like; red, blue or how about yellow? Why not have a yellow dinosaur? It’s possible! I love to see what comes out of a kid’s imagination.

You can also find dinosaur coloring books for kids. They often will have different animals as well as dinosaurs. A coloring book is great for taking on vacation. They keep all the pages together unlike the printable coloring pages that could get lost. Your kids can enjoy coloring pictures of stegosaurus, t-rex or triceratops, while you wait for your flight or on a long drive. Coloring can be a real help to pass time when waiting to see family at Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Here at The Dinoverse, we love to color! We can always find our Lead Illustrator, Kara, with some sort of coloring in front of her! We love coloring so much that Kara has designed some dinosaur coloring pages to share with you! You can hang these coloring pages anywhere. They qualify as art after all! Coloring these pages isn’t just for kids; for real, coloring pages are for all ages! You can download these cool dinosaurs, playing amongst their favourite nature. Just click the links below to get your free dinosaur coloring pages. I hope you have as much fun coloring them as I did! To get more dinosaur info and fun activities, and to hear about the latest Dinoverse promotions, sign up for our email list! You’ll even get a gift from Vester the Velociraptor on your birthday!

(Check out that amazing Dinosaur Hoodie our Jr. Paeleontologist is wearing! You can find it and other great Napping Wolf handmade products here)
Brachiosaurus
Parasaurolopus
Quetzacoatlus
Spinosaurus

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Are Dinosaurs Reptiles Or Birds?

The easy answer is dinosaurs are both reptiles and birds! Was that helpful? Probably not. Dinosaurs lived back millions of years ago in the Mesozoic Era; also called the “Age of Reptiles”. Lots of them had scaly skin, like reptiles, and they hatched from eggs, like both reptiles and birds. Even the word “Dinosaur” means “Terrible Lizard”, and lizards are a type of reptile!

Fossil of “Baby Yingliang”

There were two main types of Dinosaur. The Ornithischian or “bird hipped” dinosaurs like the Triceratops, and the Saurischian, or “lizard hipped” dinosaurs, like Apatosaurus. Ornithischia dinosaurs are herbivores, while Saurischian dinosaurs can be both herbivores and carnivores, like Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The main reason people ask this question is because we really want dinosaurs to still be living today. Dinosaurs have fascinated people for years! Wouldn’t you like to have your own dinosaur as a pet? Well, you can; sort of. There are still a group of living dinosaurs, and that’s where the bird part comes in!

Over millions of years, birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs, like Tyrannosaurus Rex! There are over 100 traits modern birds share with these ancient animals. Things like hollow bones, three forward-facing toes and a fused collarbone, often called a wishbone. How would you like a Tyrannosaurus for your Thanksgiving dinner? And of course, feathers. Since the discovery that dinosaurs are related to birds, I have seen some amazing art of Tyrannosaurus Rex drawn to look like a chicken!

Not all theropods could fly; I mean, can you imagine a flying Tyrannosaurus? Some theropods didn’t have the right skeletal structure, or their feathers weren’t quite developed enough. Scientists believe that for some Theropods, the feathers were likely used for mating displays, like the way peacocks do now. Penguins are also considered dinosaurs. Fossil penguin skin has been found in the Antarctic. So we really do have avian dinosaurs still around!

If you are more of a lizard person, you can still have a modern day dinosaur as a pet. Crocodiles and turtles are also closely related to our dinosaur friends! You might not be able to have a crocodile as a pet though. Another lizard type dinosaur that might make a better animal for your home, would be a snake. Snakes are loosely related to dinosaurs.

Photograph: JA Chirinos/Reuters

I guess the answer to the question, “Are dinosaurs reptiles or birds?” really is both! It just depends on how many millions of years you want to wait. Animals like crocodiles and turtles possibly lived millions of years ago, whereas our modern birds evolved over millions of years and are related to dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus Rex. Regardless, it’s nice to know that even without a Jurassic World type park out there, we can still see modern day dinosaurs roaming the land today!

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34 Hilarious Dinosaur Jokes That Will Make You Laugh Every Time

Do you love dinosaur jokes as much as I do? I love a good dinosaur joke, and dinosaur puns are my favorite thing ever! Start a sentence with “What do you call…” and I’m in. I think it’s a mom thing. With the help of our junior paleontologists, I have compiled a list of the best jokes and puns about dinosaurs. I hope you like them as much as we do!

Q: What do you get if you cross a dinosaur with a pig?
A: Jurassic Pork!

Q: Why do museums exhibit old dinosaur bones?
A: Because they can’t afford new ones!

Q: Who makes the best prehistoric reptile clothes?
A: A dino-sewer.

Q: What do you call a dinosaur that never gives up?
A: Try-try-try-ceratops!

Q: What do you call a dinosaur car accident?
A: Tyrannosaurus wreck!

Q: What should you do if you find a blue Dilophosaurus?
A: Try to cheer him up!

Q: Why did the Tyrannosaurus Rex cross the road?
A: Because the chickens hadn’t evolved yet.

Q: Scientists discovered a new dinosaur that is very intelligent.
A: It’s called a thesaurus.

Q: Do you know how long dinosaurs lived?
A: The same as short ones.

Q: What would happen if a 100-ton Brachiosaurus stepped on you?
A: You’d be deeply impressed.

Q: What is a dinosaur’s least favorite reindeer?
A: Comet!

Q: What dinosaur could jump higher than a house?
A: All of them. Houses can’t jump.

Q: Can a crappy dinosaur joke get a laugh?
A: You bet Jurassican.

Q: What do you call a dinosaur ghost?
A: A Scaredactyl.

Q: What do you get when a dinosaur sneezes?
A: Out of the way as fast as you can.

Q: What’s a dinosaur’s favorite quote?
A: “Jurassic times call for Jurassic measures!”

Q: Why did the Archaeopteryx catch the worm?
A: Because it was an early bird!

Q: How do you know if there is a dinosaur in your fridge?
A: The door won’t shut!

Q: What do you call a dinosaur who is a noisy sleeper?
A: A Tyranno-snorus!

Q: What do you call a smelly dinosaur fart?
A: An ex-stink-tion!

Q: What do you call a T-Rex who hates losing?
A: A saur loser.

Q: What sport is a brontosaurus good at?
A: Squash

Q: Do you think anything could tricera-top these dinosaur puns?
A: I dino what to tell you, but probably not.

Q: What do you call a short spiky dinosaur that’s fallen down the stairs?
A: Ankle-is-sore-us.

Q: What do you get if you cross a T- rex with explosives?
A: Dino-mite.

Q: What do you call a dinosaur that asks a lot of deep questions?
A: A Philosiraptor.

Q: What is found in the middle of dinosaurs?
A: The letter S.

Q: What’s the best thing to do if you see a T-Rex?
A: Hope he doesn’t see you.

Q: Which dinosaur had to wear glasses?
A: Tyrannosaurus specs.

I hope you had a great laugh as you read our list of dinosaur jokes and puns! If we have missed any of your favorite jokes about dinosaurs, please share them with us on instagram!

To get more dinosaur info and fun activities, and to hear about the latest The Dinoverse promotions, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll even get a gift from Vester the Velociraptor on your birthday!