Stegosaurus Stestood Among Plants and Plates
Stegosaurus walked on four legs with hind legs longer than front. It could not run fast and defended itself against flesh-eating attackers. It bore about 17 large bony plates along its back, the tallest around three feet. The plates protected it and helped regulate body temperature by absorbing sunlight when cool and radiating heat when hot. Its teeth were small and weak at the back, and it likely fed on ferns and low ground cover with its head held near the ground.