Tyrannosaurus Rex Characteristics

Tyrannosaurus Rex measured around 40 feet (12.4 metres) in length, 20 feet (6 metres) in height and weighed 5 - 7 tons. It was a fierce predator who was bipedal and walked on its 2 powerful hind legs and had very short fore limbs that measured only 3 feet (1 metre) long. Females may have been larger than males.

Tyrannosaurus Skull

Tyrannosaurus Rex had a huge head, its enormous skull measured 5 feet (1.5 metres) long. The eye sockets in the skull are 4 inches (10.2 centimetres) across, therefore, its eyeballs would have measured about 3 inches (7.6 centimetres) in diameter. Tyrannosaurus Rex also had depth perception as both eyes faced forwards on the front of its skull and not placed on the sides. predators often have depth perception to help them hunt their prey, while the hunted have eyes on the sides of their heads to locate predators. Its neck was short and muscular and its body was solidly built, however, its bones were hollow.

Tyrannosaurus Jaws

Tyrannosaurus Rex had huge dangerous jaws which were up to 4 feet (1.2 metres) long which contained 50 - 60 thick, serrated, conical, bone-crushing teeth that ranged in size, the largest being over 13 inches (33 centimetres) long. Tyrannosaurus rex had a wrap-around overbite. When it closed its mouth, the upper parts of the lower jaws teeth fit inside the upper teeth. It could seize its prey and rip flesh away using its strong neck. Tyrannosaurus crushed and broke bones as it ate, broken bones have been found in its dung. This dinosaurs powerful bite was with such force that it could have pierced the armour of an Ankylosaurus.

Tyrannosaurus Legs and Feet

Tyrannosaurus Rex had a pair of the strongest and longest legs of any Theropod. Tyrannosaurus had bird-like feet, each with 3 large toes all equipped with claws and a little dew claw on a small, vestigial 4th toe. This dinosaur left footprints 1.55 feet (46 centimetres) in length, although its feet were much longer, around 3.3 feet (1 metre) long. Tyrannosaurus Rex, like other dinosaurs, walked on its toes. It had a stride length of up to 12 - 15 feet (3.7 - 4.6 metres) and may have run at up to 15 miles per hour (24 kilometres per hour).

Tyrannosaurus Tail

Tyrannosaurus Rex had a large, heavy, stiff, pointed tail that provided counter-balance for its huge, heavy head and allowed the dinosaur to change direction quickly while running.

Tyrannosaurus Diet

Tyrannosaurus Rex was a ferocious predatory carnivore that could eat up to 500 pounds (230 kilograms) of meat and bones in one bite. Based on the size and shape of its olfactory lobes, Tyrannosaurus seems to have had a very sensitive nose, which would have helped it to hone in on living or already dead and rotting prey as this dinosaur was also an opportunist scavenger. In terms of what and who it preyed upon, there is fossil evidence to suggest it commonly consumed both Triceratops and the duck-billed Hadrosaurs such as the Corythosaurus. An initial power bite would have severely crippled its prey causing massive blood loss. This would eventually cause its prey to lose strength and even collapse. At this point the Tyrannosaurus could quickly use both its foot claws and mouth to finish off its victim.

The End For Tyrannosaurus

Tyrannosaurus Rex became extinct about 65 million years ago in the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction. It was among the last non-avian dinosaurs to exist prior to the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event.

Tyrannosaurus Fossils

Fossilized specimens of Tyrannosaurus's rough, scaly skin have been found. It was bumpy, like an alligators skin and has been described as a 'lightly pebbled skin'. Tyrannosaurus might have been covered in feathers when they first hatched out of their eggs.

In total around 30 Tyrannosaurus Rex fossils have been recovered with the first T. Rex fossil being discovered in 1902 by Barnum Brown in South Eastern Montana, USA. Most other T-Rex fossils were also found in this region but some have also been found in Canada and parts of Asia such as Mongolia.

Henry Fairfield Osborn, president of the American Museum of Natural History, named Tyrannosaurus rex in 1905.