Elton Publications: Stegosaurus

The Stegosaurus was an interesting dinosaur. Many children think it is their favourite dinosaur.

Stegosaurus had a row of large plates down the middle of its back. Some people think the plates were to help keep the animal warm. Other people think the plates would go red with blood when the dinosaur was being attacked. The red colour would scare the attacking dinosaur.

There were four sharp spikes on the dinosaur's tail. These could be very dangerous to an enemy if Stegosaurus swung its tail around.

Stegosaurus was a plant eater, a herbivore. Its head was low to the ground so that it could eat ferns more easily.

Bones of Stegosaurus have been found in many places. However, there have not been any bone of Stegosaurus found in Australia. We know that they once live here because people have found their footprints in some stone.

Once, long ago, a Stegosaurus walked through some soft mud. It made large clear footprints. The mud dried and turned into rock. The footprints can still be seen today.

One footprint can't be seen any more. Someone used a machine and dug out a large part of a rock near Broome in Western Australia. Then they stole the dinosaur's footprint.