7 Magnificent Dinosaurs That Really Once Thundered The High Plains

The little kid in me always getting jumping and cheering every time the traveling dinosaur exhibits come around town. I mean who wouldn't at least take a glance at the life-sizes replicas of these gigantic creatures that used to roam the earth.

And lately, that has gotten me to wonder "What dinosaurs lived around where I live"? I mean they roamed the entire world,  which of course includes Amarillo and the West Texas area.

So after digging around (all puns intended) I found 10 dinosaurs that actually used to roam the general West Texas area. And they're pretty neat to say the least.

 Iguanodon

If you are familiar with obscure 2000s Disney movies, you might recognize this one. These guys who were know as "Iguana Tooth" were capable of standing on two legs, while walking on all four, which gave them a massive defensive advantage in defending themselves against predators. Add that with fingers and toes that were clawed and you had a force to be reckoned with. And of course they make pretty good protagonists for this 2000s Disney film as well.

T-Rex

I don' think this one needs much of an introduction. If you haven't lived under a rock since the release of Jurassic Park, you'll definitely know what is probably the most recognizable dinosaur. Turns out that the Tyrannosaurus Rex could actually be found all the way from West Texas to western Canada, meaning that these guys definitely got around. I wonder if a T-Rex ever encountered any tornado's while roaming tornado alley.

Deinonychus

Standing at 11 ft, this long legged and long clawed predator, is one that you should be glad that it is no longer habiting our area. Another nickname for this ferocious  dinosaur is "The Awful Claw" and I doubt that anyone would want to be around to see why it's got this name.

Torosaurus

A quick glance at this defensive herbivore would have you thinking that it's a triceratops but there are some differences that distinguish these guys who likely share a common ancestor. The Torosaurs is overall smaller than the Triceratops, but have much longer frills and differently sized horns. Still not a dinosaur that any smaller predator would want to mess around with

Acrocanthosaurus

A spiny and toothed predator, the Acrocanthosarus gets its name from its spines which means "top-spine lizard". Bones and footprints have been found from Oklahoma all the way through the Northern Texas Regions which means that this guy was likely a passerby through West Texas. Too bad that the Big Texan was not around, seeing a dinosaur try out the 72 oz steak challenge would of been a sight to behold.

Shuvosaurus

The Shuvosaurus is a fascinating creature that once roamed the lands of West Texas during the Late Triassic period. With a crocodile-like appearance and formidable hunting skills, it was certainly a force to be reckoned with in its time.

Alamosaurus

At 50ft in height, the Alamosarus was a massive herbivore that roamed the the South West Plains. Despite it's name "Alamosarus" that would make any Texan think that it was named after the Alamo in San Antonio, it is actually named after the Ojo Alamo formation in nearby New Mexico where it was first discovered.