Sauropelta
Sauropelta edwardsorum
Pronounced:
Saw - roe - Pell - ta
Diet:
Herbivore (Plant-Eater)
Name Means:
"Lizard Shield"
Length:
22 feet (7 m)
Height:
5 feet (1.8 m)
Weight:
3.2 tons (2,900 kilos)
Time:
Early Cretaceous - 120 MYA
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur
have been found in Western United
States
Sauropelta is just like its name, a lizard
with shields all over the top of its body. It
had very hard, bony plates called scutes that
covered most of its back and tail. The scutes on
its neck were long and pointy, providing a
strong deterrent to any meat-eaters looking for
an easy meal. Unlike the better-known armored
dinosaurs like
Ankylosaurus Sauropelta did not have a
club on the end of its tail. It had a long, thin
tail.
Built fairly low to the ground,
Sauropelta walked on all four legs. It
is considered one of the very earliest
of the nodosaur family, retaining some
features of less armored herbivores. Its
hind legs are considerably longer than
its fore limbs, indicating that it
evolved from an animal that may have
occasionally stood on its hind legs. It
had a particularly long tail that was
equal to the length of its body. |
