Dinosaurs A-Z
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Welcome to Dinosaurs A-Z! Here is a list of my favorite dinosaurs each starting with a different letter of the alphabet. I hope you enjoy these fun facts! The words that are in the Dino-Dictionary on the Home Page are underlined and italicized.
If you have any questions or comments about this page, you can always email me by clicking the link in the top left corner. Also, you can go to the Let's Chat tab in the bottom right corner of this page and chat with me! Thanks, and enjoy!
A
Name: Ankylosaurus
Pronunciation: Ain-kee-low-SORE-us*; Ain-KIE-low-SORE-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Bony Club on Tail, Armor on Head, Back, Legs, Tail, and Eyelids
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 5.6 feet/20.5 feet/4 tons
Meaning of Name: Fused Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The Ankylosaurus' underside was unprotected, so the only way for a predator to eat it was to flip it over.
*I use this pronunciation.
B
Name: Brachiosaurus
Pronunciation: Brack-ee-oh-SORE-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Thumb Claw, Massive Weight and Size, Whip-like Tail, Hiding Underwater, Lived in Herd
Lived: Late Jurassic Period to Early Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 40 feet/89 feet/62 tons
Meaning of Name: Arm Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Brachiosaurus had a crest on top of its head between its eyes. It's nostrils were located there. That's why it could hide underwater while keeping its crest above the surface and still breathe!
C
Name: Corythosaurus
Pronunciation: Core-ith-oh-SORE-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Hooting Sounds, Running, Swimming, Lived in Herd
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Height/Length/Weight: 6.6 feet/31.5 feet/5 tons
Meaning of Name: Helmet Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The bony crest on the top of the Corythosaurus' head had air passages inside it. The Corythosaurus breathes in and the air moves around in the passages, and then it pushes the air out through its nostrils and a hooting sound is created. These sounds could be used to signal and alarm other members of the herd that a predator is coming.
D
Name: Diplodocus
Pronunciation: Dih-PLAW-duh-cus*; Dih-plaw-DOE-cus
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Thumb Claw, Massive Weight and Size, Whip-like Tail, Lived in Herd
Lived: Late Jurassic Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 16 feet/90 feet/16.5 tons
Meaning of Name: Double-Beamed
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Diplodocus' fore legs were shorter than its hind legs. This caused it to lean towards the ground, which is why it's believed to eat plants closer to the ground like ferns. It couldn't lift its neck too high, so to reach food in trees, it could stand up on its hind legs.
E
Name: Einiosaurus
Pronunciation: Eye-nee-oh-SORE-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Horns, Frill, Lived in Herd
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 6.6 feet/17.5 feet/1.45 tons
Meaning of Name: Buffalo Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The Einiosaurus had a forward-curving nose horn that was small in babies but grew as they grew into adults. It was maybe used to attract mates.
F
Name: Fulgurotherium
Pronunciation: Full-grr-oh-THEAR-ee-um
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Running, Lived in Herd
Lived: Early Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 3 feet/7 feet/82.5 pounds
Meaning of Name: Lightning Beast
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? Fulgurotherium name means "Lightning Beast". This is because many incomplete femurs of it were discovered in the Lightning Ridge site in South New Wales, Australia.
G
Name: Gallimimus
Pronunciation: Gal-uh-MY-mus
Diet: Omnivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Running, Lived in Herd
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 6.5 feet/16.5 feet/970 pounds
Meaning of Name: Chicken Mimic
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Gallimimus had comb-like plates in its mouth to filter out crustaceans, insects, and plants to eat from mud and water in streams and ponds.
H
Name: Hadrosaurus
Pronunciation: HAH-druh-sore-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Running, Lived in Herd
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 10 feet/30 feet/3-4 tons
Meaning of Name: Bulky Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The Hadrosaurus was the first dinosaur discovered in the United States to have a nearly-complete skeleton.
I
Name: Iguanodon
Pronunciation: Ig-WAH-nuh-don
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Running, Lived in Herd, Thumb Spike
Lived: Early Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 9 feet/33 feet/4 tons
Meaning of Name: Iguana Tooth
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The Iguanodon was the second dinosaur discovered (in 1822) and it was thought to look like a fat rhinoceros! When paleontologists discovered its thumb spike, they thought it was a nose horn!
J
Name: Janenschia
Pronunciation: Yaw-nen-SHE-uh*; Yay-NEN-she-uh
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Armor, Lived in Herd, Massive Weight and Size
Lived: Late Jurassic Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: Unknown/90 feet/60 tons
Meaning of Name: Janensch (After paleontologist Werner Janensch who discovered it)
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Janenschia is from a group of dinosaurs called Titanosauridae, which were like a mix of an Ankylosaurus and Brachiosaurus. Janenschia was a long-necked dinosaur and it had armor studs on its back!
K
Name: Kentrosaurus
Pronunciation: Ken-truh-SORE-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Armored Plates and Spikes
Lived: Late Jurassic Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 7 feet/17 feet/2 tons
Meaning of Name: Spiked Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The Kentrosaurus had a tail was more than half its body length and it could maybe swing it hard enough to break a predator's bones!
L
Name: Lambeosaurus
Pronunciation: Lam-bee-oh-SORE-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Hooting Sounds, Running, Swimming, Lives in Herd
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 7 feet/40 feet/5 tons
Meaning of Name: Lambe's Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The crest of the Lambeosaurus was as big as, or even bigger than its skull!
L
Name: Lambeosaurus
Pronunciation: Lam-bee-oh-SORE-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Hooting Sounds, Running, Swimming, Lived in Herd
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 7 feet/40 feet/5 tons
Meaning of Name: Lambe's Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The crest of the Lambeosaurus may have been as big as, or even bigger than its skull!
M
Name: Mapusaurus
Pronunciation: Map-ooh-SORE-us
Diet: Carnivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Lived in Pack, Blade-like Cerrated Teeth, Sharp Claws, Strong Muscular Body
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 13 feet/38 feet/4 tons
Meaning of Name: Earth Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? Fossil discoveries suggest that Mapusaurus may have hunted in packs to take down the largest dinosaurs!
M
Name: Mapusaurus
Pronunciation: Map-ooh-SORE-us
Diet: Carnivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Lived in Packs, Blade-like Serrated Teeth, Sharp Claws, Strong Muscular Body
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 13 feet/38 feet/4 tons
Meaning of Name: Earth Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? Fossil discoveries suggest that Mapusaurus may have hunted in packs to take down the largest dinosaurs!
N
Name: Nothronychus
Pronunciation: Noth-row-NY-kus
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Extremely Long Claws, Lived in Herd
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 11 feet/17 feet/1 ton
Meaning of Name: Slothful Claw
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? Paleontologists think that Nothronychus has evolved to become an herbivore, which is very unusual because it is a Theropod!
O
Name: Ornitholestes
Pronunciation: Or-nith-oh-LESS-teez
Diet: Carnivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Sharp Teeth, Running and Jumping, Grasping with Both Hands
Lived: Late Jurassic Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 3 feet/6 feet/25 pounds
Meaning of Name: Bird Robber
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Ornitholestes' hands faced inward, which allowed it to grab and hold small prey such as lizards and mice on the ground, and jump and catch birds in the air!
P
Name: Psittacosaurus
Pronunciation: SIH-tack-oh-sore-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Sharp Beak, Running, Camouflage
Lived: Early Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 3 feet/6.5 feet/60 pounds
Meaning of Name: Parrot Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The Psittacosaurus was actually an older, distant relative of the larger, more advanced Triceratops!
Q
Name: Qantassaurus
Pronunciation: Kwan-tuh-SORE-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Running, Large Eyes, Camouflage
Lived: Early Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 3 feet/6 feet/100 pounds
Meaning of Name: Qantas Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The Qantassaurus had large eyes to help it see in the dark to look for food without the danger of predators hunting. This means that they are nocturnal, or they stay awake at night.
R
Name: Riojasaurus
Pronunciation: Ree-oh-ha-SORE-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Thumb Claw, Large Weight and Size
Lived: Late Triassic Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 10 feet/33 feet/7 tons
Meaning of Name: La Rioja Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Riojasaurus was an unusual Prosauropod, or ancestor to Sauropods, because it had thick legs, a bulky body, and a strong neck and tail, which is advanced for its type.
S
Name: Saurophaganax
Pronunciation: Saur-oh-FAH-gan-ax
Diet: Carnivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Blade-like Cerrated Teeth, Sharp Claws, Strong Muscular Body
Lived: Late Jurassic Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 14 feet/38 feet/3 tons
Meaning of Name: Lizard-Eating Ruler
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Saurophaganax may have been a scavenger, which means it waited for other predators to kill their prey and then used its huge size scare them away, so it could eat the dinosaur instead. (The image above shows a Saurophaganax near a dinosaur that an Allosaurus killed, but the Allosaurus was scared off.)
S
Name: Saurophaganax
Pronunciation: Saur-oh-FAH-gan-ax
Diet: Carnivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Blade-like Serrated Teeth, Sharp Claws, Strong Muscular Body
Lived: Late Jurassic Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 14 feet/38 feet/3 tons
Meaning of Name: Lizard-Eating Ruler
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Saurophaganax may have been a scavenger, which means it waited for other predators to kill their prey and then used its huge size scare them away, so it could eat the dinosaur instead. (The image above shows a Saurophaganax in the back near a dinosaur that an Allosaurus killed, but the Allosaurus in the front is being scared off.)
T
Name: Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. Rex)
Pronunciation: Tie-ran-oh-SORE-us REX
Diet: Carnivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Blade-like Serrated Teeth, Sharp Claws, Strong Muscular Body, Lived in Packs
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 18 feet/40 feet/9 tons
Meaning of Name: Tyrant Lizard King
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Tyrannosaurus Rex had a 5-foot-long skull and could eat up to 500 pounds of meat in one bite! It could even crush bones with its 8-inch-long teeth!
U
Name: Utahraptor
Pronunciation: YOU-taw-rap-ter
Diet: Carnivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Blade-like Serrated Teeth, Sharp Claws, Sickle-Shaped Toe Claws
Lived: Early Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 6 feet/23 feet/1 ton
Meaning of Name: Utah's Thief
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Utahraptor was the largest Dromeosaurid (Raptor), about as big as an ice cream truck, and may have been more vicious than the T. Rex!
V
Name: Velociraptor
Pronunciation: Vel-AW-sih-rap-ter
Diet: Carnivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Blade-like Serrated Teeth, Sharp Claws, Sickle-Shaped Toe Claws
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 2 feet/6 feet/33 pounds
Meaning of Name: Swift Thief
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? Although the Velociraptor was one of the smallest raptors, it was still very scary and could gang up on larger dinosaurs!
W
Name: Wannanosaurus
Pronunciation: Wuh-naw-noh-SORE-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Running, Flat Thick Skull
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 2 feet/3 feet/10 pounds
Meaning of Name: Wannan Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The Wannanosaurus was one of the smallest the Pachycephalosaurids (Thick-Headed Dinos). It was from Asia and had an unusually flat skull rather than the North American dome skull.
X
Name: Xenotarsosaurus
Pronunciation: Zee-noh-tar-soh-SORE-us
Diet: Carnivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Blade-like Serrated Teeth, Sharp Claws, Strong Muscular Body
Lived: Late Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 10 feet/18 feet/1 ton
Meaning of Name: Strange Ankle Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Xenotarsosaurus means "Strange Ankle Lizard" because it's ankles were fused with its heels, which is very unusual for a Theropod.
Y
Name: Yangchuanosaurus
Pronunciation: Yong-chwon-oh-SORE-us
Diet: Carnivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Blade-like Serrated Teeth, Sharp Claws, Strong Muscular Body
Lived: Late Jurassic Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 13 feet/30 feet/3 tons
Meaning of Name: Yongchuan's Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Saurischia
Did You Know? The Yangchuanosaurus may be closely related to its North American relative Allosaurus!
Z
Name: Zephyrosaurus
Pronunciation: Zef-ee-ruh-SORE-us
Diet: Herbivorous
Weapons and Defenses: Running, Large Eyes, Maybe Burrowing
Lived: Early Cretaceous Period
Average Height/Length/Weight: 3 feet/6 feet/30 pounds
Meaning of Name: Westward Wind Lizard
Pelvis Classification: Ornithischia
Did You Know? The Zephyrosaurus means "Westward Wind Lizard" after the Zephyros, the Greek God of the West Wind because it was discovered in western North America (in Montana).
