Edmontonia Characteristics

Edmontonia was bulky and tank-like and roughly 23 feet (7 metres) long and 6 feet (2 metres) high. It weighed around 3.5 tons. Edmontonia had a bulky body and bony plates on its back and head, many sharp spikes along its back and tail and 4 large spikes jutting out from its shoulders on each side. The large spikes were probably used in contests of strength to defend its territory. In order to protect itself from predators, Edmontonia probably would have crouched down on the ground to minimise the possibility of attack to its defenseless underbelly.

Edmontonias skull had a pear-like shape when viewed from above and its neck was short. Edmontonia had huge powerful legs and wide feet that helped support its massive weight. It had a long stiff tail that lacked the club end of the Ankylosaurus. It has weak jaws which contained small teeth. Edmontonia was very similar to Panoplosaurus, but the skull was longer and the teeth were different.

Edmontonia was a herbivore and had a sharp beak which it used to cut through tough plant matter and vegetation. It ate low lying plants, like ferns and cycads.

Complete skeletons have been found of Edmontonia which means more information about this dinosaur has been discovered than any other armoured dinosaur.

Edmontonia was discovered in 1924 by George Paterson near Red Deer River in Alberta, Canada. It was named Edmontonia in 1928 by Charles M. Sternberg.