Common Name:
Tyrannosaurus rex
Scientific Name:
Tyrant lizard king
Wild Status:
Cretaceous Period, 68-66 MYA
Habitat:
North America
Country:
Shelter:
Life Span:
Size:
40 feet long, 12 feet tall at the hips, 5-9 tons
Cool Facts:
- Even though they were small on comparison to the rest of the body and not long enough to even scratch the animal’s chin, T. rex’s arms were as long as a human’s and could curl over 400 pounds apiece.
- Recent research suggests that tyrannosaurs may have lived and hunted in social groups.
Details:
- T. rex is the only dinosaur whose common and scientific names are the same. it shares this feature with only one living animal, the boa constrictor. The T. rex had some of the largest non-tusk teeth in the animal kingdom. From crown to root, they could measure over 12 inches long and greatly resembled ivory railroad spikes. D-shaped in cross section and heavily serrated, they evolved to crush and cut through bones and armor.
Taxonomic Breakdown:
Kingdom - Animalia Phylum - Chordata Class - Reptilia Order - Saurischia Family - Tyrannosauridae Genus - Tyrannosaurus Species - T. rex