Tyrannosaurus Rex Facts for Kids

Tyrannosaurus Rex Facts

  • Species Type: Tyrannosaurus rex
  • Type of Dinosaur: Theropod
  • Period: Cretaceous
  • Diet: Meat (carnivorous)
  • Life Span: At least 28 years
  • Length: Up to 43 feet
  • Weight: 16 tons

18 Tyrannosaurus Rex Facts for Kids

  1. The first partial Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton was discovered in 1900, by Barnum Brown in Wyoming, USA.
  2. The name Tyrannosaurus Rex means: “Tyrant Lizard”.
  3. The name Tyrannosaurus Rex is pronounced: “tye-RAN-uh-SAWR-us-REX”.
  4. The Tyrannosaurus Rex was part of a group of dinosaurs known as theropod.
  5. They lived during the Upper Cretaceous period about 66 to 68 million years ago.
  6. The Tyrannosaurus Rex roamed North America, specifically the areas we now call Canada and the United States.
  7. Estimates put the weight of a Tyrannosaurus Rex up to 16 tons.
  8. Estimates put the length of a Tyrannosaurus Rex up to 42 feet.
  9. Estimates put the running speed of a Tyrannosaurus Rex between 10 and 25 miles per hour.
  10. The Tyrannosaurus Rex had between 50 and 60 large teeth.
  11. The Tyrannosaurus Rex was a carnivorous predator who ate meat.
  12. The Tyrannosaurus Rex was the largest apex predator of the dinosaur era.
  13. The Tyrannosaurus Rex probably didn’t always have to kill for its meal. Its large size made it easy for it to chase off other predators from their kill.
  14. The Sue fossil (FMNH PR 2081), discovered on 8/12/1990 by Susan Hendrickson, is one of the best Tyrannosaurus Rex fossils ever discovered. This specimen was very well preserved and 90% of the original skeleton was recovered.
  15. It’s estimated that Sue was 28 years old around the time when it died and was the oldest know Tyrannosaurus Rex until the discovery of Trix (RGM 792.000) in 2013.
  16. The Stan fossil (BHI3033), discovered in 1987, has the best skull of a Tyrannosaurus Rex ever recovered.
  17. The Tyrannosaurus Rex, Iguanodon and Stegosaurus were the inspiration used to create Godzilla.
  18. Tyrannosaurus Rex has been featured in every movie of the Jurassic Park franchise.

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