NormalTherizinosaurus
Therizinosaurus cheloniformis
THER-ih-ZEEN-oh-SORE-us· “scythe lizard”
🕰️ Cretaceous🌿 herbivore🦴 Therizinosauridae
10 m
Length
5 m
Height
5 t
Weight
The dinosaur with the longest claws of any animal ever — up to a metre each. Despite the terrifying scythes, this pot-bellied giant used them to hook leafy branches, not prey.
When
Late Cretaceous, ~70 million years ago
Found in
Mongolia
Discovered
Soviet–Mongolian expedition, 1948
Did you know?
- Scientists first thought its claws belonged to a giant turtle.
- Its claws could reach 1 metre — the longest of any known animal.
- It was a plant-eater descended from meat-eating ancestors.
Artwork: TotalDino, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.