Find animal profiles, comparisons, pet care guides, dinosaurs, FAQs, and tools.
Cathartesaurus was a long-necked plant-eating sauropod from the Cretaceous of South America. It was not one of the most massive sauropods ever discovered, but it is important because it belonged to the rebbachisaurids, a group of more lightly built diplodocoid sauropods that survived later than many
Dinosaurs were not “cruel” in the human sense. They hunted, fought, scavenged, defended territory, and competed for mates because those behaviors helped them survive. Still, some dinosaurs looked terrifying for good reason: crushing jaws, blade-like teeth, strange skull weapons, powerful claws, or
Tuojiangosaurus was a plated herbivorous dinosaur from Jurassic China. It belonged to the stegosaur group, known for body armor made of upright plates and a spiked tail. Although it is sometimes compared with the more famous Stegosaurus from North America, Tuojiangosaurus had its own distinct look,
Maiasaura was a large duck-billed dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of North America. It is best known for the remarkable fossil evidence connected with nests, eggs, hatchlings, and growing juveniles. Because of these discoveries, Maiasaura became one of the most famous dinosaurs in discussions abou
Olorotitan was a large duck-billed dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Asia. It is best known for the tall, elegant crest on top of its head, which gave it a very distinctive profile compared with other hadrosaurs. As a lambeosaurine, it belonged to the group of crested duck-billed dinosaurs that l
Oviraptor was a small, lightly built theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Asia. It is one of the most famous feathered dinosaurs and is especially well known for the misunderstanding behind its name. Early researchers thought it had been caught stealing eggs, which led to the name “egg thi
Pentaceratops was a large horned dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of what is now the southwestern United States. It is best known for its enormous skull, deep frill, strong beak, and long facial horns. Among ceratopsians, Pentaceratops stands out as one of the most impressive skull-bearing animals
Sauroposeidon was a giant long-necked plant-eating dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of North America. It is famous for its extraordinary neck vertebrae, which suggest that it was one of the tallest dinosaurs ever discovered. Although it is sometimes mentioned alongside the biggest sauropods of all
Yangchuanosaurus was a large meat-eating theropod dinosaur from Jurassic China. It is one of the best-known predatory dinosaurs from Asia and is especially famous for its powerful skull, sharp teeth, and strong hunting build. Although it is sometimes described as an Asian equivalent of Allosaurus be
Shunosaurus was a plant-eating sauropod dinosaur from Jurassic China. It was not one of the largest sauropods, but it is one of the most unusual because it appears to have carried a bony tail club. That feature makes it stand out from many other long-necked dinosaurs. Shunosaurus also had a relative
Pterodactylus was a small flying reptile from the Late Jurassic of Europe. It was not a dinosaur, although it lived at the same time as many dinosaurs and is often grouped with them in popular media. As a pterosaur, it belonged to a different branch of reptile evolution specialized for powered fligh
Omeisaurus was a large long-necked plant-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now China during the Jurassic. It is one of the most famous sauropods from Asia and is especially well known for its very long neck, heavy body, and classic “high-browsing” silhouette. Although it is sometimes overshado
Brachiosaurus and Brontosaurus were both huge plant-eating sauropod dinosaurs, but they had very different body shapes. Brachiosaurus had longer front legs than hind legs, giving it a high-shouldered, giraffe-like profile. Brontosaurus had a longer, lower body, a very long tail, and a more horizonta
Mastodons and mammoths were both extinct elephant-like mammals, but they were not the same animal. Mammoths were closer relatives of modern elephants and usually had high-domed skulls, long curved tusks, and ridged teeth for grazing. Mastodons belonged to a more distant branch, had flatter heads, st
Pteranodon and pterodactyl are often confused, but they are not the same animal. Pteranodon was a large, toothless pterosaur from Late Cretaceous North America with a long skull crest and huge wings. “Pterodactyl” is a casual word often used for many pterosaurs, but the real genus Pterodactylus wa
Giganotosaurus and T. rex were both giant meat-eating dinosaurs, but they never met. Giganotosaurus lived about 99–95 million years ago in South America, while T. rex lived about 68–66 million years ago in North America. Giganotosaurus was likely longer and lighter-built; T. rex was heavier-skulle
Aquatic reptiles are reptiles that spend much or most of their lives in water, including sea turtles, sea snakes, marine iguanas, crocodilians, and many freshwater turtles. Unlike fish, aquatic reptiles breathe air with lungs, but they can stay underwater for long periods by slowing their metabolism
Compsognathus was a small, slender carnivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic in Europe. It is one of the best-known tiny theropods and is often remembered for its graceful build, long legs, and lightweight body. Even though it was much smaller than famous predators such as Allosaurus