Imagine a world where Dinosaurs still living on earth. How do you think a Triceratops dinosaur look like? Come and check our five terrific facts about Triceratops.

Triceratops Facts for Kids Fact Number 1: Triceratops Had Three Horns on Its Face

The Triceratops is mostly recognised by its three distinctive horns on its face, with two long horns on its brows and one on its snout. .

These horns could grow to be at least 1 metre long. The Triceratops skull is one of the largest of any animal. The Triceratops was actually named after its distinctive features with its name translating to “three horned face” in Greek.

These horns are thought to have been used for duelling, just like how stags duel with their antlers today. The Triceratops also had a giant neck frill, which was used to protect them from predators.

Triceratops Facts for Kids Fact Number 2: Triceratops Was Discovered in 1887

The very first Triceratops was discovered in 1887 by American palaeontologist, Othniel C. Marsh in 1877. At first it was thought to be a bison but Marsh found that it was in fact a horned dinosaur. He also discovered the Stegosaurus and Apatosaurus dinosaurs in the same year.

Triceratops Facts for Kids Fact Number 3: Triceratops Was about The Size of a Bus

Triceratops was a really big dinosaur which could  stretch up to 9 metres long. Some Triceratop skulls have been found measuring up to three metres in length. You would think in order to maintain such a big size, that the Triceratops was a carnivore but like many big dinosaurs, it was a herbivore. This means they ate plants and not animals or meat.

They likely ate many varieties of plants and it is thought that they would have used their large stature and strength to knock down trees in order to get at leaves, similar to how elephants get their food.

Triceratops Facts for Kids Fact Number 4: Triceratops Had a Beak

Triceratops had a bird-like beak that helped it clip through the green vegetation surrounding them. It also had many teeth which were used to chew the food. An amazing and unique feature that the Triceratops had was their ability to grow extra teeth.

When one set of teeth became worn down from the constant chewing, they were replaced by a new set of teeth. This process continued throughout Triceratops ‘ lifetime!

Triceratops Facts for Kids Fact Number 5: Triceratops Were One of The Last Dinosaurs to Live

Triceratops fossils date to the very end of the Cretaceous period, just before the K-T asteroid impact killed the dinosaurs.

This means that the Triceratops were one of the last dinosaurs to roam the Earth before the  K-T event which was the Cretaceous- Tertiary caused their mass extinction. Triceratops fossils have been mostly found in what is now known as North America.

We hope you enjoyed learning more things about Triceratops as much as we loved teaching you about them. Now that you know how majestic this dinosaur is, you can move on to learn about other dinosaurs, animals and birds like: Albertosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Herbivorous Dinosaurs, Swimming Dinosaurs, Carnivorous Dinosaurs, Flying Dinosaurs, Extinct Animal, Dinosaurs, Jurassic Park, Dinosaurs Facts, Fossils, Mammoth, Octopuses, Seals, Weasels, Dolphins, Kangaroos, Reindeer, Leopards and Jaguars, Rabbits, Turtles, Nocturnal Animals and Flamingos. 

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