All dinosaur enthusiasts know that, as reptiles, dinosaurs laid eggs. But how much do you know beyond that simple fact? For years, children and scientists alike have wondered about the size, shape and colour of dinosaur eggs. Here, we’ve got a roarsome set of dino egg facts, so you can impress other visitors next time you’re at one of the dinosaur attractions in the UK.

Dinosaur eggs could reach 60cm in length

Some dinosaurs were absolutely huge, so it makes sense that their eggs could be too. The biggest could be 60cm in length - that’s four times the size of an ostrich egg! Others were as little as 5cm long.

Some dinosaur eggs were round

While theropod eggs - those of meat-eating dinosaurs like T-Rex and Velociraptor - were shaped like chickens’ eggs, sauropods - plant eaters like Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus - laid round eggs. Nobody knows why, but one theory is that it’s to do with the different environments in which theropods and sauropods lived.

Dinosaurs laid up to 20 eggs

Some dinosaurs laid just two eggs at a time, but others could lay up to 20. Laying more eggs was common as lots of predatory dinosaurs would feast on a clutch of eggs if they found them. The more eggs in the clutch, the greater the chance one or two would survive and hatch.

Soft or hard?

Recent research by scientists at the University of Calgary suggests that the earliest dinosaurs laid soft-shelled eggs and left them to hatch unattended, just like modern turtles. Hard-shelled eggs only came later. It’s thought dinosaurs like oviraptor sat on their eggs like modern birds do.

Dinosaur eggs were different colours

A study published in Nature showed that dinosaur eggs could have a range of different colours and patterns. Theropod eggs tended to be bright blue or green, while sauropod eggs were more likely to be brown, beige or white.

Dinosaur eggs are really rare

Fossilized dinosaur eggs are really rare. That’s because eggs are more fragile than bones, making them harder to preserve. It’s even harder to find an egg with a baby dinosaur embryo inside. Dinosaur eggs were porous, meaning bacteria could get inside and demolish the embryo before the egg could be preserved.

Dinosaur eggs were first discovered in 1859

The first documented discovery of fossilised dinosaur eggs was in 1859. The man who found them, Jean-Jacques Poech, thought they belonged to a species of giant bird, so it wasn’t until later that they were classified as dinosaur eggs.

Embark on a dinosaur adventure

If you’d like to learn more about these fascinating creatures, why not embark on a dinosaur adventure live? Dinosaur World Live is a theatre show packed with facts about these prehistoric beasts, using stunning puppetry to tell the stories of Giraffatitan, Microraptor, Segnosaurus, Triceratops and, of course, Tyrannosaurus Rex. If you’re looking for a dinosaur event near me in 2025, don’t miss out on this Olivier Award-winning show. Book your tickets before they go extinct!