The Dinosaurs of Twitter

Non-avian dinosaurs have been extinct for about 65 million years, but that has not stopped them from showing up on Twitter. Several dinosaurs have been making the most of the social media platform. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History doesn't have one yet—I would personally love to hear what Nedoceratops thinks—but at least three Twitter dinosaurs act as ambassadors for their home museums. Here's a short list.

@Giant_Dino: When the American Museum of Natural History opened "World's Largest Dinosaurs" a few weeks ago, the exhibit's star—a 60-foot Mamenchisaurus—lumbered onto Twitter. Most of her thoughts seem to revolve around food—Central Park must look like a giant salad bar right around now—but she's also got the skinny on museum events. Sample tweet:

Happy @arborday! Quite possibly the most delicious day of the year!

@Zhuchmag: Self-described as "massive, bipedal, and carnivorous, but with a heart of gold," this tyrannosaur popped up after being described last month. Zhuchentyrannus seems a little insecure, though—the dinosaur spends a good deal of its time trash-talking Tyrannosaurus. Sample tweet:

I'm hoping to get Steven Spielberg to put me in a movie, but I'll settle for @fakemichaelbay. Me vs. the autobots

@NHM_Dippy: No trip to London's Natural History Museum is complete without a stop to see Dippy—a cast of Diplodocus that has been standing in the museum for over a century—and this famous dinosaur has its own Twitter feed. While Dippy doesn't have as much personality as Sue (see below), this dinosaur's tweets will keep you informed about the museum's special events. Sample tweet:

What, none of them? RT @NHM_London: Please don't feed the dinosaurs #nhmdino

@SUEtheTrex: The world's most famous Tyrannosaurus is a Twitter star. Although she does have a mighty appetite—thoughts of eating visitors to Chicago's Field Museum is a common thread—don't be afraid to follow Sue. She frequently shares neat dinosaur links and is probably the wittiest dinosaur I know. Sample tweet:

For the curious, here was my #NFLDraft scouting report: "Strengths: Is a T.rex. Weaknesses: Tiny Arms, Dead for 67 million years"

Have we missed some dinosaurs or other prehistoric beasts that are chatting it up on Twitter? Let us know in the comments!

Riley Black | | READ MORE

Riley Black is the author of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs and many other books. She is a science correspondent for Smithsonian magazine covering fossils and natural history, and she writes about the prehistoric past for a variety of publications.