Ankylosaurus Facts for Kids

A Picture of Ankylosaurus Magniventris
  • Species Type: Ankylosaurus Magniventris
  • Type of Dinosaur: Thyreophora
  • Period: Cretaceous
  • Diet: Foliage (herbivorous)
  • Life Span: Between 70 and 80 years
  • Length: Between 20 and 26 feet
  • Weight: Between 4 and 8 tons

19 Ankylosaurus Facts for Kids

  1. The Ankylosaurus was discovered in 1906, by Barnum Brown during an American Museum of Natural History expedition.
  2. The Ankylosaurus got its scientific name Ankylosaurus magniventris in 1908, from Barnum Brown.
  3. The type specimen number for the Ankylosaurus magniventris is AMNH 5895.
  4. The name Ankylosaurus means: “Fused Lizard”.
  5. The name Ankylosaurus is pronounced: “ang-KILE-uh-SAWR-us”.
  6. The Ankylosaurus was part of a group of dinosaurs known as Thyreophorans (armored dinosaurs).
  7. The Ankylosaurus was a quadrupedal, meaning it walked on four legs.
  8. The top speed of an Ankylosaurus is estimated to only have been up to six miles per hour.
  9. They lived at the end of the Cretaceous Period between 66 to 68 million years ago.
  10. Estimates put the length of the Ankylosaurus between 20 and 26 feet.
  11. Estimates put the weight of the Ankylosaurus between 2 and 8 tons.
  12. The Ankylosaurus was a herbivore that ate foliage near the ground.
  13. Based on studies of the Ankylosaurus skull paleontologists think they had a very good sense of smell.
  14. The back of an Ankylosaurus had a lot of bony plates which would have protected it from the teeth of a predator.
  15. The bone plates on an Ankylosaurus are known as scutes and osteoderms.
  16. The tail of an Ankylosaurus was basically a large club that it could swing in defense. Paleontologists think an adult Ankylosaurus could produce enough force with its club to break the bones of a predator.
  17. Based on all the protective and defensive features of the Ankylosaurus paleontologist called it a living tank.
  18. The Ankylosaurus even had protection for its eyes, they had small plates that protected their eyelids.
  19. The belly of an Ankylosaurus was most likely soft and vulnerable. Predators trying to attack and takedown an Ankylosaurus would have most likely needed to flip to over.

Additional Resources on Ankylosauruses

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