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The Triceratops lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 65 million years ago. Probably the largest and the most famous of the great horned dinosaurs. The Triceratops was up to 30 feet long, stood 10 feet tall. Triceratops was one of the last surviving dinosaurs of the Age of Reptiles.

This group has been found in the fossil record in greater abundance than all the other varieties. A full grown Triceratops is estimated to have weighed 11 tons, heavier than a modern African bull elephant. Its skull was 6.5 feet long with a pair of brow horns that exceeded 3 feet in length.

The name triceratops literally means "Three horned face. These animals are characterized by three horns on the front of the skull: two massive brow horns located just above the eyes and a smaller nasal horn right above the snout. Triceratops also had a large frill on the back of the skull.

The first fossil of a triceratops was found near Denver, Colorado in 1889. Since then fossils have been found in much of the Northwestern United States including Wyoming and Montana as well as parts of Southwest Canada. Most likely they moved around in herds seeking the best vegetation to support their huge appetites. Triceratops remains one of the most fascinating and popular dinosaurs ever discovered.

The Triceratops were herbivores,which means they were plant-eaters. It ate ever-green trees, and fern-like and flowering plants.

Characteristics

• Name:Triceratops ("three horns face")
• Type Species:T. horridus
• Length:26-33 feet (8-10 meters)
• Weight:5-11 tons
• Time:72-65 million years ago (Late Cretaceous)
• Teeth:52 chisel-like teeth
• Diet:Plant-eater (herbivore)
• How it walked:Walked on four legs, front legs longer than back legs
• Period:Cretaceous