This is animal gave its name to an entire family of dinosaur called "bent lizard" (camptosaurids). They are known to have lived more than 140 million years ago, during the late Jurassic period. Camptosaurids had strong back legs with hooves on their feet. This allowed them to run away from trouble quickly. Camptosaurids are named for their thigh bones, which were bent. They would sometimes stand erect and use their long tougues to pull leaves and foliage from shrubs.

Camptosaurus varied in size from 4 feet to nearly 20 feet. It had a small horned beak with which it could cut leaves and thin branches. Like many other dinosaurs, Camptosaurus could breathe while it chewed. This was possible because the passage that led from its stomach was different from the passage that led from its nose to its lungs.

Camptosaurus has been found in Europe and North America. It was an ancestor of the family of Iguanodon. It was more primitive, however, with four toes on each foot and without a spike on its thumb.

Location: USA, England

Diet: Plants (shrubs)

Size: Length 17 feet (5 m)

Classification:

Family- Camptosauridae

Suborder- Ornithopoda

Order- Ornithischia

Time: Late Jurassic