Triceratops << try SEHR uh tops >> was a large, horned, plant-eating dinosaur that lived about 65 million years ago in what is now western North America. The name Triceratops means three-horned face. The dinosaur had two horns over its eyes and one horn on its nose. Triceratops was about 25 feet (7.6 meters) long, stood about 91/2 feet (2.9 meters) tall at the hips, and weighed about 8 tons (7.3 metric tons).
Triceratops had an enormous head that could grow as long as 7 feet (2.1 meters). At the front was a powerful, turtlelike beak that Triceratops used to pull and clip tough plants. The horn on top of the nose was short and thick. The two horns over the eyes were sharp, and they could grow up to 3 feet (0.9 meter) long. A frill (bony shield) extended from the back of the skull and protected the neck. Unlike the frill of most horned dinosaurs, the frill of Triceratops was a solid sheet of bone, with no openings to lighten it.
Thick, strong legs supported the dinosaur’s heavy body. Triceratops had a short, heavy tail, which it may have held straight out or dragged on the ground.
With its long horns, bony frill, and large size, Triceratops could protect itself well against meat-eating dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus. The ability to defend itself and to eat a variety of tough plants made Triceratops one of the most common plant-eating dinosaurs. These huge reptiles may have roamed in great herds across western North America. Some evidence suggests that Triceratops and a similar dinosaur, called Torosaurus, may actually be the same species. But other evidence suggests they are two distinct creatures.
