Back left
Back right

Dinosaur: Book Review :: Celebrity Dinosaurs

Apr 22, 2009

Tyrannosaurus rex – “Tyrant Lizard King” – even the name’s impressive. When the T-Rex was first given his title, he was the largest land predator ever discovered. With his hugely powerful head and enormous, razor-sharp teeth, he soon became one of the most popular and easily recognized dinosaurs. And even though much larger carnivorous dinosaurs have been discovered since, T-rex continues to enjoy celebrity status.


Tyrannosaurus rex

  • 7 tons of flesh and muscle
  • 15-20 feet tall
  • Arms as small as a human being
  • 60 razor-sharp teeth more than nine inches long each

  • Triceratops

  • 30 feet long
  • 12 tons heavy
  • Herbivore
  • Huge protective shield on the back of its head
  • 3 lethal horns up to 3 feet long for goring the flesh of any attacker

  • Brontosaurus

  • Also known as Apatosaurus
  • 90 feet long
  • 38 tons – the total weight of six African elephants
  • Ate tough foliage and swallowed pieces of rock (called gastroliths) to grind down food in its gut

  • Velociraptor

  • Ruthless hunter
  • Deadly claw on each foot
  • Serrated teeth capable of gripping moving prey
  • 6 feet long – the same size as a swan
  • Maximum weight of 33 pounds
  • Light frame and long legs made it fast and agile
  • Used tail to balance when turning at high speeds
  • Covered in feathers to keep it warm

  • Stegosaurus

  • Herbivore
  • Brain the size of a walnut
  • 30 feet long
  • Had two rows of bony plates along its back to help keep it cool – like an African elephant’s ears

  • Related stories:

  • Brachiosaurus
  • Apatosaurus
  • Triceratops
  • Walking With Dinosaurs