Stegosaurus
What do you already know about this spikey dinosaur?
Can you say...
steg - uh - saw - rus
The name Stegosaurus means ‘roof lizard’.
Stegosaurus lived in the late Jurassic Period. It was a very special looking dinosaur as it had plates all along its back and long spikes at the end of its tail. When the dinosaur was first discovered, the palaeontologist thought its plates would have been flat against it back, a bit like tiles on a roof. This why it was given the name roof lizard. But instead they pointed up.
Stegosaurus had two rows of kite shaped plates along its back, from its neck to its tail. Some of the bigger plates could be about 60 centimetres tall. Scientists are not 100% sure why Stegosaurs had these plates. They were probably for display, but could have also been a bit off putting to predators. The plates were made of bony material, but weren’t solid so might not have been for protection exactly.
On the end of its tail it had 4 spikes, which could have been about 30 centimetres long. They would have used these spikes for defence. It could have swung its tail around to try and scare other dinosaurs away or hit them if they got too close. We know a Stegosaurus used the spikes to protect itself from Allosaurs based on injured Allosaurs fossils that have been found.
Stegosaurus was about 9 metres long from its head to its tail. It stood at about 3 metres tall. It walked on all four legs but its back legs were much longer than its front ones. It probably moved quite slowly. It had a small head and brain so it probably wasn’t the cleverest dinosaur either!
Like most of the other dinosaurs Stegosaurus was also a herbivore and only ate plants. Like a lot of herbivore dinosaurs it is thought that Stegosaurs lived in small groups or herds, although there is not a lot of evidence to go on for that. Fossilised footprints show they did sometimes travel together.
Fossils of Stegosaurus have been found in what is now America and Portugal. Many Stegosaur fossils have been found with lots of the bones missing, but there are some good examples to teach us what it was like. One, called Sophie, is the most complete Stegosaurus ever found and can actually be seen at the Natural History Museum in London.
What we've learnt...
The name Stegosaurus means ‘roof lizard’.
People pronounce its name steg – uh – saw – rus
Stegosaurus lived in the late Jurassic Period at the same time as its main predator Allosaurus.
Stegosaurus had kite shaped plates on its back and spikes on the end of its tail.
Stegosaurus was a gentle dinosaur unless under attack. The spikes on its tail could cause a lot of damage.
The most complete Stegosaurus is at the Natural History Museum.
Test your knowledge...
Stegosaurus Quiz
If you click the correct answer the box will turn green. If its the wrong answer it will turn red and then show you what the correct answer was. Make sure you read/listen to the questions carefully!
#1. How many rows of plates did Stegosaurus have?
#2. When did Stegosaurus live?
#3. How many spikes did Stegosaurus have?
#4. What is the name of the Stegosaurus at the Natural History Museum?
#5. Was Stegosaurs…
Results
I really hope you have enjoyed learning all about Stegosaurus, with me Flash!
Question Time...
Any questions?
Is there anything else you’d like to know? Ask your grown up / teacher to ask me! Your question and my answer could then appear here.
The photos on this page are of dinosaur models and computer generated images. They are used to give you an idea of what the dinosaurs would have looked like, but I can’t guarantee they are 100% accurate!
Creative Commons Images, used with thanks…
Mounted skeleton of Stegosaurus by Susannah Maidment et al. & Natural History Museum, London – CC BY 4.0
Stegosaurus and Allosaurs by Eden, Janine and Jim – CC BY 2.0
Other photos and illustrations on this page are Whizzbots or Public Domain Images.