The Certaosaurus and the T.Rex were aggressive theropods that didn't shy away from the battle. If confronted, which of these two ferocious dinos would walk away the victor? The answer is simple — the T-Rex.
Table of Contents
Battle Facts about Ceratosaurus vs. T. rex
| Name | Ceratosaurus (Ceratosaurus nasicornis), “horn lizard” | T. Rex (Tyrannosaurus rex), “lizard king” |
| Size | 20 feet long, 9 feet tall, 2,200 pounds | 40 feet long, 20 feet tall, 16,000 pounds |
| Speed | 30 mph | 30 mph |
| Offense | Horn on its nose, razor-sharp teeth | Massive in size, thick skin |
| Defense | Smaller, quick, and agile | Massive size, giant mouth with razor-sharp teeth |
| Endurance and Behavior | Aggressive and agile, able to run for long distances | Aggressive and fast, larger size hindered the overall endurance |
The Certosaurus was a ferocious and fast late Jurassic dinosaur from North America noted for its incredibly aggressive nature. While it was much smaller than the lizard king, the T.Rex, could it hold its own in battle?
The T.Rex was much larger, but the Ceratosaurus had a giant horn on its snout and a mouth full of blade-like teeth. Was the Certosaurus’ speed and aggression enough to take down T-Rex almost twice its size?
Did a Ceratosaurus Live with a T. Rex?
The Ceratosaurus did not live with the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The Ceratsaurus was a late Jurassic dino that lived during the late Jurassic period, while the T. Rex lived during the later stages of the Cretaceous period. They missed each other by a few million years!
While separated by time, they lived in similar areas of North America. Fossils remaining of the Certasaurus and this tyrannosaur was discovered in similar regions of Wyoming and Montana.
And while these two theropods look similar, the Certasaurus is more closely related to the Carnotaurus than the T.Rex.
What was the difference between a T. Rex and a Ceratosaurus?
The biggest difference between the T. Rex and Ceratosaurus was size. In the late Cretaceous period, dinos grew to massive sizes, and the mighty T.Rex is a prime example. The T. Rex stood almost 20 feet tall and was 40 feet long.
To understand its massive size, the T.Rex was about as tall as two basketball hoops and as long as a school bus. It also weighed 16,000 pounds, or about as much as three rhinos. The Ceratosaurus was much smaller. It stood 9 feet tall, 20 feet long, and weighed 2,200 pounds.
Although it was smaller, one advantage that the Ceratosaurus had over the T.Rex was that it had arms that were much longer and nimble than the T.Rex.
Who Was Stronger, a Ceratosaurus or a T. Rex?
The Ceratosaurus was an intense and scary theropod, but it was no match for the lizard king. The T.Rex was larger, heavier, and had a bite force stronger than any other creature to walk the Earth.
The T.Rex had a bite force of up to 7,000 pounds per square inch. If a small Ceratosaurus found itself in the grasp of a T.Rex jaw, it was game over!
Who Would Attack First, And How?
If these two were to engage in a dinosaur battle, the T.Rex would likely strike first. The T.Rex was an aggressive predator. It did not lurk in the shadows or wait for a target. When the T.Rex spotted a target, it would charge at it at full speed, up to 20 mph, and attack with its mouth full of sharp teeth.
The Ceratosaurus was an aggressive carnivore, but it wasn’t a dummy. The Certosaurus knew which battles to fight and which to flee. While the Certosaurus was an aggressive carnivore that attacked smaller theropods (like raptors or velociraptors) and larger sauropods, it knew to stay away from larger apex predators like the T.Rex.
Was the T.Rex afraid of Other Dinosaurs?
The T.Rex earned its name “the lizard king” for a good reason. A ferocious predator stood proudly at the top of the food chain.
You might not know that there are some dinosaurs that the T.Rex did not dare mess with, and that even included some herbivore sauropods! For instance, the T.Rex would likely avoid dinos like:
- Ankylosaurus
- Triceratops
- Stegosaurus
- Spinosaurus
- Brachiosaurus
The T.Rex knew these dinos had good defense mechanisms and would probably steer clear of them. The T.Rex would also likely steer clear of other aggressive and similar-sized theropods like the Baryonyx, Giganotosaurus, Torvosaurus, and Allosaurus.
Who Had More Teeth, the Ceratosaurus or T. Rex?
The mightly T.Rex not only had more teeth than the Ceratosaurus, but they were larger and more vicious. While these theropods shared much in common, their teeth were surprisingly different.
The teeth of the T.Rex were curved like bananas and serrated, which helped them cut into their prey like a steak knife. The teeth of the Ceratosaurus were smooth and pointed like tiny daggers in its mouth. The teeth of the Ceratosaurus were very similar to that of a crocodile.
Who would win?
Would Ceratosaurus’s quick speeds and agility give it an edge over the massive lizard king? The clear winner of this dino battle is no surprise: Rexy. The T-Rex’s enormous size, speed, and aggression are no match for the much smaller Ceratosaurus. The Certosaurus would fight a heroic battle, but the T.Rex would reign supreme.
The only potential dinosaur that could give the T.Rex a run for its money would be the I-Rex or the Indoraptor from Jurassic Park, but we know those dinos don’t exist!