Styracosaurus, << sty RAK uh sawr uhs, >> was a horned dinosaur known for the giant spikes at the back of its skull. Its name means spiked lizard.
Styracosaurus had a bulky body with a short, pointed tail. The dinosaur measured about 18 feet (5.5 meters) long and weighed 2 to 3 tons (1.8 to 2.7 metric tons). It traveled on four short legs, and it probably could not run faster than about 14 miles (22 kilometers) per hour.
Styracosaurus had a remarkable head. At the back of its skull, a bony frill resembling a thin, oval shelf extended backward and upward. A number of long, tapering spikes spread out like a fan from the edge of the frill. Some of these spikes grew up to 2 feet (0.6 meter) long. Styracosaurus also had a nose horn about 2 feet (0.6 meter) long and two smaller horns above its eyes. It probably used its spikes and horns to defend itself or to attract mates. The animal ate fibrous plants using its parrotlike beak and the many cheek teeth in the sides of its jaws.
Styracosaurus lived about 77 million to 70 million years ago, during the Cretaceous Period. It inhabited what is now western North America. Fossils indicate that the animal may have gathered in herds. It also may have cared for its young, unlike dinosaurs that left their young to fend for themselves.
