The "king tyrant lizard" is what's in my name.
My teeth are quite strong and my legs are the same.
I'm a vicious hunter who eats only meat.
More than one of these others would make a nice treat. |
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Although it was a latecomer to the dinosaur scene, Tyrannosaurus
rex (tie-RAN-a-sore-us
REX) was one of the 
world's largest predators. Toward the end of the Cretaceous
Period (about 65-70 million years ago), this ferocious animal
roamed western North America in search of Corythosaurus
and other plant-eating dinosaurs.
The name Tyrannosaurus rex comes from the Greek words
for "tyrant lizard king." |
|
I wear a small "helmet" on top of my head
And search out the plants that keep me well-fed.
Succulent swamp weeds are a delicacy.
I gobble them up with the duck-bill you see. |
Corythosaurus
Many millions of years ago, Corythosarus (kor-ith-a-SORE-us)
roamed the swamps that covered western North America. 
Unlike the mighty horned and armored dinosaurs, Corythosaurus
had no armor to protect itself. It was probably easy prey for
meat-eating dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex.
The man who discovered the first Corythosaurus thought
that the bony crest on top of its head looked like the helmets
worn long ago by the Corinthian warriors of ancient Greece, so
he named it Corythosaurus, or "helmet
lizard." |
|
"Tri," you probably know, means three.
This is how many horns you'll find on me.
For defense they're in a handy place:
They stick out at angles around my face. |
Triceratops
Triceratops (try-SAIR-a-tops)
was one of the ceratopsians (sair-a-TOPS-ian),
or "horned" dinosaurs, that lived about 70 million years ago
during the Cretaceous (kre-TAY-shus)
Period.
Triceratops' name refers to its horns--one on its snout and one
above each eye. Triceratops comes from Greek and means
"three horned face." |
I have
strong "armor" on the tip of my tail;
Each tail-spike stands straight up like a nail.
Now you're familiar with the other three.
It shouldn't be hard to guess which one's me. |
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus (steg-o-SORE-us)
was one dinosaur that spent much of its time devouring large
quantities of plants to fuel its huge body. With its plated back
and spiked tail, Stegosaurus was one strange looking
animal! 
Scientists aren't sure why Stegosaurus had plates on
its back. Some scientists believe they were there for
protection. Others think the plates may have helped Stegosaurus
control its body temperature.
The name Stegosaurus comes from the Greek words for
"covered lizard."
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 | Still have questions about dinosaurs?
Check out our answers to FAQs About
Dinosaurs.
|
| Looking for a good dinosaur book?
You'll find a bunch in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History's Dinosaur
Booklist.
|
| Have you heard or made up any dinosaur puzzles, riddles, or
recipes lately?
Send them to us at the Carnegie
Museum of Natural History. We'd love to hear them.
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