Triceratops (name meaning "Three-Horned Face"), often called Trike for short, is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now North America. The largest and best-known ceratopsian dinosaur, Triceratops is also one of the world's most recognizable dinosaurs due to its large frill and impressive set of three horns.
Thought to have been extinct for 65 million years, there are still herds that remain alive on Primeval Island.
Facts[]
Era & Region[]
Described as the apex vegetarian of its time, Triceratops lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous period, around 86 million years ago, and died out with all the other dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous, as it was one of the last dinosaurs to go extinct, around 65 million years ago. They lived alongside dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus, Struthiomimus, Parasaurolophus, Corythosaurus, Ankylosaurus, and Pteranodon.
Discovery & Range[]
When the fossils of Triceratops were first discovered in Colorado, North America in 1889, John Bell Hatcher and Othniel Charles Marsh named the dinosaur "Triceratops horridus", which, as it turns out, means "Horrid Three-Horned Face." Since their discovery, Triceratops is thus far the largest ceratopsian discovered and among the world's most famous dinosaurs.
Physical Description[]
Thus far the largest member of the ceratopsian family of dinosaurs ever discovered, Triceratops was a large, heavyset quadruped dinosaur, with a fully grown adult measuring roughly 30 – 33 feet (9 – 10 m) long, standing around 10 feet (3 m) tall, weighing as much as 8 – 12 t (17,000 – 26,000 lbs.), and having a skull up to 9 – 11 feet (2.8 – 3.5 m) in length.
If a human was ever unfortunate enough to stand in the way of a charging Triceratops, it would be comparable to being hit by a train moving 10 – 15 mph (16 – 24 km/h). Bearing a large bony frill and three horns on its large four-legged body (two long, sharp horns above its eyes and a smaller horn on its nose), and conjuring similarities with the modern rhinoceros, Triceratops is one of the most recognizable of all dinosaurs and the best-known ceratopsid. A fully grown Triceratops was far from defenseless, as their frill was made of solid bone.
Unlike most of its relatives, Triceratops lacked the two holes that are covered with skin on its bony frill, allowing it to use it as a shield to its neck as well as using it for display. The front end of its jaws ended in a sort of a beak that enabled the dinosaur to snap branches as thick as a man's arm as well as browse the fronds and twigs of the woody plants that were contemporary to the end of the Cretaceous. Its limbs were thick and the hind legs were somewhat longer than the fore, which had a digitigrade posture, i.e. the weight was distributed to its toes, rather than the whole foot.
Behavior & Traits[]
Like many herbivores and other members of the ceratopsian family, Triceratops lived and traveled in large herds of hundreds or even thousands of individuals filling up the plains in North America like modern-day bison used to do.
While adult Triceratops were able to stand against giant theropods, even ones like Tyrannosaurus, younger Triceratops knew better than to stand their ground. For youngsters to grow to 8 tons, they spent most of their lives feeding. Whenever Triceratops fed, these weren't grazing animals like cows. Instead, they were browsers like black rhinos. As such, Triceratops feed on low trees and shrubs.
Another part of their lives was jousting with one another, which is what Triceratops did in the wild. Like most, if not, all other members of the ceratopsian family, Triceratops had jousting tournaments in nature during times like mating season (when males fought over females), when two males were fighting for dominance, or when juveniles jousted for fun, injuring their frill and neck. But regardless of how they lived, fought, and protected themselves, Triceratops was a magnificent dinosaur.
Despite their fearsome appearance, Triceratops was, in fact, a gentle and inoffensive giant vegetarian that would only attack if they felt threatened or challenged. It also instinctively disliked the color red and was easily aggravated by the sight of it into charging.
Trivia[]
- The sound effects of the Triceratops are that of elephant, cattle, and other dinosaur sound effects.
Gallery[]
Cera the baby female Triceratops.