
STYGIMOLOCH
(STIJ-ee-MOL-ok)
Stygimoloch lived about
75 million years ago. It was a plant-eater of the family of dinosaurs
referred to as "Boneheads." The name Stygimoloch means "Thorny Devil,"
which comes from the many horns and bumps that surround its large bony
skull. These horns appeared to only be for show and not actually used
as weapons.
Stygimoloch was only
about 10 feet long and didn’t stand much taller than a grown man. Its
front arms were very small and short, and its back legs were quite long.
It ran on its back legs with its long tail held straight out for balance.
Its only source of defense was its ability to head-butt other dinosaurs
of about its same size and not hurt its head. Its extremely thick skull
kept its small brain from getting damaged when it head-butted for protection,
or participated in head-butting contests to become the leader of its herd.
I don’t know about you,
but if I had horns on my head I would like to be able to use them for
protection.
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