8 Stegosaurus Facts for Kids

1. Stegosaurus is an interesting name for an interesting member of the Jurassic Period. The word Stegosaurus perfectly sums up what this dinosaur was. The word Stegosaurus means “plated lizard”. It was named in 1877 when the fossils were found for this giant lizard.

2. It was a herbivore and likely fed on ferns, plants and other vegetation. It was likely 9 feet tall, 30 feet long and weighed about the same as a bus or two at about 7,000 pounds. Fossils have been found in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado with the first discovery made in 1876,

3. Since that first discovery many fossils have been found that indicates this was a very prolific dinosaur however no fossils were ever found outside the three states mentioned about which only adds to the dinosaur mystery.

4. From the fossils and there location there are a quite a few things that can be determined. The population was likely concentrated in North America.

5. It had 17 plates made of bone that were embedded in the back of its neck. This was to keep the predators off their neck. The plates alternated down its back. The tail of the stegosaurus was covered in bony spikes this was also a defense against predators. These plates and spikes must have made it difficult to make a meal out of them. Some of the plates were two feet tall and just as wide.

6. All indications point to the idea that this was not the smartest animal to walk the earth. Its body was the size of a bus or three and its head was the size of a modern day horses head but its brain was only about the size of a walnut according to its skull size. This walnut size brain likely contained enough power to just get the stegosaurus going each day.

7. Luckily it had all that “armor” to protect it because it likely was not smart enough to get out of the way. Since the stegosaurus was a herbivore its teeth were flat and smooth which was great for grinding but not really so good for defense.

Where Did They Go?

8. The question always has to be asked when you are talking about dinosaurs. What happened to the stegosaurus? The answer is always the same when you are talking about dinosaurs. No one really knows. Was it something instant and unexpected or did they simply just die off? Theories abound but the answer still remains the same.