Ankylosaurus was the Cretaceous equivalent of a Sherman tank: low-slung, slow-moving, and covered with thick, nearly impenetrable armor. Possibly the largest known ankylosaurid, Ankylosaurus is estimated to have been between 6 and 8 m (20 and 26 ft) long and to have weighed between 4.8 and 8 t (5.3 and 8.8 short tons). It was quadrupedal, with a broad, robust body. It had a wide, low skull, with two horns pointing backward from the back of the head, and two horns below these that pointed backward and down. Unlike other ankylosaurs, its nostrils faced sideways rather than towards the front. The front part of the jaws was covered in a beak, with rows of small, leaf-shaped teeth farther behind it. It was covered in armor plates, or osteoderms, with bony half-rings covering the neck, and had a large club on the end of its tail. The most notable feature of Ankylosaurus was the tough, knobby armor covering its head, neck, back, and tail--pretty much everything except its soft underbelly. This armor was made up of densely packed osteoderms, or "scutes," deeply embedded plates of bone (which weren't directly connected to the rest of Ankylosaurus' skeleton) covered by a thick layer of keratin, the same protein as is contained in human hair and rhinoceros horns. As imposing as it was, Ankylosaurus was powered by an unusually small brain-which was about the same walnut-like size as that of its close cousin Stegosaurus, long considered to be the most dim-witted of all the dinosaurs. When fully grown, an adult Ankylosaurus weighed as much as three or four tons and was built close to the ground, with a low center of gravity. Even a desperately hungry T-Rex (which weighed more than twice as much) would have found it nearly impossible to tip over a full-grown Ankylosaurus and take a bite out of its soft belly--which is why late Cretaceous theropods preferred to prey on less-well-defended Ankylosaurus hatchlings and juveniles. The near-impenetrable armor of Ankylosaurus, combined with its presumed cold-blooded metabolism, enabled it to weather the K/T Extinction Event better than most dinosaurs. Even still, scattered Ankylosaurus populations slowly but surely died out 65 million years ago, doomed by the disappearance of the trees and ferns they were accustomed to munching on as vast clouds of dust circled the earth in the wake of the Yucatan meteor impact.
We make no representations as to the accuracy of the figures attached to the Geocache. Obviously dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years and the descriptions included are based upon research of paleontologists and other scientists much more learned than El Fartero & La Vaca Verde.
"Walking with Dinosaurs" is a Reptilia-themed power trail consisting of 25 traditonal microcaches hosting their featured dinosaur, and 2 large, well-stocked ammocans you'll have to answer some questions to find. It extends for a total of 4 miles north from Hubbel Corners toward Grand Gorge on the lovely, but lesser known Southern portion of the Stamford Rail Trail. The trail is mostly flat, wide and level, and other than a few sections that can get watery, it is dog, stroller and bike friendly. Most of the caches are winter-friendly, but a few are not, so check the attributes if there's deep snow. We recommend doing it over two days for a more enjoyable, leisurly experience, but more ambitious cachers (or First-to-Find maniacs!) can start early and do it in one. We have tried to provide good coordinates and helpful hints to give you a rewarding caching experience.
Parking is available at the South end of the trail at N42 18.165 W74 33.256, or at the North end at N42 21.238 W74 31.250