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The Tyrannosaurus rex is known by many names. One of the most common is "King of the Tyrant Lizards". They are also known as "tyrant lizard king", "king tyrant lizard", and "terror lizard king" to name a few. These are all random names given to the Tyrannosaurus rex by other living beings, mainly because no one would be dumb enough to say the full name of "King of the Tyrant Lizards" multiple times in a row.
The T-Rex is mostly known for its large head and jaws, which can devour almost anything. They are known to be ferocious predators that will eat anything they set their eyes on
But let's not talk too much about the Tyrannosaurus rex this early on. Let's leave some for the next couple of paragraphs! Without further ado, let's get on with it!
Description and Appearance
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The Tyrannosaurus rex's name is Greek for "King of the Tyrant Lizards", while humans refer to it as a dinosaur, the modern-day descendants of these creatures call them "tyrant lizards".
The Tyrannosaurus rex is a genus of theropod dinosaur. Theropods are a group of carnivorous dinosaurs that includes mostly small to medium-sized dinosaurs.
The Tyrannosaurus rex, however, is the largest member of the group. They are classified as a carnivore, which means that they eat meat, but we'll talk more about that later.
There is much debate over whether the T-rex was actually as large as it is often depicted, some saying as long as 92 feet and weighing 7 tons! However, the average adult T-rex was around 39 feet long and weighed between 5-7 tons.
The Tyrannosaurus rex had a unique skull that contained many sharp teeth at the end of a strong jaw that could open nearly 90 degrees to aid in chomping up unlucky prey.
The T-rex had large arms with two fingers but no opposable thumbs, so they couldn't hold things.
These creatures were covered in thick and bumpy scales/leather which made them look tough and scary. They had a small, pointed stub of a tail for balance and long powerful legs to carry their huge body around and were strong enough for the T-rex to run at speeds of 15mph! The T-rex's head was large and solid as a tank with two eyes that could see very well. These creatures were built for power and strength in all aspects.
All in all, these beasts were a monster. They didn't need any help being scary because the truth is they don't have to try to be terrifying, they just are! Would you be surprised, however, if I told you that one Tyrannosaurus rex in this world still exists? Yes, it does, and it’s Gage Beasley’s very own Green Tyrannosaurus T-Rex Dinosaur Soft Stuffed Plush Toy! I assure you that it’s not as close as the original, Cretaceous period one, though—and it won’t eat your whole body. Or will it?
Gage Beasley’s Green Tyrannosaurus T-Rex Soft Stuffed Plush Toy
Diet
The T-rex was a carnivore and ate many things, such as sheep, deer, other dinosaurs that were unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. T-rexes were also known to eat other Tyrannosaurs! Their bite force is believed by some paleontologists to have been 8000 pounds per square inch.
You know how we said T-rexes were scavengers and will eat anything they can find? Well, that isn't entirely true. There has never been a T-rex skeleton found with any vegetation in its stomach contents!
The T-rex would not waste time and energy chasing down its prey, instead, it waited in the brush for something to come by and then pounce out at them and bite them before they even knew what was going on!
Reproduction
Tyrannosaurus rexes probably laid only a few eggs each year, as they were very large and took a longer amount of time to develop.
The T-rex's had more success with raising their young compared to some other dinosaurs because there is evidence that some babies may have lived in nests until they were 2 years old!
There wasn't a whole lot that went into T-rex courtship, it's believed that the male would just roar and attack the female to try to get her attention.
Distribution
The Tyrannosaurus rex lived in what is now North America and Canada. Even though T-rex fossils have been found on almost every continent, they are most common in western America.
Tyrannosaurus rexes were very good swimmers! Fossilized remains of the T-rex have actually been found at sea, indicating that they sometimes lived and hunted near the coast.
Although the Tyrannosaurus rex was an earthbound creature, it probably couldn't resist a swim if it looked like something yummy was on the other side of the water!
People can still find fossils of T-rexes today. They aren't as common as many other animals because they were part of a group of animals called "the tyrant lizards" and most members of this group were very large and therefore more likely to be killed and fossilized than smaller creatures.
People can go to museums like the Natural History Museum in New York or the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta, Canada which houses many fossils of T-rexes.
Discovery
Photo: Divaneth-Dias via Getty Images
The first Tyrannosaurus rex fossil was found in 1874 by Ferdinand Hayden. It was a fairly complete skeleton, which is unusual for most fossils. Most of the time, paleontologists find just a few bones and have to guess what the animal looked like.
This fossil was found in the Hell Creek Formation in Montana, which is a popular place for finding T-rex fossils. This is because the area was once a huge flood plain, which allowed many different types of animals to be preserved. It was found by Fielding B. Meek, who paid $5 for it.
Tyrannosaurus rex fossils have been found in both Canada and America (mostly Montana). Although there are only 13 locations where T-rex fossils have been found, it is estimated that there are around 1,500 specimens.
The Tyrannosaurus rex lived during the late Cretaceous period from about 68 million years ago to 66 million years ago. These creatures were fossilized in North America but were found all over the world.
One of the most recent Tyrannosaurus rex remains was discovered in South Dakota, USA! This dinosaur is known as "Wankel Rex" and is on display at the Black Hills Museum Of Natural History in Hill City, South Dakota!
Final Thoughts
The Tyrannosaurus rex was a fearsome predator that lived during the late Cretaceous period. It was large, strong, and probably pretty scary to encounter in real life!
This dinosaur was an apex predator which means it had very few if any predators of its own. It may have hunted other Tyrannosaurs but besides that, this creature didn't have to start too many fights.
The T-rex probably had a fairly successful life living in the late Cretaceous period, devouring other dinosaurs and maybe even some smaller mammals!
Those who are interested in seeing more Tyrannosaurus rex fossils can check out museums where they have actual fossils on display or go online to look up pictures of Tyrannosaurus rex fossils.
One of the most recent T-rex finds was just discovered in South Dakota, USA! This is a great location for people interested in seeing more Tyrannosaurus rex-related locations and relics.
Every once in a while another T-rex fossil will be dug up and it gives scientists and paleontologists a better idea of what this creature looked like and how it lived.
When that happens, make sure to stick around this article as we're sure to keep you posted.
Cheers!
-GB
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