The family of ankylosaurids are characterised by having a heavily armoured body, from the head right down to the tail. The tail ending in a bony club that could be swung from side to side to defend against attacks. These dinosaurs were herbivours so their armour was their primary form of defence. The head of the dinosaur was as wide as it was long.

The ankylosaurids are very similar to another family of dinosaurs known as the nodosaurids. They are similar in size and shape. The nodosaurids did not have the bony club at the end of the tail, but some had bony spines that stuck out along the flank on the animal.