When we take into consideration that the very last dinosaurs died over 65 million years ago, and the first ancestors of humans first existed a little over 2 million years ago, it puts into perspective just how long Earth has had life, and how little of that time our planet has been inhabited by man. Millions of years ago, the Earth was home to creatures more terrifying than anyone can imagine, and it should only be thankful that these prehistoric animals did not co-exist with humans. Here is a list of the scariest dinosaurs and other animals that your kids may curious about.
Top 8 Scariest Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals
Spinosaurus
There is evidence that the Spinosaurus may have been the largest of all carnivorous dinosaurs with 12.6 to 18 meters in length and weighing up to nearly 21 tons, making it possibly the scariest dinosaur in prehistoric history. It lived in both water and on land during the Cretaceous period in the region that is now North Africa. It is believed that this dinosaur fed on fish and smaller dinosaurs. The purpose of the large sail on its back is not fully understood but may have been used to attract a mate.
Tyrannosaurus Rex
The Tyrannosaurus Rex is likely the most popular dinosaur despite being one of the scariest dinosaurs on this list. This enormous animal measured up to 12.3 meters long and weighed about 6.8 tons. It is believed that the T-Rex was a predator with possibly the most forceful bite of all dinosaurs. This famous dinosaur lived on land during the Cretaceous period in the area that is now western North America. It is thought that the T-Rex was one of the last land-based dinosaurs left before the infamous extinction event took place.
Argentinosaurus
The Argentinosaurus was one of the largest known dinosaurs and believed to have been from 30 to 35 meters long and weighing up to 100 tons. It resided in what is now South America during the late Cretaceous period. These large dinosaurs were herbivores that likely ate from trees and swept the ground for lower lying vegetation. It is thought that these dinosaurs travelled in packs of several dozen in order to protect the younger ones. After the female laid her eggs, it took about 15 years for the young to grow to their final adult size.
Rajasaurus
The Rajasaurus was a large carnivorous dinosaur that lived on the prehistoric supercontinent known as Gondwana, which made up Africa, Madagascar, India and South America, during the late Cretaceous period. It measured between 7.6 – 9 meters long and weighed up to 4 tons, and had a distinguishing horn at its nasal area. A later discovery than many other prehistoric animals, the genus created for the Rajasaurus did not occur until 2003 when it became one of the scariest dinosaurs known to roam the Earth.
Megalodon
The Megalodon was a gigantic shark that lived in oceans around the world more than 2 million years ago during the Cenozoic Era. As one of the scariest prehistoric animals, this shark grew to up to 18 meters in length. This powerful predator resembled the great white shark of today and lived mostly offshore rather than close to the ocean coast. Although it is unclear why these sharks became extinct, possibilities include cooling water temperature, lack of food, and attacks from other water species.
Titanoboa
The Titanoboa was an enormous snake that lived about 5 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs, known as the Palaeocene epoch period. It was easily the largest snake that ever resided on Earth, growing to 12.8 meters in length and weighing over a ton. These snakes resided in tropical areas in what is now South America. The Titanoboa resembles the Boa constrictor of today, but because of its sheer size, it is most certainly one of the world’s scariest prehistoric animals.
Pteranodon
Pteranodon were flying reptiles that lived during the late Cretaceous period, some of which had wingspans wider than 6 meters across. Although not classified as a dinosaur, pteranodons certainly fall into the category of one of the world’s scariest prehistoric animals. These flying reptiles resided in what is now the central United States. It is believed that pteranodons primarily ate fish and were efficient swimmers, being able to catch fish while in the water and then taking flight from that position.
Sarcosuchus
The Sarcosuchus was a prehistoric crocodile that lived during the early Cretaceous period in what is now South America and Africa. About twice the size of the saltwater crocodiles of today, this prehistoric animal grew up to 12 meters in length and weighed up to 8 tons. It is thought that the diet of this large reptile consisted of dinosaurs in the local region. Although it is believed that Sarcosuchus favored freshwater to saltwater, some may have lived in some coastal areas where salt and freshwater met.
For more about these scary prehistoric animals, watch the following video: