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Description
Scientific name: Nodosaurus textilis
Diet: low-growing plants, insects (at the Zoo they eat mid-temperature plants)
Projected natural lifespan: 12 years
Length: 4 meters (~13 feet)
Weight: 1.2 tonnes (~1.3 tons)
Locality: Wyoming, United States (Frontier Formation), 100.5 Ma (Late Cretaceous Cenomanian)
Exhibit: Shield Bearers

About:
Nodosaurus is a close cousin of Ankylosaurus. The two can be distinguished by their armor: Ankylosaurus tends to have bony plates and a club on its tail, while Nodosaurus tends to have spikes and no club on its tail.

Description and behavior:
Nodosaurus is the type genus of the Nodosauridae, a subgroup of the ankylosaurs characterized by mostly spiky bodies and no clubs at the end of their tails. Ankylosaur dinosaurs tend to fill in the "small omnivore" niche, often found browsing around the forest floor for plants or insects. They are also semi-aquatic, able to cross rivers or even swim across seas with ease. However, their most distinctive feature is the armor on their backs, used to protect themselves from predators. Strangely, it seems as if Nodosaurus is the exception to the rule. It appears to be more carnivorous than other ankylosaurs, more often found chasing after insects than after plants. They also appeared to be more terrestrial, since the Frontier Formation appears to be a mid-temperature plain. Lastly, they lacked the club at the end of their tails present in other ankylosaurs, and had spikes instead of bony plates on their backs. This, combined with strong predation pressure made it evolve an unusual defense tactic: camouflage. Its distinctive coloration is an effective camouflage against predatory dinosaurs. Only one other nodosaur, the Canadian Borealopelta, evolved such a tactic.

At the Zoo:
The Shield Bearers exhibit houses nine Nodosaurus.

----

The behavior is inspired by pigs, crocodiles, pangolins, and rhinos.

The skeletal I used belongs to GetAwayTrike .

The mass estimate comes from Franoys ' chart: www.deviantart.com/franoys/art…

Description
Scientific name: Nodosaurus textilis
Diet: low-growing plants, insects (at the Zoo they eat mid-temperature plants)
Projected natural lifespan: 12 years
Length: 4 meters (~13 feet)
Weight: 1.2 tonnes (~1.3 tons)
Locality: Wyoming, United States (Frontier Formation), 100.5 Ma (Late Cretaceous Cenomanian)
Exhibit: Shield Bearers

About:
Nodosaurus is a close cousin of Ankylosaurus. The two can be distinguished by their armor: Ankylosaurus tends to have bony plates and a club on its tail, while Nodosaurus tends to have spikes and no club on its tail.

Description and behavior:
Nodosaurus is the type genus of the Nodosauridae, a subgroup of the ankylosaurs characterized by mostly spiky bodies and no clubs at the end of their tails. Ankylosaur dinosaurs tend to fill in the "small omnivore" niche, often found browsing around the forest floor for plants or insects. They are also semi-aquatic, able to cross rivers or even swim across seas with ease. However, their most distinctive feature is the armor on their backs, used to protect themselves from predators. Strangely, it seems as if Nodosaurus is the exception to the rule. It appears to be more carnivorous than other ankylosaurs, more often found chasing after insects than after plants. They also appeared to be more terrestrial, since the Frontier Formation appears to be a mid-temperature plain. Lastly, they lacked the club at the end of their tails present in other ankylosaurs, and had spikes instead of bony plates on their backs. This, combined with strong predation pressure made it evolve an unusual defense tactic: camouflage. Its distinctive coloration is an effective camouflage against predatory dinosaurs. Only one other nodosaur, the Canadian Borealopelta, evolved such a tactic.

At the Zoo:
The Shield Bearers exhibit houses nine Nodosaurus.

----

The behavior is inspired by pigs, crocodiles, pangolins, and rhinos.

The skeletal I used belongs to GetAwayTrike .

The mass estimate comes from Franoys ' chart: www.deviantart.com/franoys/art…