Classification: Dinosauria-Ornithischia-Thyreophora-Ankylosauria-Ankylosaurini
Time Period: Cretaceous
Location: North America
Diet: Herbivore
Ankylosaurus was the tank of the dinosaur era. If James Gurney's Dinotopia took place in 1930s Europe, Ankylosaurus would be leading the German blitzkrieg. The entire top side of its body was heavily armored with thick, oval plates embedded in its leathery skin. Two rows of spikes ran along its body, large horns protruded from the back of its head, and it sported a club-like tail. My attempt at describing it reminds me of the weird apocalyptic angels seen in the biblical literature; this animal is just that weird. Only its underside was un-plated, so that flipping it over was the only way to wound it (and that would be quite a feat, seeing as these guys weighed in around 3.5 tons!). Ankylosaurus had four short legs (though the hind legs were larger than the front), a short neck, and a wide skull with a teeny brain. Its diet consisted of plants (that's an herbivore, if you're into the lingo), and it probably had a fermentation compartment in its bowels to aid in the digestion of the tough plant material (this would make it fart a lot). Ankylosaurus trackways have been found in Bolivia, showing that these animals could run at a "decent jog," according to Christian Meyer, a Swiss paleontologist working at the site (speed estimates are made by measuring the distance between the footprints, the animal's leg length, the pattern of the tracks, and other factors that are tossed into an algorithm).
Because a complete skeleton has yet to be found, estimates on Ankylosaurus' size vary; a conservative estimate puts it at about 25-35 feet long and six feet wide and four feet tall. As far as weight goes, we're talking 3-4 tons. Here's what the "fused lizard" would look like facing off an African elephant.
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| the ankylosaurus would win |
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