❃ The Stegosaurus was a huge, plant-eating dinosaur that lived during the late Jurassic period. It had a long neck and tail, and a small head with two rows of large, sharp teeth. It also had plates on its back, which may have been used for defense against predators.
❃ Stegosaurus means "roof lizard," named for its plates. These dinosaurs were about 30 feet long and weighed up to 4 tons! They probably used their tail as a weapon, swinging it around to knock enemies away.
❃ Scientists aren't sure why they had the plates on their back, but one idea is that they used them to help regulate their body temperature.