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What if… dinosaurs never went extinct and somehow we were able to co-exist with them?
What if we were able to keep them as pets?
OK, if we’re in this alternate universe and you’re allowed to adopt dinosaurs—you’d definitely need a little help picking one. It’s not as straightforward as having a cat or a hamster! For one thing… you’d want to avoid getting eaten!
So here’s a little guide or which dinosaur you could consider adopting, and which you should stay away from:
Dinosaurs That Would Probably Make Good Pets
#1 Brachiosaurus
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They’re the good guys in dinosaur movies, so you’d be pretty safe with them. These herbivores are gentle creatures who can make sure that your lawn is mowed or help cut down unnecessary trees in your backyard.
Plus, their necks are super long so you could try taming one enough to get them to pick fruits from the highest trees for you.
The catch is that they can grow up over 21m in length, so you may need a really huge space for them. Scientists think they likely feed on ginkos, tree ferns and conifers.
#2 Velociraptor
This is a bit of a wildcard—but we watched Chris Pratt getting friendly with Velociraptors in the Jurassic Park franchise and can’t help but want one too!
Velociraptors don’t need as much as space as most dinosaurs; they’re approximately 2m tall and 80kg—which is roughly the size of a turkey. They’re also fast, making hunting easy for them. They have a sickle-shaped talon on the second toe of each foot, using them as hooks to keep their prey from running away.
They would make good pets if you make them happy by feeding them with small mammals and insects, and if you train them well enough they’d probably give you a ride!
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But if you don’t… you’d end up getting hunted down! 😨
#3 Ankylosaurus
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Want a cool-looking, bigger and faster version of a pet tortoise? Then the Ankylosaurus is your pick. Scientists think it can reach a length of 9m and weigh around 6,000kg. That’s heavy!
Like the Brachiosaurus, you need a big backyard for them too.
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The best thing about the Ankylosaurus is that you never have to worry about their safety, and they can act as your bodyguard without trying to eat you at the same time.
They have a body armour—huge plates of bones embedded into their skin—which protects them against predators. They can also defend themselves against attackers using their huge tail club!
Dinosaurs You Should Definitely Stay Away From
#1 Tyrannosaurus Rex
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Obviously! Its name is from a Greek word that means ‘Tyrant Lizard’—did you think it would be a good idea in the first place to approach a T-rex?
This carnivorous dinosaur measured up to 13m and weighed approximately 6,803kg. They could probably eat up to 227kg of meat in a single bite, so keeping them full and happy would be very difficult.
Their arms are too small—they can’t even use them to eat—but they’re strong enough to hold their preys. Their sharp teeth could easily crush the bones of other dinosaurs, and in this case—you too!
They also have a long life span of around 30 years, and surprisingly have many similar features to birds.
#2 Spinosaurus
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Guess who’s larger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex? This guy! The Spinosaurus could be the largest carnivorous dinosaur ever. It’s estimated that they were around 15 metres in length and weighed between 6,350kg to 18,143kg.
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This dinosaur didn’t only hunt on land, but also in water, floating the same way crocodiles do. Imagine enjoying a boat ride and then suddenly facing up to one!
It’s said that they can walk on all fours but are also able to stand on their hind legs when threatened. Because they hunt both fish and mammals, they have an assortment of teeth!
#3 Liopleurodon
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Think it’s a good idea to keep a dinosaur who lives underwater as pet? You should avoid the Liopleurodon—which isn’t that hard to do, considering they’re 9m long and weigh around 2,268kg.
What makes it such a dangerous predator is that it has a 1.5m long skull filled with razor sharp teeth that could tear through bone, muscle and flesh.
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The Liopleurodon also has flippers that allow it to accelerate. It’s believed that it can swim as fast as a shark, and five times faster than humans.
Imagine if you fell into the water and this dinosaur was around… you wouldn’t make it out alive!
Dinosaurs may no longer be alive, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experience learning with them!
KidZania Kuala Lumpur will be hosting their first History and Archaeology-themed school holiday programme from 10 to 25 August called ArchaeoKidZ—perfect for your curious little one or any dino fan you know.
Here are some of the fun activities they can look forward to:
- Fossil Excavation: Kids will learn about the basic principle and techniques of archaeological excavation.
- Know Your Dino: Learn about the types of dinosaurs and put together bones to make a whole dinosaur!
- Dino Wrap: Kids will prepare a dino-shaped wrap they can share with their friends and family.
- Glue Fossils: They will learn about fossils and how they're made.
- Mayan Art: Kids will learn about alphabets based on a group of pictures scientists call glyphs.
- Dino Soap: Learn how to make palm oil-based Dino Soap they can bring back as a souvenir!
Besides that, there are also activities where they'll learn how to make primitive-inspired bead bracelets, design their own dinosaur, and discuss about them! Click here to find out more.
From now until 9 August, enjoy RM90 for 1 Adult + 1 Kid tickets when you key in the promo code: DINO19 while purchasing your tickets at www.kidzania.com.my
Let’s have a roaring time at KidZania Kuala Lumpur this school holiday!