CretaceousHerbivoreLarge

Triceratops

try-SAIR-uh-tops

"Three-horned face"

Overview

Triceratops was a massive ceratopsian herbivore and one of the last non-avian dinosaurs. Its enormous frill and three formidable horns made it one of the most recognizable dinosaurs, and likely a formidable adversary even for Tyrannosaurus rex.

Vital Statistics

Length

9 m

Height

3 m

Weight

6 t

Est. Speed

24 km/h

Discovered

1889

Named by

Othniel Charles Marsh

Countries Discovered

United StatesCanada

Fossil Locations

🦴

📍 Hell Creek, Montana📍 Badlands, South Dakota

Interesting Facts

Triceratops is the most common dinosaur found in the Hell Creek Formation.

Its skull could reach over 2.5 meters long — one of the largest of any land animal.

Fossil evidence shows Triceratops and T. rex engaged in violent combat, with bite marks matching tyrannosaur teeth.

The frill may have served for thermoregulation, display, and defense.

Closest Relatives

StyracosaurusProtoceratopsTorosaurusCentrosaurus