Sauropelta (Cretaceous)
Sauropelta is an herbivorous armoured dinosaur from the nodosaurid genus. It mainly inhabited the present-day United States during the Cretaceous period about 115-110 million years ago. Its name means "lizard shield.”
Sauropelta’s size reached about 5 metres in length and 1.5 tonnes in weight. It was only 1.4 metres in height and a teenager could safely saddle this dinosaur up. All upper parts - back, tail and neck were covered with bony armour. The long tail perfectly protected the dinosaur from predators and the bone plates prevented the attacker from easily spearing the Sauropelta’s skin. The jaws lacked a palate, and the neck bones were not bonded.
The Sauropelta inhabited plains and bushlands of the United States territory, feeding on local surroundings grass and shrubs.
