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Therizinosaurus

What is therizinosaurus?

· Emily Grant

Key facts

Name meaning scythe lizard[1]
Diet herbivorous[1]
When it lived Late Cretaceous, 70 million years ago[1]
Location Mongolia[1]
Length 10.0 m[1]

Therizinosaurus was a large, herbivorous theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous, known for its extremely long claws and found in Mongolia.

Context

Therizinosaurus was a genus of large, herbivorous theropod dinosaur that lived in the Late Cretaceous in what is now Mongolia [3]. Its name means "scythe lizard" [1]. It is known for its very long claws and is commonly described as a plant-eating dinosaur [3]. The body plan included a small skull, leaf-shaped teeth, and extended fingers with long claws [4]. Fossils have been found mainly in Asia, particularly Mongolia [1].

Documented claims

  • Therizinosaurus had extremely long claws on its three-fingered hands. [3]
  • Its body plan included a small skull and leaf-shaped teeth. [4]

Questions and answers

Is a Therizinosaurus a meat eater?

No, Therizinosaurus was herbivorous, not a meat eater [1].

Is Therizinosaurus bigger than T. rex?

Therizinosaurus reached about 10 meters in length, which is comparable to or slightly larger than some T. rex estimates, but size comparisons depend on the individual specimens [1].

Are Therizinosaurus considered dinosaurs?

Yes, Therizinosaurus is classified as a theropod dinosaur [2].

Sources

  1. Therizinosaurus — museum.wa.gov.au (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Fun Facts About Therizinosaurus — tyrannostorus.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. 10 Facts About Therizinosaurus, the "Reaping Lizard" — thoughtco.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. Therizinosaurus Fact Sheet - C.S.W.D - Critter Squad — crittersquad.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Nature