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herbivore

Styracosaurus

Measuring 5.1m in length and weighing almost 2 tonnes, Styracosaurus is a large herbivorous dinosaur that lived in the Cretaceous Period. Styracosaurus is from the ceratopsian family of dinosaurs, with a single horn protruding from its snout and a large neck frill featuring lengthy spines that give it its name, which translates into ‘Spiked Lizard’.

Stygimoloch

Stygimoloch is an herbivorous dinosaur from the pachycephalosaur family that lived in the western United States around 65-68m years ago. This genus can grow to over 3m in length and is easily recognisable thanks to the large bony horns on the back of its head, which it uses to defend itself from predators. Its name translates to ‘Styx devil’, a reference to the river that separates Earth and the Underworld in Greek mythology.

Struthiomimus

The name Struthiomimus means ‘ostrich mimic’, and was given to the genus thanks to its similarity to a modern-day ostrich, thanks to its extended neck and long hind legs – although it is significantly bigger than an ostrich, at around 4m in length and weighing up to 150kg. Struthiomimus is an herbivorous genus and feeds mainly on soft plants, as its jaw does not contain teeth.

Sinoceratops

The ceratopsian dinosaur Sinoceratops existed in China around 73m years ago, and is easily identifiable thanks to the large horn on its snout. This genus can grow up to 6m in length and weigh as much as two tonnes, while the eye-catching frill above its neck helps it to attract mates. The name Sinoceratops is derived from its appearance and its environment, translating to ‘Chinese horned face’.

Sauropelta

Sauropelta is a genus of herbivorous dinosaur native to North America, and is easily recognised thanks to the large spikes that extend from its neck. Due to its large size – weighing around 1.5 tonnes – Sauropelta cannot run at high speeds, so it relies on being able to defend itself from predators; as well as defensive spikes that can be used to repel attackers, it has thick armour covering most of its body – lending the genus its name, which translates to ‘lizard shield’.

Polacanthus

Polacanthus is a genus of herbivorous ankylosaurid that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, around 125m years ago. It can grow up to around 7m in length and is covered with armour plates and protruding spikes which help it to protect itself from predators – in fact, these spikes are the basis for its name, which translates to ‘many spines’.

Pentaceratops

Pentaceratops is a relative of the more famous Triceratops, and bears a strong resemblance to its cousin – although, as the name (which translates to ‘five-horned face’) suggests, it has five horns instead of three. This genus can grow up to 7m in length and weighs in excess of five tonnes, and has an eye-catching frill protruding from the back of its skull that helps it to attract a mate.

Pachyrhinosaurus

Pachyrhinosaurus is an herbivorous dinosaur from the ceratopsid family, with strong teeth in its cheeks for breaking down tough vegetation. Its name comes from the unusual blunt shape of its snout – Pachyrhinosaurus translates to ‘thick-nosed lizard’ – while this genus is identifiable by the array of adornments on its skull, including a frill and horns. Pachyrhinosaurus can grow up to 6m in length, and weigh as much as three tonnes.

Pachycephalosaurus

Pachycephalosaurus is an herbivorous dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous period. The name Pachycephalosaurus translates to ‘thick-headed lizard’, in reference to the genus’ large, thick skull that experts believe was used in intra-species combat, with rival dinosaurs attacking each other when competing for territory. Growing up to 4.5m in length and weighing almost half a tonne, Pachycephalosaurus is one of the largest pachycephalosaurid dinosaurs.

Ouranosaurus

Ouranosaurus is a large iguanodont, averaging around 7m in length and weighing around two and a half tonnes, and is easily recognisable thanks to the large hump on its back. This herbivorous dinosaur is native to Niger in Africa and subsists on a diet of tough vegetation, using its horned beak and flat teeth to tear off and chew plants and leaves. The name Ouranosaurus means ‘courageous monitor lizard’.