Tyrannosaurus rex

The King of Lizard Rulers

Tyrannosaurus rex means ‘tyrant lizard king.’ Nothing less. And with its secure position at the top of the food chain, it roamed the forested river valleys of the Cretaceous period, terrifying all other living creatures unlucky enough to coexist with it. The tiny arms of T. rex have often been mocked, but new research suggests that it didn’t actually need larger arms. Its powerful neck muscles indicate that it hunted in a way that combined the methods of birds and crocodiles.

First, it would gaze forward like a predatory bird, locating its prey, and then lower its head and prepare for an attack. After capturing the prey, it would employ the crocodile method of shaking, tossing, and twisting the victim around, before finally swallowing it whole. To keep its head cool during this violent act, T. rex had ventilation holes on the top of its skull, similar to those seen in modern alligators. Effortlessly, T. rex could crush a car with its bite, and it both hunted live prey, scavenged carcasses, and wasn’t averse to cannibalism. The only solace for other animals living at the same time as T. rex was that it wasn’t particularly fast.

Tyrannosaurus rex met its demise when a massive meteorite collided with Earth 66 million years ago, causing the event known as the mass extinction, where nearly all life on Earth perished. But fortunately, not all life died. And the chicken you may have in your backyard is actually a dinosaur related to T. rex.

Length
Approximately 13 meters long and up to 6 meters tall

Height
Up to 7.5 meters tall

Weight
About 8 tons heavy

Period
Late Cretaceous period (68 – 66 million years ago)

Diet
Carnivorous – also not averse to scavenging and cannibalism

Discovery Sites
Western North Ame