Stegosaurus Facts

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See also:

• Tyrannosaurus Rex Facts
• Megalodon Facts
• Spinosaurus Facts
• Parasaurolophus Facts
• Allosaurus Facts

Below are some of the facts about Stegosaurus:

• Stegosaurus is a dinosaur that is most famous for its looks. They had plates on their back and had a tail.
• Their name Stegosaurus is derived from a Greek word that means “roof lizard.” Paleontologist thought at first that the plates were like a shell that covered their body and thus named it roofed lizard.
• They lived in the Jurassic period in Europe and the western parts of North America. They had been on earth before 150 to 155 million years ago.
• In 1876, the first fossil of Stegosaurus was found in Colorado, USA. After that more than 80 fossils of the animal are found at different parts of America and Europe, mainly Portugal.
• The main habitat of the animal was semi-arid regions or the flat floodplains.
• The Stegosaurus were heavily built dinosaurs and were about 30 feet long and 14 feet height.
• Even though they were heavily built but they had brain that was of the size of a dog’s brain.
• Stegosaurus have unique look. They had narrow pointed skull and a short neck. However, their body was large with thick neck and a long tail. The front legs were shorter compared to their hind legs.
• With their plates on their back the Stegosaurus had a unique look. They had two rows of 17 plates on their back. Apart from this, they had long spikes on their tails too.
• The bony plates were part of the skin and were not directly attached with the skeleton of the animal. The largest plates may have been 2 feet wide and 2 feet in length.
• The bony plates on the body of the Stegosaurus was filled with blood vessels that suggested that it must have been used for regulating the temperature of the body of the animal.
• According to some other scientists it is also believed that the plates may have been used during the mating seasons for calling partners.
• With their two pairs of spikes on their tails the Stegosaurus defensed themselves when they were attacked. The condition of many spikes were very poor in the fossils found.
• The Ceratosaurus and the Allosaurus were the natural enemy of the animal.
• With their heavy legs it was not possible for them to move very fast. They could travel at a speed of 5 miles per hours.
• They mainly traveled in herds.
• The mouth of a stegosaurus had rounded, small, peg-like teeth and they had weak bite. They were mainly herbivores and ate soft plats and low lying bushes.