The Triceratops was a rhinoceros-like dinosaur. It had four sturdy legs, they were column like with hoof-like claws. However, was a very slow walking dinosaur. It had a large bony plates projecting from the back of its skull called a frill. Its bony neck frill was rimmed with bony bumps. It had 3 horns on its face, one was short and was just above its parrot-like beak. The other two were above its eyes. It had one of the largest land skulls ever found. The skull could be up to 10 feet long, and e as big as 1/3 of its body length. It had many cheek teeth, and powerful jaws.

The Triceratops had a short pointed tail, this was probably used to help protect itself from preditors. It also had a very bulky body, and could weigh 6 to 12 tons. It could be 10 feet tall and 30 feet long. Triceratops were hatched from eggs, and may have been a herding animal. There were bone beds found, or large deposits of bones in the same area of the same species. They may have also cared for their young.

The Triceratops lived in the Cretacious Period, about 72-65 Million years ago. This was known as the Age of the Reptiles.

Triceratops are from the Ornithiochian Class. Their Suborder was Marginocephalia, and the Family was Ceratopsins.

Their ceratopsian (who intellegence was measured by its relative brain to body weight or EQ) was intermediate among the dinosaurs.

There has been disagreements as to the number of species of Triceratops. All agree on Triceratops horridus. But others believe there may be two or more of these diffent species:

• prorus
• albertensis
• ingens
• alticornis
• and there may be others

The first skull of a Triceratops was found in 1888 by John Bell Hatcher. Othniel Marsh named this dinosaur after he found a fossil near Denver, Colorado, USA. Triceratops have been found mostly in Canada and Western United States.

Our Triceratops Activities

• Triceratops Dinosaur Math Puzzle
• Triceratops Crossword Puzzle

Other Triceratops Links

• Triceratops at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis
• Museum of Victoria Melbourne, AU.
• Triceratops at the St Louis Science Center in Missouri, USA

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