TRICERATOPS (Nen-Lat., from Gk. Tpriv, treis, three + lopes, keras, horn + 61,P, tips, face). A very interesting fossil reptile, a. horned dinosaur of most formidable aspect, of which skeletons are found in the Upper Cre taceous rocks of Colorado, Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. The animal ywas about 25 feet long, with heavily built legs and powerful tail. The most peculiar feature is the heavy armature of the massive head. The skull is larger than that of any other known land animal, with a length of six feet and a width across the crest of about five feet. It is wedge-shaped and nar row in front of the small orbits, and expanded behind into a broad solid bony frill or crest which projects far backward over the neck and shoulders, and the edges of which are armed with a row of sharp projections that were covered with horn.
On the facial region of the skull are three horns: a long outward spreading pair over the orbits and a small horn on the nose. The jaws
have strong turtle-like beaks on their tips and series of two-rooted teeth placed in sockets in their posterior portions. The brain of this crea ture was smaller than that of any other known vertebrate, with a ratio to bulk of body of two pounds to ten tons. The feet were three-toed, and the beast walked on all fours and fed on plants. Consult: Zittel and Eastman, Textbook of Pahe'ontology, vol. ii. (London and New York. 1902) Marsh, "The Dinosaurs of North America," Annual Reports of the United States. Geological Surrey, vol. xvi.. part i. (Washington. 1896) ; Lucas, Animals of the Past (New York. 1901), which contains interesting observations on the habits of Triceratops. See DINOSAURIA.