Stegosaurus

Stegosaurus

Name Means: Plated Lizard

Length: 30 feet (9 meters)

Weight: 5.5 tons (5,000 Kg)

Diet: Herbivore

When: Late Jurassic

Where: Colorado, the western U.S., and parts of Europe

Threats: Allosaurus and possibly Ceratosaurus

Basic Info: This has been my favorite herbivore ever since I saw it, and a lot of other peoples' favorites. The plates on it's back were probably used for cooling the Stegosaur off. It could have also been used for defense, flushing it's plates with blood to make itself seem more frightening. It could have also been used during the mating season to attract mates. It's brain was the size of a walnut... Well at least one of them is... There is a section in the hip region of the spinal chord that may have actually been used for a second brain! If there was a second brain in it's hip it would have probably only been used for controlling reflexes in the rear part of the body. There is now doubt what the tail spikes were used for... Defense. The Stegosaur, when alarmed, would turn sideways and swing it's tail at whatever would try to attack it. The Pangaea theory was virtually proven when the same exact genus of Stegosaur was found in Europe and North America.