
Dinosaur profile
Triceratops
Triceratops horridus
Pronunciation
tri-SERRA-tops
three-horned face
Ceratopsian
9m
Late Cretaceous
67 - 65 million years ago
USA
DietHerbivore
About Triceratops
Triceratops is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsid dinosaur that lived during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period, about 68 to 66 million years ago. It is one of the most well-known dinosaurs, and its distinctive three horns and bony frill have made it a popular subject in pop culture. Triceratops was a large dinosaur, measuring up to 26 feet (8 meters) in length and weighing up to 12 tons. It had a large, triangular head with three horns on the forehead and a bony frill at the back of its skull. The frill was adorned with a series of large, triangular scales. Triceratops had a short, thick neck and a sturdy, muscular body with four sturdy legs and large hooves. Its diet likely consisted of low-lying plants, and it may have used its horns and frill for defense against predators. Triceratops is thought to have lived in herds and may have engaged in social behavior, such as courtship displays and territorial behavior. It was one of the last non-avian dinosaurs to evolve, and it went extinct along with many other species at the end of the Cretaceous Period.
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