Download This Sample
This sample is exclusively for KidsKonnect members!
To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup for free (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download!
Sign Me Up
Table of Contents
Any animal that feeds on plants is called a herbivore. In this module, we are going to focus on herbivore dinosaurs, which are also called plant-eating dinosaurs. Plant-eating dinosaurs include the Brachiosaurus, the Diplodocus, the Stegosaurus, and the Triceratops.
See the fact file below for more information on the Plant-Eating Dinosaurs or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Plant-Eating Dinosaurs worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
GENERAL BACKGROUND
- As you may have seen in movies, many dinosaurs are depicted to be ferocious carnivores that might take you as their dinner.
- However, only 35% of the total dinosaur population were carnivores.
- Doing the math, we could conclude that 65% of dinosaurs were herbivores. This is due to the adaptations of their teeth and digestive tract.
- Dinosaurs are cool animals — so cool that they no longer hang out with us.
PHYSIOLOGY AND DIET
- Herbivorous dinosaurs had flat teeth and the flatness served the purpose of stripping and grinding plants.
- They also had special stomach acids to digest cellulose, the indigestible substance found in plants that gives them a rigid and strong quality.
- You may be wondering how scientists determine a dinosaur’s diet; well, they did not travel back in time to do so.
- Instead, they determine a dinosaur’s diet by examining its fossilized remains, or coprolites (dinosaur poop), that contain plant materials.
EXAMPLES
- Here are four examples of dinosaur herbivores: the Brachiosaurus, the Diplodocus, the Stegosaurus, and the Triceratops.
STEGOSAURUS
- Era and Etymology
- It was discovered by Othniel Charles Marsh in the year 1877.
- Stegosaurus comes from the Greek and translates to “roof lizard.”
- Marsh named it after the dorsal plates on the dinosaur’s back.
- These dorsal plates are horizontally arranged, resembling tiles on a roof.
- The Stegosaurus lived about 155 million years ago. They lived in areas we now know as the United States and Portugal.
- Appearance and Diet
- The Stegosaurus was 30 feet long (9 meters), 13 feet high (4 meters), and weighed about 6,500 lbs (3 tons).
- It is easily identifiable by the two rows of bony dorsal plates located along its spine.
- The tail of a Stegosaurus consisted of two pairs of defensive points measuring about 24 inches (60 cm) in length.
- It is believed that these plates functioned to regulate the Stegosaurus’s body temperature.
- A Stegosaurus had a small beak-like mouth with small teeth located at the back.
- It also had cheek pouches believed to store plant matter that the beak had cut before chewing.
TRICERATOPS
- Era and Etymology
- The name Triceratops means “head with three horns.”
- It is derived from the Greek “tri” (three) “kéras” (horn) and “ops” (face).
- The Triceratops existed in prehistoric North America during the Upper Cretaceous period, which was about 68 to 66 million years ago.
- This Triceratops is believed to have been the main prey for the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
- Appearance and Diet
- The Triceratops measured between 23 to 32 feet long (7 to 10 meters), 12 to 13 feet high (3,5 to 4 meters), and weighed between 11,000 to 22,000 lbs (5 to 10 tons).
- The distinct characteristic of the Triceratops is its broad skull, having one of the largest skulls of all terrestrial animals to have ever roamed the Earth.
- The Triceratops was also unique due to its three horns, one above the muzzle, and the two others located above each eye.
- Its skin was also unique as it is believed to have been covered with hair.
Plant-Eating Dinosaurs Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Plant-Eating Dinosaurs across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Plant-Eating Dinosaurs worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Plant-Eating Dinosaurs. Any animal that feeds on plants is called a herbivore. In this module, we are going to focus on herbivore dinosaurs, which are also called plant-eating dinosaurs. Plant-eating dinosaurs include the Brachiosaurus, the Diplodocus, the Stegosaurus, and the Triceratops.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Plant-Eating Dinosaurs Facts
- Dinosaur Acrostic
- Herbivore or Carnivore?
- The Herbivore Diet
- Arranging Eras
- Dinosaur Word Hunt
- False Assumptions
- Drawing Dinosaurs
- Table of Comparison
- Similar Animals
- My Dinosaur Fable
Link/cite this page
If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.
Link will appear as Plant-Eating Dinosaurs Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 17, 2019
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.