Iguanodon Facts for Kids

25 Iguanodon Facts For Kids

1. The Iguanodon was a dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous Period.
2. Iguanodon was a large bipedal herbivore.
3. The Iguanodon was herbivorous and ate plant matter.
4. You pronounce the name Iguanodon by saying: “ig-WHA-noh-don”.
5. The meaning of the dinosaur name Iguanodon is “iguana tooth”.
6. There are three species of Iguanodon recognized by paleontologists.
7. The type species for the Iguanodon is Iguanodon bernissartensis.
8. The other two species of Iguanodon are Iguanodon anglicus and Iguanodon galvensis.
9. British paleontologist Gideon Mantell first discovered the Iguanodon specimen in 1822.
10. Belgian-British zoologist George Boulenger was the first person to scientifically described the Iguanodon in 1881.
11. The holotype specimen for Iguanodon is IRSNB 1534.
12. The Iguanodon was estimated to have an average body length between 30 and 36 feet.
13. The Iguanodon was estimated to have an average body weight around 5 tons.
14. The lifespan of the Iguanodon is estimated to have been between 25 and 40 years.
15. The running speed of the Iguanodon is estimated to have been around 15 miles per hour.
16. The Iguanodon lived during the Early Cretaceous Period in what is now modern-day Europe, notably Belgium, England, Germany, and Spain.
17. The Iguanodon lived around the same time as dinosaurs such as the Triceratops, Spinosaurus, and Acrocanthosaurus.
18. The Iguanodon was one of the first dinosaurs to be discovered and described by scientists.
19. The Iguanodon is known for its distinctive thumb spikes, which may have been used as a defense against predators.
20. The Iguanodon may have also used its thumb spikes for climbing and gathering food.
21. Paleontologists first thought the Iguanodon was a quadrupedal and walked on all four legs, but with more research and fossil specimen discoveries they realized it was bipedal.
22. Paleontologists believe the Iguanodon switched between bipedality to quadrupedality, and as it grew older and heavier it probably preferred quadrupedality.
23. There is a lot of debate if the Iguanodon was a solitary or social dinosaur, discoveries of multiple Iguanodons being found together are common, but a lack of juveniles at these sites further cloud the research on their social behavior.
24. An asteroid in the main asteroid belt was named 9941 Iguanodon in honor of this dinosaur.
25. The famous fictional beast Godzilla was designed using the Iguanodon in mind.

Iguanodon Pictures

There is a saying that claims a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is true then the below images will help you with your research on the Iguanodon Below you will find three pictures related to the Iguanodon dinosaur. These pictures should give you a bettering understanding of the Iguanodon and what it may have looked like.

A picture of an Iguanodon standing up.

A picture of an Iguanodon herd by water.

A picture of three Iguanodons in a forest.