Stegosaurus

Extinct

This animal is extinct. No living individuals remain.

Stegosaurus was a Jurassic plant-eating dinosaur with upright back plates and a spiked tail. The plates sat within the skin rather than joining directly to the spine.

Stegosaurus, AI-generated lifelike reconstruction — AI-generated reconstruction. Colors and soft tissues are interpretive.

At a glance

Location: Late Jurassic North America, where fossils preserve evidence of ancient terrestrial habitats.
Diet: Herbivore
Food: Plants.

Classification

Common name: Stegosaurus
Browse group: Reptiles
Scientific name or taxon: Stegosaurus
Taxon rank: genus
Family: Stegosauridae
Genus: Stegosaurus

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

It lived during the Jurassic.
Its tail carried defensive spikes.
The function of the back plates remains debated.

Habitat and range

Late Jurassic North America, where fossils preserve evidence of ancient terrestrial habitats.

Appearance and adaptations

Alternating plates ran along the back. A small head contrasted with the large body, and long spikes armed the tail.

Diet and behaviour

The spiked tail provided a means of defence. The purpose of the back plates remains debated, with recognition and temperature regulation among proposed explanations.