Triceratops

Basic Information

Triceratops belongs to a family of dinosaurs called Ceratopsidae, which means “horned faces”!

Triceratops lived during the late Cretaceous period, about 68 to 66 million years ago, right up until the extinction event that ended the age of dinosaurs!

The first Triceratops fossil was discovered in 1887 near Denver, Colorado, by George Lyman Cannon!

A fully grown Triceratops could reach lengths of up to 30 feet (9 meters), about as long as three cars parked end to end!

An adult Triceratops could weigh up to 12,000 pounds (5,400 kilograms), which is about the same as one adult African elephant!

Triceratops was a pure herbivore, meaning it only ate plants.

Scientists have found over 50 complete or partial Triceratops skulls, making it one of the best-understood dinosaurs!

Triceratops shared its habitat with many other dinosaurs, including its famous cousin Torosaurus, which had an even longer frill!

Most Triceratops fossils have been found in what is now the western United States and Canada, particularly in Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Alberta!

Despite its massive size, scientists estimate that Triceratops could run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) when it needed to!

Physical Features

A Triceratops’s skull could be up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) long, almost one-third of its entire body length!

The three horns on a Triceratops’s face were made of keratin, the same material that makes up your fingernails!

The big frill on a Triceratops’s head had blood vessels running through it, which might have helped the dinosaur stay cool in hot weather!

Baby Triceratops were born with small bumps instead of horns, which grew longer as they got older!

Triceratops had between 36 and 40 rows of teeth, with each row containing several teeth stacked together like magazines in a rack!

The beak of a Triceratops was shaped like a giant pair of scissors and was perfect for snipping tough plants!

Scientists have found evidence that Triceratops horns and frills came in different shapes and sizes, just like how people today have different facial features!

A Triceratops’s eyes were positioned on the sides of its head, giving it excellent peripheral vision to watch for danger!

Triceratops had tough, scale-like skin, just like some modern reptiles, which helped protect its body!

Some scientists think Triceratops might have had bristles or quill-like structures on its body, based on impressions found in fossils!

Defense & Hunting

Triceratops used its three sharp horns to defend itself against predators like Tyrannosaurus Rex!

The large frill on a Triceratops’s head acted like a shield, protecting its neck from attacking predators!

Scientists have found Triceratops fossils with healed injuries, showing that they survived attacks from large predators!

A Triceratops could turn quickly despite its size, helping it face predators head-on where its horns were most effective!

Adult Triceratops had few natural predators because of their size and defensive abilities!

Triceratops might have used their horns to wrestle with each other, similar to how modern deer and antelope do!

The bony frill of a Triceratops could be up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) wide, making it an impressive defensive shield!

Scientists have found T. Rex teeth marks on Triceratops bones, proving these two famous dinosaurs really did battle!

Triceratops occasionally traveled in groups, which helped them spot danger and protect each other from predators!

The nose horn of a Triceratops was positioned perfectly for combat with other Triceratops.

Habitat & Environment

Triceratops lived in a warm, subtropical climate with lots of plants and seasonal rainfall!

The world of Triceratops had flowering plants, palm trees, and early versions of many plants we see today!

Triceratops shared its environment with many other plant-eating dinosaurs, including duck-billed hadrosaurs!

The ground where Triceratops lived was often covered in ferns and low-growing plants, perfect for grazing!

Triceratops lived in coastal plains and floodplains, areas with plenty of vegetation for food!

The climate during the time of Triceratops was warmer than today, with no polar ice caps!

Triceratops lived alongside early mammals, which were mostly small and nocturnal!

Discovery & Fossils

The most complete Triceratops skeleton ever found is nicknamed “Lane,” discovered in 2002 near Lusk, Wyoming.

Scientists can tell how old a Triceratops was when it died by studying growth rings in its bones, like tree rings!

The first Triceratops bones were thought to belong to an extinct species of buffalo before scientists realized they were from a dinosaur!

The smallest Triceratops fossil ever found belonged to a baby, about 3 feet (1 meter) long!

A fossil nicknamed “Homer” showed that Triceratops could survive serious injuries, as it had a healed hole in its frill!

A young Triceratops grew very quickly, gaining up to 800 pounds (363 kilograms) per year!

Scientists think Triceratops slept standing up, ready to quickly defend against predators!

Paleontologists use 3D printing to study Triceratops bones without damaging the real fossils!

DNA hasn’t survived in Triceratops fossils, but we learn about them by studying their bones and comparing them to modern animals!

Fun and Unique Facts

Triceratops could rotate its head up and down to better aim its horns at predators!

Triceratops bones have been found with tooth marks from small scavenging dinosaurs!

The frill of a Triceratops was surprisingly thin in some places, like a sheet of plywood!

Some Triceratops fossils show evidence of fighting between members of their own species!