Ask aDino Field Guide ← Jurassic

Artist's reconstruction · realistic art coming in a later version

Ceratosaurus

seh-RAT-uh-SOR-us

“Horned Lizard”

Jurassic
When
Late Jurassic
Where
North America
Size
Up to 23 ft long
Diet
Meat

6 Facts

1–6
  1. Ceratosaurus had a distinctive horn on its nose and smaller ridges over its eyes.
  2. Its name means “Horned Lizard” because of that nose horn.
  3. The horn was probably for show — attracting mates or warning rivals — not for fighting.
  4. It had a row of small bony plates (osteoderms) running down its back and tail.
  5. It had unusually long, blade-like teeth for its size.
  6. It shared its world with the bigger Allosaurus and may have hunted near rivers and lakes.