What is a thunder lizard?

"Thunder lizard" is a colloquial name for the dinosaur genus Brontosaurus (or Apatosaurus). When translated from Greek, the word "brontosaurus" means "thunder lizard" in English. The Brontosaurus lived during the Jurassic Period and was one of the largest animals to have ever lived.

Aside from its sheer size, distinctive features of the Brontosaurus include its very long tail and neck and relatively small skull. Its habitat was the Morrison Basin, which stretches from Alberta to New Mexico. Brontosauruses were thought to be herbivores due to their features and must have had to eat almost constantly to sustain their significant body weight from plants alone.