EUOPLOCEPHALUS
Euoplocephalus tutus
Meaning: "Well-Armored Head"
📊 STATS
Size comparison:
As long as a school bus!
📖 ABOUT EUOPLOCEPHALUS
Meet Euoplocephalus, the dinosaur with a built-in suit of armor! This herbivore was like a walking tank, munching on plants in the Late Cretaceous period.
Imagine a dinosaur covered head-to-toe in bony plates and spikes – that's Euoplocephalus! Its name even means "well-armored head," and it lived up to it. This amazing herbivore roamed what is now Canada and the USA during the Late Cretaceous period. Euoplocephalus was a member of the Ankylosaur family, known for their incredible armor. They were like the tanks of the dinosaur world! This dino munched on plants, using its beak-like mouth to clip off leaves and other vegetation. Its low-slung body and powerful legs helped it navigate the prehistoric landscape. But the real star of the show was its club tail! Scientists believe Euoplocephalus used this powerful weapon to defend itself against predators like Tyrannosaurus Rex, swinging it with incredible force. Its armor made it a tough opponent, a true survivor in a dangerous world.
🔬 CLASSIFICATION
- Group
- Thyreophora
- Family
- Ankylosauridae
- Period
- Late Cretaceous (100-66 Ma)
- Era
- 76.0 - 67.0 million years ago
🗺️ DISCOVERY
- Year
- 1902
- Discovered by
- Lawrence Lambe
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
- Fossils found in
- Canada (Alberta), USA (Montana)
🎨 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION
Artistic reconstruction of Euoplocephalus based on fossil evidence
🗺️ WHERE FOSSILS WERE FOUND
Canada (Alberta), USA (Montana)
🤓 FUN FACTS
- ✨ Euoplocephalus had bony eyelids to protect its eyes!
- ✨ Its tail club was made of solid bone and could deliver a powerful blow!
- ✨ Scientists think Euoplocephalus might have used its sense of smell to find food.
- ✨ Baby Euoplocephalus probably had much softer armor that hardened as they grew.
- ✨ Euoplocephalus fossils have been found with skin impressions, showing that its armor was covered in bumpy skin!
💡 DID YOU KNOW?
Get this – scientists used to think some other armored dinosaurs were actually just different versions of Euoplocephalus! It took a lot of digging (literally!) to figure out they were all unique.
