Stegosaurus Size report
Stegosaurus is a huge herbivorous dinosaur that lived in the late Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago. It has a row of huge bony plates on its back and a dangerous tail with four spikes to defend against predators; then it got its name. The word Stegosaurus means "roofed lizard." They live on the plains and together with other herbivores, such as Diplodocus, in a nomadic manner.
Stegosaurus is one of the most recognizable members of dinosaurs in prehistoric lore because of the distinctive plates on their backs, called "thagomizers." Stegosaurus fossils have been found in western North America and Europe. It was first named and discovered in 1877 by Othniel Charles Marsh.
Many museums have displayed models or fossils of Stegosaurus, such as the American Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. It has also been featured in popular games and movies such as Jurassic Park III, Age Of Empires II, Godzilla: Final Wars, and Walking With Dinosaurs 3D. The following post will let you know more about this recognizable prehistoric creature.
Stegosaurus Size And Appearance
Stegosaurus is the large and most famous armored dinosaur in the Jurassic period. The biggest appearance feature is a whole row of triangular bone plates on the back and four spikes on the tail. Stegosaurus is a typical herbivorous dinosaur with a toothless beak but some small teeth on both sides of the mouth. The large Stegosaurus had a very small head, and its brain was even smaller than that of a puppy, so scientists thought they were a stupid animal. Stegosaurus walked on all fours with its back arched while held its tail in the air. Their front legs were shorter than their hind legs; the front legs had five toes, while the hind legs had three.
Average Size of Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus was about the size of a bus, had an overall length of about 6-10 meters, and an average standing height of about 3.5-5 meters. Its average weight is about 3,100-3,800 kg. Stegosaurus is known for the distinctive upright kite-shaped armor on their backs and tail with spikes. These plates can grow as large as 0.6 meters, and the spikes on its tail are about 0.5-1 meter long, which can be used as a weapon for defense. The typical lifespan of the Stegosaurus was between 75-100 years.
Quick Facts | |
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Type: | armoured dinosaur |
Diet: | herbivorous |
How it move: | 4 legs |
When it lived: | Late Jurassic Period |
Height | 3.5-5 m |
Overall Length | 6-10 m |
Weight | 3,100-3,800 kg |
Lifespan | 75-100 years |
Final Words
A large, slow-moving dinosaur, Stegosaurus, would have defended itself from predators like Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus with its powerful spiked tail. Stegosaurus footprint fossils found in Colorado show that they lived in groups. The short neck, small head, and shape of forelimbs suggest it ate shrubs or low-lying plant matter. Paleontologists are still studying the plate structure of its back, composed of 17 separate plates, and the role of the tail spikes.