Edmontonia Facts
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 1.5m |
| Length | 6.6m |
| Weight | 3 tonnes |
| Speed | 5 km/h |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ankylosaur |
| Location | North America |

| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 1.5m |
| Length | 6.6m |
| Weight | 3 tonnes |
| Speed | 5 km/h |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ankylosaur |
| Location | North America |
Edmontonia was a heavily armoured ankylosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, between 83.6 and 72.2 million years ago. This impressive herbivore roamed the ancient landscapes of what is now western North America, particularly in areas that would become Alberta, Canada, and Montana, USA.
Measuring up to 6.6 metres in length and standing about 1.5 metres tall at the hip, Edmontonia was one of the largest members of its group. Weighing approximately 3 tonnes, this ankylosaur was built like a living tank, with its entire back covered in thick, bony plates called osteoderms. Unlike some of its relatives, Edmontonia lacked a club tail, instead relying on its formidable armour and prominent shoulder spikes for protection.
As a herbivore, Edmontonia used its small, leaf-shaped teeth to process tough plant material including ferns, cycads, and early flowering plants. Its low-slung body and wide stance allowed it to browse on vegetation close to the ground, whilst its powerful jaw muscles helped it chew through fibrous plant matter.
The discovery of multiple Edmontonia specimens has provided palaeontologists with detailed insights into ankylosaur anatomy and behaviour, making it one of the better-understood armoured dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous period.
Edmontonia was distinguished by its extensive body armour consisting of rows of oval and rectangular bony plates, prominent forward-pointing shoulder spikes, and a relatively narrow skull. Unlike club-tailed ankylosaurs, it had a long, tapering tail without a bony club at the end.
Edmontonia likely lived a slow-paced lifestyle, using its keen sense of smell to locate suitable vegetation whilst remaining alert for predators. When threatened, it probably crouched down to protect its soft underbelly, presenting only its armoured back and dangerous shoulder spikes to attackers.
Edmontonia has appeared in several documentaries about prehistoric life and features in some dinosaur-themed video games, though it's less well-known in popular culture than club-tailed ankylosaurs.
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Ornithischia |
| Family | Nodosauridae |
| Genus | Edmontonia |
Edmontonia was first described by Charles M. Sternberg in 1928. The original fossils were discovered at Horseshoe Canyon Formation, Alberta, Canada.