T. rex facts for kids

Meet T. rex

T. rex is short for Tyrannosaurus rex. Tyrannosaurus means tyrant lizard, and rex is Latin for king. So its name means tyrant lizard king.

It was one of the largest meat-eaters ever to walk on Earth, about 12 metres long. Like other theropods, it walked on two legs.

When did T. rex live?

T. rex lived at the very end of the Cretaceous period, about 68 to 66 million years ago. It was one of the last dinosaurs before the giant ones died out.

Here is a fact that surprises many grown-ups: T. rex lived closer in time to you than to Stegosaurus. About 80 million years separate Stegosaurus and T. rex. Only 66 million separate T. rex and you.

What did T. rex eat?

Meat. T. rex had one of the strongest bites of any land animal ever, strong enough to crunch through bone. It had about 60 saw-edged teeth.

It lived at the same time and in the same place as Triceratops, and Triceratops bones with T. rex bite marks have been found.

What were its tiny arms for?

T. rex's arms were tiny for its size, with just two fingers on each hand. They were surprisingly strong, though. Scientists still argue about what T. rex used them for. Some think they helped it stand up after a fall. Others think they helped it while it ate.

Where have T. rex fossils been found?

In North America, in the USA and Canada.

T. rex in a nutshell

• Full name: Tyrannosaurus rex
• Name means: tyrant lizard king
• Lived: about 68 to 66 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous
• Ate: meat
• Length: about 12 metres
• Found in: USA and Canada
• Lived at the same time as: Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus and Edmontosaurus

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