FAMILY ANKYLOSAURIDAE
This reptile deserves its name, which means 'ringed reptile' because it had many bony rings, plats and also had bony hedges and lumps on its back. It was the first and the strongest Ankylosaurian. It was a humble plant-eating dinosaur of the late Cretaceous period, that would be around 73 million years ago.
Measuring nearly 6 metres (30 feet) long, and 4 tons heavy, this dinosaur became the largest of its kind. With such a great size and weight it would be difficult for an animal to escape a predator, so Ankylosaurus would use its armour for defence, but this does not seem right when the large bone structure at the tip tail is seen. The large hammer like bone was used for attacking another animal, so scientists put their idea in this way, Ankylosaurus would bend down low on ground when it saw a hungry killer and as it came close, it would receive fatal shots from the tail end bone.
Order: Ornithischia
Sub order: Thyreophora
Infra order: Ankylosauria
Family: Ankylosauridae
With all of its heavy armour and thick bones, Euoplocephalus seems like it would be slow and clumsy. Quite the contrary, Because its armour plating developed in narrow bands, Euoplocephalus was quite agile for dinosaur of its size and mass.
Living up the end of the Cretaceous period, Euoplocephalus was one of the largest of the armoured dinosaurs known as Ankylosaurs. It weighed close to two tons and measured 18 feet in length. Bands of armour were embedded in its back and covered with large, bony knobs. There were also pointed spikes at the back of its head, over its shoulders and at the base of its tail. Its eyelids were armoured with bony plates that slid down to protect the eye socket when the dinosaur was in combat. Even its natural enemy, the powerful Tyrannosaurus, would have had a tough time breaking through Euoplocephalus' heavy armour. Mean while, Euoplocephalus would try to scramble around until it could swing the massive bony club at the end of its tail toward Tyrannosaurus' legs and stomach. A direct hit might have been fatal.
Order: Ornithischia
Suborder: Thyreophora
Infra order: Ankylosauria
Family: Ankylosauridae
See: Pinacosaurus grangeri
Period: Cretaceous
Size: 5 metres
Weight: 1 tons
Location: Mongolia, Asia.
Order: Ornithischia
Sub order: Thyreophora
Infra order: Ankylosauria
Family: Ankylosauridae
See: Euoplocephalus tutus
Home | Editorial |Dino Gallery | Dino Search | Hot Links | Buy Books
About Us | Contact Us | Subscribe | Suggestions | Propogate Books