Small herbivorous dinosaurs would have been a common sight on the Jurassic plains. Among these was the small animal known as Othnielia, which could be seen in flocks devouring plants on the plain. These small dinosaurs may have been found trailing larger herbivores like Stegosaurus and Diplodocus, feeding on the plants they smashed as they wandered.

Basic info

Meaning of name: Othnielia means "small lizard".

Time of existance: Othnielia lived during the late Jurassic, 155 million to 148 million years ago.

Diet: Othnielia was a herbivore, feeding on grass, cycads, and horsetails.

Threats: Othnielia was seen as prey by many predators like Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus.

Size: Othnielia grew to 6.6 feet long.

Attributes: Othnielia had a long tail for balance, useful for when it needed to flee from predators. They also had a beak used for tearing and grinding up the plants they ate. They also followed large herbivores, feeding on the remains of the plants they crushed.

A small group of Othnielia searching for food amongst some rocks

Appearances in the Walking with... series

The Ballad of Big Al

Othnielia plays a very minor role in the special. A small flock is first seen running as a Stegosaurus approaches them as we are shown the world Big Al has been born in. Othnielia next appears during Al's second year, where he briefly considers hunting them before he notices that they are following a dangerous Stegosaurus, feeding on the cycads he smashes. They are too close to the Stegosaurus for him to attack without startling the giant.

A group of Othnielia follow a Stegosaurus

Othnielia makes a final appearance during Al's sixth year, where they are seen drinking next to a pair of amorous Stegosaurus before running off.