Suaropelta was a large, long-tailed. North Americans nodosaurid. Thanks to a well-preserved specimen that includes a near-complete skull, its anatomy is reasonably well known. Sauropelta had more teeth in its lower jaw than most other nodosaurids. The back of the skull was much broader than the snout, and the top of the skull was flat. The upper surfaces of its body and tail were covered in oval bone plates that formed a continuous armor covering. The name Sauropelta means "shield lizard". Long conical spikes projected upwards and sideways from its neck and shoulders. Its relatively long tail was made up of more than 40 vertebrate.