Therizinosaurus cheloniformis

Therizinosaurus cheloniformis

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Period

Cretaceous

Location

Asia

Length

5,000 kg

Weight

9–10 m

Diet

Herbivore

Category

Dinosaurs - Theropods

Family

Therizinosauridae

About Therizinosaurus cheloniformis

Therizinosaurus cheloniformis

Overview

Therizinosaurus, meaning "scythe lizard," is one of the weirdest dinosaurs ever discovered! Despite having terrifying 1-meter-long claws (the longest of any animal ever!), this bizarre creature was actually a peaceful plant-eater. Living approximately 70 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous in Mongolia, it defies everything we expect a dinosaur to look like.

Taxonomy & Classification

  • Clade: Theropoda (yes, related to T. rex!)
  • Family: Therizinosauridae
  • Diet: Herbivorous (despite being a theropod)
  • Locomotion: Bipedal

Therizinosaurus proves that not all theropods were meat-eaters!

Physical Characteristics

Size & Build

  • Length: 9-10 meters (30-33 feet)
  • Height: Up to 5 meters (16 feet) when reaching up
  • Weight: About 5,000 kg (5.5 tons)

The Incredible Claws

The most amazing feature—those CLAWS:

  • Up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) long—the longest claws ever!
  • Curved like giant scythes or swords
  • Three claws on each hand
  • Despite looking terrifying, probably NOT used for hunting!

Weird Body Plan

  • Pot-bellied body for digesting plants
  • Long neck for reaching vegetation
  • Small head with a beak and tiny teeth
  • Probably covered in feathers!
  • Short, stumpy tail
  • Looked like a giant, feathered sloth!

What Were Those Claws For?

Not for Killing!

Scientists have several ideas:

Most Likely Uses:

  • Pulling down branches to eat leaves
  • Defense against predators like Tarbosaurus
  • Digging for roots or termite mounds
  • Display to attract mates or intimidate rivals

NOT for:

  • Hunting prey (it was a plant-eater!)
  • Fighting other Therizinosaurus (probably)

A Gentle Giant

Plant-Eating Theropod

Therizinosaurus was unusual because:

  • Most theropods were carnivores
  • It evolved to eat plants instead
  • Had a long gut for digesting vegetation
  • Beak for cropping plants
  • Similar lifestyle to modern ground sloths (now extinct)

Diet

Probably ate:

  • Leaves from trees and bushes
  • Ferns and cycads
  • Possibly fruits and seeds
  • Maybe some insects for protein

Discovery Mystery

Piece by Piece

Therizinosaurus was discovered slowly:

  • First fossils (just claws!) found in 1948 in Mongolia
  • Scientists thought the claws belonged to a giant turtle!
  • More fossils found over decades
  • Full picture only emerged in the 1990s
  • Still one of the most mysterious dinosaurs

Feathered Dinosaur

Fluffy Giant

Evidence suggests Therizinosaurus had:

  • Feathers covering most of its body
  • Possibly colorful plumage for display
  • Related species have fossil feather impressions
  • Looked more like a giant bird than a typical dinosaur!

Pop Culture

Movie Star

  • Featured in Jurassic World Dominion
  • Shown as a blind, territorial creature
  • One of the most memorable dinosaurs in the film
  • Made people finally aware of this bizarre animal!

Cool Facts

  • Its claws were longer than a baseball bat!
  • Despite looking scary, it probably wouldn't hurt you (unless threatened)
  • Related to T. rex but couldn't be more different!
  • Scientists first thought it was a giant turtle
  • Some relatives were covered in beautiful feathers
  • Could stand up to reach leaves 5 meters high
  • Named "scythe lizard" because its claws look like farming scythes
  • One of the weirdest animals to ever exist!

Therizinosaurus proves that evolution creates bizarre and wonderful surprises—who would imagine a dinosaur that looks like Freddy Krueger but eats salads?