The Dinosaur - Stegosaurus

He might have been big (about the length of a truck) but did you know the Stegosaurus was actually a dim-witted plant eater with one of the smallest brains of all the dinosaurs. It was only about the size of a walnut!

Stegosaurus, a Jurassic giant, carried two rows of large-upright plates along its back and its tail ended in four deadly spikes. It couldn't run very fast so if it was attacked the Stegosaurus would simply stand its ground and swing its spiky tail from side to side. Ouch! A jab from one of those would hurt.

The head of Stegosaurus had no front teeth (like Grandad without his dentures). Instead it had a beak that it used to tug at plants and experts think it probably swallowed its food without chewing (how rude!) because fossils show its leaf-shaped back teeth were hardly worn at all.

The plates on its back might have had many handy uses for the Stegosaursus and might even have lead to a spot of sunbathing for these beautiful beasts. The large, sail-like plates were criss-crossed with blood vessels and they might have used these to keep warm or cool by facing the broad side of the plates into sunshine or cool breezes.

The Stegosaurus liked to stand out from the crowd too because every set of plates sported a slightly different look. This meant it was easy to find a lost friend – just look out for their distinctive plates.

The Stegosaurus also had a way of blushing just like we do sometimes when we're embarrassed. The skin covering the plates might have turned red with blood when they were excited or scared. Who would have guessed you could have so much in common with a Stegosaurus.

One habit they had which we definitely don't share, however, is swallowing stones! Most plant-eaters enjoyed this particular delicacy too as it helped their stomachs grind the plant food to paste making it easier to digest. The stones they ate were called gastroliths.