Stegosaurus
The stegosaurus was one of a family of massive armored
dinosaurs that lived 170 million years ago.
If it was attacked, it lashed out a defense with its sharply spiked tail.
HABITS
The stegosaurus lived 170 million years ago and inhabited
a landmass that is now North America. At that time, the
continent had a warm, almost tropical, climate that was
ideally suited for a plant eater like the stegosaurus.
The vegetation was similar to that found in tropical forests today,
although many modern-day plants had not yet evolved. Sprawling,
palm-like plants called cycads were common, along
with ferns and conifers.
BREEDING
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Although the information regarding the stegosaurus's
breeding habits is not complete, scientists are continually making new discoveries.
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It is known that many dinosaurs, including the stegosaurus,
laid clutches of relatively small eggs in shallow holes
scraped in the ground. They may have been covered with sand
and left to hatch in the warmth of the sun.
Once the eggs hatched, the young would have grown quickly
as some measure of protection from predators. The
young would have been further protected by remaining in the
middle of the herd.
As an animal that lived in herds, the stegosaurus probably
would have fought to establish breeding rights and herd leadership.
As a plant eater, the stegosaurus was most likely not a vicious fighter,
but rather used scare tactics to assert dominance.
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FEEDING
The stegosaurus was completely herbivorous. During the
period in which it lived, a subtropical climate provided
a plentiful amount of lush vegetation on which to feed.
Study of fossilized skeletons has shown that the stegosaurus
probably had strong back muscles that were linked to its hips
and tail. These muscles enabled it to lift its forelegs off
the ground and stand on its hind legs so that it could feed
from branches.
Still, its teeth were not well adapted to eating vegetation,
and it most likely had to swallow stones to grind up and
digest tough plant fibers.
PREDATORS
As a non-aggressive plant eater, the stegosaurus often fell
pray to more violent, meat-eating dinosaurs.
The stegosaurus was slow moving and vulnerable to attack.
Since it was unable to run quickly to make an escape, it
probably stood its ground and used its spiked tail as a defensive weapon.
The tail spikes were grouped in pairs and were approximately
three feet long. By lashing its tail, the stegosaurus would have
severely injured its attacker with the long spines.
KEY FACTS
Size
Length: Average adult, 20 ft.
Weight:2 tons.
Lifestyle
Habitat: Subtropical.
Diet: Vegetation.
Habit: Lived in herds.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Fossilized remains similar to those of the stegosaurus
have been found in Europe.
- Although it lived during a period of ideal climactic
conditions, the stegosaurus appears to have existed for a relatively
short time, as indicated by geological records.
- Many of today's reptiles look strikingly similar to the dinosaurs.
- The four-inch-long horned lizard of Africa has spines
like those of the stegosaurus's tail around its head and body.
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