Fauna
Species

Stegosaurus ungulatus

Stegosaurus ungulatus

Also known as Hoofed Stegosaur

Stegosaurus ungulatus walked on four stout legs, carrying its head close to the ground while displaying two alternating rows of upright, kite-shaped dermal plates along its arched spine. At the tip of its flexible tail sat the thagomizer, a cluster of four bony spikes used as an active defensive weapon against prowling theropods. Massive hindlimbs elevated the hips well above the shoulders, creating a distinctively sloped posture adapted for grazing across Late Jurassic floodplains.

PrehistoricArmoredHerbivore
Stegosaurus ungulatus reference
Susannah Maidment et al. & Natural History Museum, London / CC BY 4.0 · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyFerns, Cycads, Horsetails
Predators
  • Allosaurus fragilis
  • Ceratosaurus nasicornis
  • Torvosaurus tanneri
ThreatsClimatic shifts and floral changes near the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary
HabitatsLate Jurassic floodplains, open woodlands, and river valleys
Life spanEstimated 20–30 years
Classification
  1. FamilyStegosauridae
  2. SpeciesStegosaurus ungulatus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Extinct taxon known only from fossils; completely safe to view in museum collections.
Responsible observation
  • Museum Observation: Examine the tiny skull and delicate jaw structure to see how it cropped vegetation.
  • Fossil Identification: Look for the characteristic hooves on the hindfeet that gave this species its name.
Related species
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