Dinosaurs are fascinating creatures. They occupied Earth so long before we did that it can be hard to imagine that they were ever living, breathing and roaming the planet. About 700 different species of dinos have been discovered and named, but there were even more that scientists haven’t even discovered yet. These guys have been long gone from our planet for millions of years, yet we still have so much to learn about them!

As far as why we love dinosaurs so much, Brian Switek at The Guardian notes that they “embody the drastic changes that life on Earth has undergone, and give us access to some of the most powerful truths our species has come to understand – that our planet has an incredibly deep history, that life has changed constantly through time, and that extinction is the fate of all.” They’re incredible reminders that we have shared this planet with an amazing variety of species.   

To gain more insight on dinosaur tattoos and why they’ve become so popular, we reached out to tattoo artist and owner of Tricera-Tats, Briony (or queer.dinosaur.tattoo on Instagram).

Briony was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda, and explained that she came up with the name for her shop by chance, before she had even started tattooing. “Dinosaurs, puns and tattooing are all passions of mine, and it just fit so well,” she shared.

We were also curious how often Briony actually ends up tattooing dinos on others. “I do dinosaur themed tattoos about once a week, mainly skulls as they are a particular favorite of mine.”

And, of course, she has some dinos of her own. “I myself actually have an entire leg of dinosaur tattoos,” she added. “My favorite being a plesiosaur done by @trash_haus.”

Of the tattoos she’s done for others, Briony says it’s very hard to choose a favorite. “I think it would have to be a tie between a T. rex skull on a friend's stomach and a stegosaurus in roller skates.”

And if you’re considering getting a dino tat of your own, Briony recommends ensuring that you find a tattoo artist that loves dinosaurs as much as you do, “and your piece will be wonderful.” As for her favorite dino, she added that she’s partial to the spinosaurus.

If you’re interested in seeing more dino tat inspo or would like to book an appointment with Briony, be sure to check out her Instagram!

We were also lucky enough to get in touch with dino enthusiast Kara Dee Harrison, who is the founder and lead illustrator of The Dinoverse, as well as a full-time tattoo artist who specializes in dinosaur tats.

“I've been a dinosaur fan since I was a little kid, but let me tell you, trying to find dinosaur stuff for little girls was no small task (shoutout to mum for buying me that boys’ Jurassic Park sweatshirt set when I was 8),” Kara told Bored Panda. “As an adult, I still found it hard to find fun dinosaur things that were not catered to children, and particularly boys.”

“My goal in starting the Dinoverse was to fill the world with more dinosaur art, clothing, and housewares that are for every age and gender,” she continued. “Dinosaurs are for everyone!”

Kara also shared that she has 3 dinosaur tattoos of her own: “a colorful stygimoloch with a party hat that I tattooed on myself, as well as a stegosaurus skeleton, and a wildly colorful carnotaurus with carnivorous plants and candy.” 

“As a tattoo artist, dinosaurs are my specialty,” she noted. “My style is illustrative and colorful, and often includes glitter and rainbows. I'm based on the West Coast of Canada. I've done so many dinosaur tattoos, and they're always so much fun.”

The artist also shouted out some of her other favorite dinosaur tattoo specialists: Dean Kalcoff, Matt Driscoll, and Magdalena Olszewska.

And if any readers out there are considering getting a dino tat of their own, Kara says to go for it. “I have lots of tips on finding the right artist in any situation,” she shared. “Tattooing is a team sport, and you need a great partner to help create a great piece of art, as well as an enjoyable experience. Carefully review their portfolio or their IG page, and choose someone whose art you genuinely like and whose personality and values align with yours.” 

Kara also has tips for prepping for a tattoo on her site right here. And if you’d like to check out Kara’s art or book an appointment with her, be sure to visit her website Crashing Cadence! 

Are these photos inspiring you to get a permanent dino buddy plastered on your skin, pandas? Whether you’re interested in an adorable smiley dino, an accurate representation or an artistic rendering, you can’t go wrong with dinosaur tats! Keep upvoting the pics you find particularly awesome, and if you’re interested in seeing even more creative tattoos that have been shared on Bored Panda, we recommend checking out this list next!