Tyrannosaurus Rex Kids Encyclopedia: What Was T. Rex Like?

What Kind of Dinosaur Was Tyrannosaurus Rex?

Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the most famous dinosaurs.
People often call it T. rex for short.
It was a meat-eating dinosaur with a huge head, sharp teeth, and strong back legs.
It may look scary, but it was a real animal that lived on Earth long ago.

Its Name Means “Tyrant Lizard King”

The name Tyrannosaurus rex sounds powerful. “Tyrannosaurus” means “tyrant lizard,” and “rex” means “king.”

So Tyrannosaurus rex can be explained as “tyrant lizard king.” Like its name, T. rex was one of the strongest meat-eating dinosaurs of its time.

When and Where Did T. Rex Live?

Tyrannosaurus rex lived about 68 to 66 million years ago, near the end of the Cretaceous Period.
Many T. rex fossils have been found in western North America, including places such as Montana and Wyoming.
Scientists think some of its world may have been warm, with rivers, plants, and many other animals.

How Big Was T. Rex?

T. rex was very big.
Many scientists estimate that it was about 12 meters long.
Its hip height was much taller than an adult person,
 and it may have weighed as much as several elephants.

But not every T. rex was the same size.
Young T. rexes and adult T. rexes were different, and each animal could vary in size.

What Did T. Rex Eat?

T. rex was a carnivore, which means it ate meat.
Its huge head and sharp teeth were good for biting meat.
Scientists still study whether T. rex hunted living animals, ate dead animals, or did both. Many think it may have hunted and also eaten carcasses when it found them.

Were Its Tiny Arms Useless?

T. rex had very small arms compared with its huge body.
Many people wonder if the arms were useless. But scientists think the arms had strong muscles.
We still do not know exactly how T. rex used them. They may have helped it get up, hold something, or support its body in some way.

Did T. Rex Have Good Senses?

T. rex probably had a strong sense of smell.
Scientists think the smell-processing part of its brain was large.
Its forward-facing eyes may also have helped it look at prey and its surroundings.
T. rex was not only big and strong.
It may have had powerful senses too.

Did T. Rex Have Feathers?

Scientists are still studying exactly what T. rex looked like.
Some dinosaurs related to T. rex had feathers.
But so far, there is no clear direct evidence that T. rex itself had feathers.
Preserved skin evidence shows scales.
So it is common to draw T. rex with scaly skin, while remembering that scientists keep studying new evidence.

What T. Rex Fossils Tell Us

We know about T. rex because of fossils.
By studying bones and teeth left in the ground, scientists can learn about its size, food, and home.
In the past, T. rex was sometimes shown standing very upright.
Today, scientists think a posture with its head lower and tail stretched behind was more natural.
Science becomes better when new evidence is found.

Let’s Remember!

Tyrannosaurus rex was a giant meat-eating dinosaur that lived in North America near the end of the Cretaceous Period.
It had a huge head, sharp teeth, strong legs, and tiny arms.
But T. rex did not live with humans. Humans appeared much later.
By learning about T. rex, we can also learn about ancient Earth and why fossils are important.