Meet the plesiosaur! our local Dinasour!

It was an ancient marine creature that rarely came ashore. It fed mainly on fish and marine mollusks, which it caught by rapid pursuit using its large flippers. The plesiosaur became extinct along with the rest of the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago. It reached about 3.5 meters in length and had a long neck ending in large jaws that could open for efficient hunting. Its flippers were similar to those of a seal, allowing it to swim remarkably quickly. At the end of its body was a short tail. The first fossil of this reptile was found by an archaeologist and tour guide in the Arabah area, and the dinosaur shown here is based on the actual skeleton that was discovered.

Main Characteristics:

• Body Shape: Broad, flat body with four strong, paddle-like flippers adapted for swimming.

• Neck: Very long and flexible, often with more than 30 vertebrae, allowing it to sweep through the water and catch prey.

• Head: Small compared to its body, with sharp teeth adapted for catching fish and squid.

• Size: Most species measured between 3–5 meters, but some reached up to 15 meters in length.

Lifestyle:

• Plesiosaurus was a marine predator, living in shallow seas.

• It likely hunted by using its long neck to dart its head quickly into schools of fish.

• Its four flippers allowed it to “fly” through the water, similar to how modern sea turtles swim.

Fun Fact:

Because of its unusual shape (long neck and small head), some people in the 19th and 20th centuries linked plesiosaurs to the Loch Ness Monster legend.