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Doedicurus

Walking with Beasts Exhibition

Find out more about the Walking With Beasts exhibition that was held at The Horniman Museum in London in 2007.
Doedicurus

Doedicurus

© Walking with Beasts TM & © BBC 2001
Meaning: Pestle tail
Pronunciation: Dee-Dik-Yoo-Russ
Time Range: 2 million – 15,000 years ago
Dietary Type: Herbivorous
Size and weight: 4 meters long, 1.5 tonnes
Closest living relative: Armadillo

Looks like an armadillo but is the size of a small car. The most heavily armored animal ever – you'd be lucky to dent it with a sledge hammer. Its tail is a vicious weapon, a giant spiked club of solid bone used for clobbering predators or each other – which comes in handy during the mating season.

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