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Ankylosaurus means stiffened lizard, is a genus belonging to a larger group of related four-legged, herbivorous, heavily armoured dinosaurs that flourished throughout the Cretaceous Period (144 million to 65 million years).

These dinosaurs lived in areas that were thick with plant life and that often surrounded bodies of water, such as lakes. Many Ankylosaurus fossils, or remains, have been found in North America, mostly in Montana, Wyoming, and in Canada.

Ankylosaurus was a stocky dinosaur that reached a length of 25 to 33 feet (7 to 10 meters), weighed up to 4 tons, and stood 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall. This dinosaur had small bony plates covering its entire body. In addition to these plates it had rows of small bony projections on its sides and bony knobs on its back. Ankylosaurus also had hornlike ridges in the upper and lower corners of its skull, just behind its eyes. It had a short, wide head and rather weak beaklike jaws with a few small teeth. Ankylosaurus stood and walked on all four of its sturdy legs. The two back legs were longer than the front two, and its feet were wide and hooflike.

This dinosaur, like other plant-eating dinosaurs, swallowed small stones to help grind the plant material in its stomach. Ankylosaurus was a slow-moving dinosaur. It depended on the bony plates covering its body to protect it from its enemies. The club at the end of its tail was used as a weapon in self-defense. When attacked, Ankylosaurus could swing its tail with a great deal of force. Like most other dinosaurs, Ankylosaurus reproduced by laying eggs.

The feature of Ankylosaurus is its armor, consisting of massive knobs and plates of bone, known as osteoderms, embedded in the skin. Osteoderms are also found in the skin of crocodiles, armadillos and some lizards. The bone was probably overlain by a tough, horny layer of keratin.

Characteristics

• Meaning:Fused lizard
• Length:10 meters (33 feet)
• Height:3.4 meters (11 feet) 
• Weight:4536 kilograms  (10,000 pounds)
• Type of feeder:Plant eater  (herbivore)
• Teeth:Blunt snout and beak, grinding cheek teeth
• Food:Low-lying plants
• How it walked:Walked on four legs
• Period:Cretaceous