Discover 12 Modern-Day Creatures That Resemble Dinosaurs, and 1 Hollywood Myth

Nowadays, dinosaurs are widely portrayed as animated, fictional characters in books and movies! In reality, these reptiles appeared on Earth between 230–245 million years ago, depending on which fossils you consider “true dinosaurs”. After the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event, competing reptile groups were wiped out, leading dinosaurs to become the dominant terrestrial vertebrates.

If you’re wondering whether there’s a modern-day animal that looks like a dinosaur, we’ll tell you there are more! Keep reading to learn about living animals that resemble various dinosaurs!

This post was updated on September 30, 2025 to clarify resemblance vs. evolutionary relationship, the anatomy of Dilophosaurus, Ceratopsians’ rigid bony frills, and how lizard crests differ from dinosaur crests.

1. Green Basilisk

Green Basilisk
Scientific name	Basiliscus plumifrons
Animal type	Reptile
Other common names	Plumed basilisk, double-crested basilisk, Jesus Christ lizard
Native to	Central America
Resembling dinosaur	Parasaurolophus

Green basilisks are native to southern Mexico and northern Colombia. They have bright green bodies and black and white streaks along their backs and necks. Male green basilisks have a crest on their backs and tails, while females have a smaller crest on their heads. Green basilisks are so fast that they can run across water when fleeing predators, earning them the nickname Jesus Christ lizard!

Their crests resemble those of the dinosaurs in the Parasaurolophus genus, whose name means “near crested lizard.” These herbivorous dinosaurs lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous Period, roughly 76.5 – 73 million years ago. However, the Parasaurolophus‘s crest was a hollow, elongated tube connected to its nasal passages, while the basilisk’s crest is only on the surface.

2. Emu

Emu
Scientific name	Dromaius novaehollandiae
Animal type	Bird
Unique feature	Three toes on each leg
Native to	Australia
Resembling dinosaur	Theropods

Emus are also prehistoric animals! Did you notice that their body structure resembles that of a dinosaur? While they’re much smaller than dinosaurs, emus have long necks and legs that help these flightless birds reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour!

Theropoda is one of the three major clades of dinosaur. Emus, ostriches, and chickens are direct descendants within the theropod lineage. Their feet are similar extinct Theropods, featuring only three toes. Their behavior is an excellent indicator of how dinosaurs lived.

3. Caiman Lizard

Caiman Lizard
Scientific name	Dracaena (genus)
Animal type	Reptile
Other common names	Water tegus
Distribution	South America

There are two extant caiman lizard species: 

• Dracaena guianensis, called the Guyana caiman lizard or the northern caiman lizard
• Dracaena paraguayensis, called the Paraguayan caiman lizard

These reptiles have large bodies, short, powerful limbs, and red-orangish bulky heads. They have muscular jaws used to eat snails and crawfish, and their long tails facilitate diving and swimming. Caiman lizards can grow as large as 4 feet and weigh as much as 10 pounds! 

Though classified in the Teiidae family (closer to tegus), Caimans resemble archosaurs in appearance, except that they’re much smaller!

4. Eastern Long-Necked Turtle

Eastern Long-Necked Turtle
Scientific name	Chelodina longicollis
Animal type	Reptile
Unique feature	Bends its head sideways into its shell, unlike other turtles that pull it back
Native to	Southeastern Australia
Resembling dinosaur	Sauropods, including Brachiosaurus

These turtles are reminiscent of dinosaurs like the Brachiosaurus due to their long necks and the way they maneuver them. Sauropods like the Brachiosaurus are well-known for their outstretched necks and small heads, similar to those of eastern long-necked turtles. Of course, turtle’s necks don’t quite reach the extraordinary length of 49 feet! In this case, the comparison is purely based on appearance, not evolutionary relationship.

These turtles usually have broad, flattened, black, or brown carapaces. Their long necks are gray to black dorsally and creamy on the underside, and they’re almost as narrow as their heads.

5. Mata Mata Turtle

Mata Mata Turtle
Scientific name	Chelus fimbriata
Animal type	Reptile
Other common names	Mata mata, matamata, mata-mata
Distribution	South America; is found primarily in the Amazon and Orinoco basins.

The mata mata might be the ultimate prehistoric-looking turtle species. Unlike the eastern long-necked, mata mata has a triangular, flattened head with flaps of skin and tubercles. Moreover, it has a horn on its tubular snout, three barbels on the chin, and four on the upper jaw. While mata matas are small, measuring roughly 37 inches long, they’re pretty heavy, reaching 46 pounds!

Despite the fact that turtles diverged from the dinosaur lineage long before dinosaurs evolved, a single look at the mata mata turtle might make you believe you’ve time traveled right back to the Jurassic Age.

6. Rhinoceros Iguana

Rhinoceros Iguana
Scientific name	Cyclura cornuta
Animal type	Reptile
Unique feature	Bony-plated pseudo-horn on its snout
Native to	The Caribbean
Resembling dinosaurs	Ceratosaurs, hadrosaur

Their appearance gives them a prehistoric look! Rhinoceros iguanas have four legs, large and heavy heads, and vertically flattened tails. Moreover, rhino iguanas have pointed horned scales running along their backs, from the necks to the end of their tails. Besides, they have prominent tubercles on their snouts.

Ceratosaurs, for example, had a horn located behind the bony nostrils, almost like rhino iguanas. Besides this, rhinoceros iguanas have things in common with hadrosaurs and the dinosaurs in the Carnotaurus genus, too, as scientists believe these two types of dinosaurs were scaled, not feathered.

7. Caiman

Caiman
Scientific name	Caimaninae (subfamily)
Animal type	Reptile; alligatorid
Other common names	Cayman
Distribution	Mexico, Central, and South America

Caimans belong to the Alligatoridae family. They are scaly reptiles that grow up to 6.6 – 8.2 feet long. These reptiles can be distinguished from their closest relatives, alligators, through several traits: caimans don’t have the bony septum between nostrils; they have longer, sharper teeth and are more agile.

As crocodilians, caimans belong to the archosaur lineage — the same broader group that includes both dinosaurs and birds. This makes them among the closest living relatives of dinosaurs. Their lineage diverged from dinosaurs over 200 million years ago, but their armored bodies and ancient ancestry give them a distinctly prehistoric appearance.

8. Crocodile Skink

Crocodile Skink
Scientific name	Tribolonotus gracilis
Animal type	Reptile
Other common names	Red-eyed crocodile skink
Native to	New Guinea
Resembling dinosaur	Stegosaurus

Red-eyed crocodile skinks are lizards in the Scincidae family and are among the only ones in their category to vocalize when threatened. Moreover, they exhibit a unique feature of playing dead when startled. These reptiles can even be kept as pets – so if you want a ‘mini dinosaur’, check out the red-eyed crocodile skink!

Crocodile skinks have small “plates” on their backs resembling the plates of the dinosaurs in the Stegosaurus genus, which had broad, upright plates and spiked tails. Though similar in appearance, Stegosaurus plates were unique vascularized structures, not scales like those of the red-eyed crocodile skink.

9. Hornbill

Hornbill
Scientific name	Bucerotidae (family)
Animal type	Bird
Unique feature	Long, down-curved bill
Distribution	Tropical and subtropical Africa, Melanesia, and Asia
Resembling dinosaur	Pterosaur

Hornbills form the Bucerotidae family of tropical and subtropical birds that, in turn, consists of around 55 species. They have black, white, brown, or gray plumage. Their brightly colored, long, down-curved bills distinguish them from other birds.

Their appearance — particularly the large beak and casque — gives them a prehistoric look. They are birds, and all birds are direct descendants of theropod dinosaurs.

Many also think these birds resemble pterosaurs – flying reptiles that went extinct around 66 million years ago. However, despite what many non-dinosaur- experts believe, pterosaurs aren’t classified as dinosaurs!

10. Armadillo

Armadillo
Scientific name	Cingulata (order)
Animal type	Mammal
Unique feature	Leathery armor shell, long claws used for digging
Native to	South America
Resembling dinosaur	Aetosaur

Armadillos are small animals, usually reaching lengths of only 30 inches. However, certain species, like the giant armadillo, can weigh as much as 119 pounds!

The iconic armadillo “armor” is indicative of dinosaurs with armored shells, most notably the heavily armored Ankylosaurs. Ankylosaurus, Euoplocephalus, and Edmontonia were all covered in bony plates called osteoderms, similar to armadillo shells. 

11. Sailfin Lizard

Sailfin Lizard
Scientific name	Hydrosaurus (genus)
Animal type	Reptile
Other common names	Sailfin dragon
Native to	Indonesia, Philippines
Resembling dinosaur	Spinosaurus

There are five sailfin lizard species: 

• Hydrosaurus amboinensis
• Hydrosaurus celebensis
• Hydrosaurus microlophus
• Hydrosaurus pustulatus
• Hydrosaurus weberi

These threatened lizards have a unique, dinosaur look! The fan-like sail on male lizards makes them similar to the dinosaurs in the Spinosaurus genus. These dinosaurs had tall neural spines that grew on the back vertebrae. However, Spinosaurus’ sail was a skeletal neural spine structure, not a soft tissue crest like in sailfin lizards.

12. Frilled Lizard

Frilled Lizard
Scientific name	Chlamydosaurus kingii
Animal type	Reptile
Other common names	Frilled agama, frilled dragon
Native to	northern Australia and southern New Guinea
Resembling dinosaur	Triceratops, Styracosausus, and Protoceratops

The frilled lizard, known as the frill-necked lizard, is a large lizard in the Agamidae family. It can reach lengths of up to 2.79 feet! It’s brown or gray and has darker spots that make it look like tree bark. The ruff of skin folded back against the lizards’ necks and heads is called the neck frill. It is red, yellow, orange, or white.

Most of us remember the Dilophosaurus dinosaurs featured in the blockbuster Jurassic Park. One of the most memorable scenes features dozens of these agile critters assaulting Dennis (Wayne Knight). As they spray a toxic substance, their neck frills flare outward in an intimidating manner. Despite this iconic moment in film history, no Dilophosaurus have been found to have neck frills! This was simply a cinematic fabrication. (They also did not spew venom or hunt in packs!)

Despite the Hollywood-instigated confusion, some dinosaurs, like the Triceratops, Styracosausus, and Protoceratops did feature neck frills. However, these bony frills were rigid skull extensions, not expandable skin frills like the modern frilled lizard.

Summary of 12 Modern-Day Animals That Look Like Dinosaurs

Number	Animal
1	Green Basilisk
2	Emu
3	Caiman Lizard
4	Eastern Long-Necked Turtle
5	Mata Mata Turtle
6	Rhinoceros Iguana
7	Caiman
8	Crocodile Skink
9	Hornbill
10	Frilled Lizard
11	Armadillo
12	Sailfin Lizard