Stegosaurus

• Stegosaurus was the largest of the stegosaurs group.

• Fossils of Stegosaurus were found mainly in present-day Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.

• Stegosaurus, like most of its group, lived toward the end of the Jurassic Period, about 150 mya.

• The mighty Stegosaurus was about 26-29ft (8-9m) long and probably weighed more than 2 tons.

• The most striking feature of Stegosaurus were the large roughly triangular bony plates along its back.

• The name Stegosaurus means "roof reptile." It was given this name because it was first thought that its 32in (80cm) long bony plates lay flat on its back, overlapping slightly like the tiles on a roof.

• It is now thought that the back plates of Stegosaurus stood upright in two long rows.

• The back plates of Stegosaurus may have been for body temperature control, allowing the dinosaur to warm up quickly if it stood sideways to the sun's rays.

• Stegosaurus's back plates may have been covered with brightly colored skin, possibly to intimidate enemies--they were too flimsy for protection.

• Stegosaurus's tail was armed with large spikes, probably for swinging at enemies in self-defense.

By: Parker, Steve, Dinosaurs