Triceratops

* T. horridus
* T. prorsus

***Triceratops*** (name meaning "*Three-Horned Face*"), often called ***Trike*** for short, is a genus of ceratopsid dinosaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now North America. Measuring around 9 meters long and weighing over 8 tons, *Triceratops* is the largest and best-known member of the well-armored Ceratopsian family as well as one of the world's most famous and recognizable dinosaurs, due to its notably impressive set of three horns and large frill. *Triceratops* was also one of the last known dinosaurs to have ever lived before the great extinction event at the end of the period.

In the Series 2 finale "***Death of a Dynasty II: The Return of the King***", a herd of eight *Triceratops horridus* (consisting of four adults, one adolescent, and three juveniles) were brought to the park from prehistoric Montana of 65 million years ago. They reside in the Ceratopsian Grasslands enclosure and recently welcomed some hatchlings into the herd. The leader of the herd is a large female named Sarah, and her son, named Theo, helps her manage the herd. Later on, a breading pair of *Triceratops prorsus* somehow found their way through the time portal. The female was pregnant and recently gave birth to clutches of eggs.

## Facts

### Era & Discovery

*Triceratops* lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous period around 86 million years ago and it died out with all the other dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous, as it was one of the last dinosaurs to go extinct around 65 million years ago. Although *Triceratops* has been described as the apex vegetarian of its time, they were still preyed upon by the fearsome *Tyrannosaurus rex*, in addition to being one of *T. rex's* favorite sources of food.

   When the fossils of *Triceratops* were first discovered in Colorado, North America in 1889, John Bell Hatcher and Othniel Charles Marsh named the dinosaur "*Triceratops horridus*", which, as it turns out, means "*Horrid Three-Horned Face*". Since their discovery, *Triceratops* is thus far the largest ceratopsian discovered and among the world's most famous dinosaurs.

### Physical Attributes

Around the size of an elephant and loosely having rhinoceros-like build, *Triceratops* was a large, heavyset quadruped dinosaur, with a fully grown adult measuring roughly 30 feet (9 m) long, standing 9.5 feet (2.9 m) tall, weighing as much as 8 – 12 (17,000 – 26,000 lbs.), and having a skull up to 9 – 11 feet (2.8 – 3.5 m) in length. This makes *Triceratops* thus far the largest member of the ceratopsian family of dinosaurs. Bearing a large bony frill and three horns on its large four-legged body (two long, sharp horns above its eyes and a smaller horn on its nose), and conjuring similarities with the modern rhinoceros, *Triceratops* is one of the most recognizable of all dinosaurs and the best-known ceratopsid.

If a human was ever unfortunate enough to stand in the way of a charging *Triceratops*, it would be comparable to being hit by a train moving 10 – 15 mph (16 – 24 km/h). Its limbs were thick and the hind legs were somewhat longer than the fore, which had a digitigrade posture, i.e. the weight was distributed to its toes, rather than the whole foot. Much like their smaller Asian cousins *Protoceratops* and other ceratopsians for that matter, the front end of its jaws ended in a sort of a beak that enabled *Triceratops* to snap branches as thick as a man's arm as well as browse the fronds and twigs of the woody plants that were contemporary to the end of the Cretaceous.

The most distinctive feature of *Triceratops* is their large skull, among the largest of all land animals. The largest known skull is estimated to have been up to 11 feet (3.4 m) in length when complete and could reach almost a third of the length of the entire animal. *Triceratops* bore a small, single horn on the snout, above the nostrils, and a pair of long, sharp horns approximately 1 m (3 ft) long, with one above each eye and were used to defend itself. To the rear of the skull was a relatively short however huge, bony frill around its neck, adorned with epoccipitals in some specimens, and could be flushed red with blood when aggravated, to intimidate rivals. Unlike most of its relatives, which other ceratopsids had large fenestrae in their frills, *Triceratops* were noticeably solid, therefore it lacked the two holes that are covered with skin on its bony frill, allowing it to use it as a shield to its neck as well as using it for display.

#### Capabilities and Weaponry

* **Head:** *Triceratops* was able to use its large head to fight against opposing dinosaurs. Additionally, it also had defensive headgear that it could use against both attackers and even its own kind.
	+ **Frill:** *Triceratops* possessed a large bony frill to protect its neck and shoulders.
	+ **Horns:** Like most ceratopsian dinosaurs, *Triceratops* possessed two long horns that it could use against attackers, piercing the flesh of predators.
* **Strength:** Due to its massive size, *Triceratops* was a very strong dinosaur, enough so to push a tractor over on its side.

### Behavior & Traits

Like many herbivores and other members of the ceratopsian family, *Triceratops* lived and traveled in large herds of hundreds or even thousands of individuals filling up the plains in North America like modern-day bison used to do. A herd of them would have been a glorious sight.

A fully grown *Triceratops* was far from defenseless, as their frill was made of solid bone. While adult *Triceratops* were able to stand against giant theropod dinosaurs, even ones like *Tyrannosaurus*, younger *Triceratops* knew better than to stand their ground. For youngsters to grow to 8 tons, they spent most of their lives feeding. Whenever *Triceratops* fed, these weren't grazing animals like cows. Instead, they were browsers like black rhinos. As such, *Triceratops* feed on low trees and shrubs.

Another part of their lives was jousting with one another, which is what *Triceratops* did in the wild. Like most, if not, all other members of the ceratopsian family, *Triceratops* had jousting tournaments in nature during times like mating season (when males fought over females), when two males were fighting for dominance, or when juveniles jousted for fun, injuring their frill and neck. But regardless of how they lived, fought, and protected themselves, *Triceratops* was a magnificent dinosaur.

Despite their fearsome appearance, *Triceratops* was, in fact, a gentle and inoffensive giant vegetarian that would only attack if they felt threatened or challenged. It also instinctively disliked the color red and was easily aggravated by the sight of it into charging.

## Trivia

* *Triceratops* was the last and largest ceratopsian dinosaur to be brought to the park.
* As one of the last dinosaurs to have evolved, *Triceratops* represents, along with the other freshly evolved species, a new faunal phase of the Dinosauria, that was killed in its tracks prematurely.
* The sound effects of *Triceratops* are the sound effects of bear, cattle, elephant, and other dinosaur sound effects.