Stegosaurus

Hello from my home in the past! My name is Stegosaurus, which means ‘roofed lizard,’ and I want to welcome you to my world. I lived during the Late Jurassic Period, around 155 million years ago. My home was a lush, green place filled with giant ferns that carpeted the ground and towering trees that reached for the sky. It was a perfect place for a big dinosaur like me. And when I say big, I mean it! I was about as long as a modern school bus, so I took up a lot of space when I walked around. My most famous features were the seventeen large, bony plates that stood up in two rows all the way down my back. They were shaped like big kites and made me look very impressive. Even today, scientists who study my fossils are still curious about what my plates were for. Some think I used them to show off to other dinosaurs, like a fancy decoration. Others believe the plates might have helped me warm up in the sun or cool down in the shade, working like my very own air conditioner.

My days were usually very peaceful and followed a simple routine. As an herbivore, I spent most of my time looking for delicious things to eat. I didn’t need to chase my food, which was a good thing! I would slowly wander through the forests and plains, munching on low-growing plants like tasty ferns and cycads. I didn’t have any teeth in the front of my mouth, but I had a strong, toothless beak that was perfect for snipping off tough stems and leaves. I know people sometimes joke about my brain because it was famously small, only about the size of a lime. But I didn't need a big brain to be an expert at finding food. I knew exactly which plants were the yummiest and where to find them. My home was in a place that scientists now call the Morrison Formation in North America. It was a busy place with many other giant dinosaurs. Sometimes, I would see my enormous neighbors, like the long-necked Diplodocus, stretching their necks high into the trees to eat leaves that I could never reach. We all shared the same green world, each finding our own way to live.

Even though my life was mostly about eating plants, I always had to be careful. There were fierce predators who would have loved to make a meal out of me, so I had a special superpower to keep myself safe. At the very end of my powerful tail, I had four long, sharp spikes that stuck straight out. This amazing defense weapon is now called a ‘thagomizer.’ It’s a funny name, and scientists didn't have an official word for it for a long time. Then, in 1982, a cartoonist named Gary Larson drew a comic about cavemen and called the spikes a thagomizer, and the name just stuck! When a predator like the fierce Allosaurus got too close, I could swing my strong tail and use those spikes to defend myself. Paleontologists have found fossils of Allosaurus bones with holes that perfectly match my tail spikes. This discovery showed that my thagomizer was very effective and helped me and my family stay safe from danger.

My kind lived and thrived for millions of years during the Late Jurassic Period. Long after we disappeared from the Earth, the first fossils of my family were discovered in North America in the year 1877. This incredible discovery helped people called paleontologists begin to piece together my story and understand what my life was like. Even though you can't see me roaming the forests today, my skeleton stands tall in museums all over the world. There, I help inspire wonder and teach everyone about the amazing history of our planet. My unique plates and my spiked tail make me one of the most recognizable and beloved dinosaurs. I am happy that my story continues to spark curiosity in you and helps you imagine the incredible world that existed so long ago.