4 Tyrannosaurus Rex Facts

The tyrannosaurus rex or t-rex is probably one of the most widely known dinosaurs that was ever in existence. It is known for its large size, enormous head and teeth, and its short arms. The t-rex also had a large tail that balanced its oversized head. While the t-rex is often depicted in movies and even in cartoons, kids often don’t know much about this dinosaur and what it was really like. Check out some fun facts so you can tell the difference between cartoons and reality.

What it Looked Like

The t-rex was typically about 40 feet in length; this is the size of four stories in a building. It was probably about 13 feet tall at its hips so much of its height was above its legs. If you shrunk the t-rex down, it would look something like a chicken, with legs shorter than its body. The dinosaur weighed over 7 tons, which is the equivalent of about five cars. Most movies show the t-rex as walking with its head down and its body spread out, rather than standing straight up. This would help it to balance properly rather than allowing its head to fall forward.

While the t-rex is known for its short arms in the front, those arms had two very sharp claws that were used for hunting and for killing its food before eating it. The claws were also used for fighting and for keeping itself protected. Its oversized head probably meant that it had one of the strongest bites of all the dinosaurs that ever lived, so it could easily bite through its food or use its bite to protect itself from other dinosaurs.

How it Lived

The t-rex lived in North America and footprints of it have been found in places like New Mexico, where the hot dry desert keeps those prints intact. It was a predator, hunting for food, but it also ate vegetation and would forage, meaning search for food in trees, bushes and plants. Because there are no more dinosaurs for scientists to study, they need to guess at how it behaved. Many believe it may have been a type of pack animal, traveling in groups so it could more easily find food and fight other dinosaurs. No matter how it lived, it was a very dangerous dinosaur still known for its size even today.