Growing to a length of 30 feet and a height of 16 feet, it was almost the size of a house! The Iguanadon could move on all fours, or just on its hind legs.
The “hands” of the Iguanadon made this reptile different from most other dinosaurs. Each hand had five “fingers”. Three fingers in the middle had hooflike claws, which were useful when walking. Another finger could be pulled in toward the palm, and was used to grasp with. A fifth finger was a sharp, spiked thumb, used for defence.
Food
The Iguanadon was a herbivore. It probably ate standing on all fours, and used its bony beak to nip off plants, such as palms and ferns. The front of its mouth was toothless, but at the back of its jaws, many teeth were arranged in parallel rows. The Iguanadon was one of the first dinosaurs that had the ability to chew its food. This is very unusual among reptiles. Some scientists have also suggested that the Iguanadon might have had a long tongue, like a giraffe.
Habitat
The Iguanadon was widely spread in the world. Its bones have been found in Europe, Mongolia, North Africa and North America.
Predators
The Iguanadon had many predators, such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Megalosaurus, and Allispinaz. Its best protection was the sharp thumb spike, which could pierce the hide of an enemy. The ability to walk on four, or two legs, also gave it an advantage over other dinosaurs.
Social Structure
Like many large herbivores, the Iguanadon probably moved around in packs.
Birth & Offspring
An Iguanadon laid eggs. Maybe it took care of the young offspring, but science still have a lot to learn in this area.
Lydia King is a huge animal lover and has always been fascinated with learning about the animal kingdom. She enjoys writing about anything animal related from scientific information about rare species to animal references in pop culture.
