Life-Size Dinosaurs Reside in San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Botanical Garden will present Dinosaurus Tex: A Giant Adventure. Approximately 60 life-size dinosaurs including some great insect friends will reside peacefully amid prehistoric plants at the 33-acre garden. The exhibit, presented by the SBC Foundation, will run from September 3 through December 4, 2005.

Dinosaurs that will inhabit the earth for those three months will include the Texas state dinosaur Pleurocoelus; a Quetzalcoatlus perched in a forest of cycads and palms; a vicious Bambiraptors looking for prey in a tropical rainforest; the herbivorous 30-foot-long, duck-billed Kritosaurus; a mother Edmontosaurus carefully guarding her eggs; a 6' centipede; two 3' dragonflies; some 12" cockroaches, and of course, the giant, fearsome meat-eating T-Rex.

An assortment of activities will enhance interest and educational opportunities every day. Casts of dinosaur footprints invite visitors to contrast size and stride with those of their own feet. A Dino Dig challenges aspiring paleontologists to dig for dinosaur "bones."

Dinosaurus Tex Family Days include additional dino crafts, entertainment and activities: September 3, 4 and 5; October 8; November 5 and December 3. Opening weekend festivities will be highlighted by a visit from George Blasing "Dino George."

The dinosaurs, some measuring 30 feet in length, are creations of Guy Darrough's Missouri-based Lost World Studios. A self-taught fossil collector, fossil preparation expert and illustrator with Smithsonian Institution credibility, Darrough has technical skills in fossil preparation that meet museum standards. Each dino takes an average of eight months to build. The creations can weigh up to 600 pounds when completed.

The prehistoric creatures will appear at home in the Botanical Garden since a collection of the dinosaurs' favorite plant foods has been assembled. The dinosaurs will be seen munching among unique specimens include cypress-like conifer mangroves, giant bromeliads, descendants of the first true flowers, giant horsetail ferns, monkey puzzle trees and parasol trees -- an exotic looking member of the chocolate family.

Educational Outreach: In keeping with the Botanical Society's mission to "connect people to the plant world through experience, education and research," there is online classroom curriculum on the web site www.sabot.org, reduced ticket rates for groups, and self-guided or docent-led tours.

The Garden is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round and is located at 555 Funston at N. New Braunfels Avenue. For more information, call 829-5100 or visit www.sabot.org.