Ankylosaurus

Extinct

This animal is extinct. No living individuals remain.

Ankylosaurus was a heavily armoured plant-eating dinosaur of the Late Cretaceous. A large club at the end of its tail is a defining feature.

Ankylosaurus, AI-generated lifelike reconstruction — AI-generated reconstruction. Colors and soft tissues are interpretive.

At a glance

Location: Late Cretaceous North America, including areas now within Canada and the United States.
Diet: Herbivore
Food: Plant material, including ferns, shrubs and fruit.

Classification

Common name: Ankylosaurus
Browse group: Reptiles
Scientific name or taxon: Ankylosaurus
Taxon rank: genus
Family: Ankylosauridae
Genus: Ankylosaurus

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

It had a heavy tail club.
Bony plates protected the body.
A complete skeleton has not yet been found.

Habitat and range

Late Cretaceous North America, including areas now within Canada and the United States.

Appearance and adaptations

Bony armour covered much of the body. A broad, low-slung build supported a beaked head and a heavy tail club.

Diet and behaviour

It moved on four legs and processed vegetation with grinding teeth. The known fossils are incomplete, so some details of its appearance remain uncertain.