Although most ankylosaurs are recognized by their large tail clubs, the armored Polacanthus lacked one. Instead, it was covered in spikes, which were nearly impenatrable, and warded off predators that could end up injuring or killing them. If you were to travel back to Polacanthus' time, you may have found them traveling alongside large herds of Iguanodon, as there was safety in numbers, even if you were a living suit of armor.

Basic info

Meaning of name: Polacanthus means "many thorns".

Time of existence: Polacanthus lived in the early to late Cretaceous, 140.2 million to 99.6 million years ago.

Diet: Polacanthus fed upon plants in the Cretaceous, feeding on shrubs, bushes, and low hanging trees.

Threats: While Polacanthus was mostly safe due to its armor, predators could still take advantage of its vulnerable underbelly, with dromaeosaurs and Megalosaurs most likely being the biggest danger to Polacanthus.

Size: Polacanthus grew to 16 feet long.

Attributes: Polacanthus possibly traveled alongside herds of Iguanodon as a safety precaution. However, the only truly noteable attribute of Polacanthus was its insanely strong armor, which was obviously used as protection against predators.

A young Iguanodon encounters a Polacanthus

Appearances in the Walking with... series

Walking with Dinosaurs

Episode 4-Giant of the Skies

Polacanthus first appears when the Ornithocheirus arrives in North America, where it is seen from the air walking with an Iguanodon herd. It can briefly be seen when we see the herd on the ground, ambling alongside them. Shortly after, two young Iguanodon are seen harassing the ankylosaur, who growls in annoyance at them. As the herd moves on, the Polacanthus follows them slowly.

Two young Iguanodon play around a Polacanthus

Later after a large rain storm has passed, the Ornithocheirus flies over a small section of beach, where a Polacanthus is seen standing before being slightly startled by the giant.

A Polacanthus on a beach

Later, when the Ornithocheirus arrives in Europe, another herd of Iguanodon is present, once again accompanied by a Polacanthus. It is once again first seen from the air, standing at the side and watching the herd. It then roars at the herd as they pass, before re-joining up with them and ambling next to them in the middle of the herd. Later, after a failed Utahraptor attack, the Polacanthus walks past the camera, and looks into it while searching for food. As the herd moves to a lake, the Polacanthus decides to feed on some conifers, lagging behind. A Utahraptor walks towards the Polacanthus, hissing, and the ankylosaur gets into defensive position, showing its spikes as the Utahraptor leaves. The Polacanthus is not seen for the remainder of the episode.