Tyrannosaurus Rex

Tyrannosaurus Rex (Pronounced: Tie-ran-owe-sore-uss)

Tyrannosaurus Rex means “king of the tyrant reptiles” – as the undisputed king of the dinosaurs, there’s none more well know than T-Rex. They lived around 65 million years ago, right up until the end of the age of the dinosaurs.

T-Rex was the largest known predator to have ever lived for almost 90 years – being some 40 ft (12 m) long and weighing in at 15,000 lbs (7,000 kg) – that was until the discovery of Giganotosaurus in Argentina during the 1990s – which as its name would imply, was a larger giant of a predator than Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Tyrannosaurus Rex was a fearsome beast, with 20 cm long teeth with a saw-like edge perfect for slicing through it’s prey, super-powerful jaws for crushing bones and arms that, although short, were equipped with sharp claws to grab and hold its victims in place.

They hunted alone, sneaking up through woodland cover on unsuspecting plant-eating dinosaurs before making a final, high-speed dash and pounce. They also had forward-facing eyes, which gave Tyrannosaurus Rex stereoscopic vision, something which meant they could more accurately judge the distance of its prey, making it an incredibly effective hunter.

Like many modern-day predators of the animal kingdom, such as lions and tigers, Tyrannosaurus Rex likely didn’t hunt and eat everyday – instead, devouring large herbivores that would sustain it for several days at a time.

Tyrannosaurus – being a late Theropod – was among the last dinosaurs to die out, living right up until the end of the Cretaceous period.