STYRACOSAURUS
(STY-rak-oh-SAW-rus)

Styracosaurus lived about 80 million years ago. It was a plant-eater with a sharp beak used to snip off the shoots of low-growing plants. Styracosaurus means "Spiked Reptile," which came from the extraordinary spikes that pointed over its back from the crown around its neck.

Styracosaurus was about 18 feet long, as long as a great white shark, and probably stood as tall as a current day elephant. The spikes on its "neck crown" were quite large, but its main defense weapon was the large horn on its nose. This large horn was extremely strong and could easily rip through the unprotected flesh of attacking predators.

Do you think many predators challenged the fierce looking Styracosaurus with all of its spikes and its large nose horn?

(c)1998 Peponi Internetional