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Prehistoric Life

How tall was Triceratops horridus?

An adult Triceratops horridus stood about 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) at the shoulder.

What is measured: Adult, ground to shoulder height

Triceratops horridus (2.4 m) drawn to scale beside a doorway (2 m) and a 20-foot shipping container (6.06 m)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Doorway (2 m), Triceratops horridus (2.4 m) and Shipping container (20 ft) (6.06 m).

Compare

How big is that, really?

  • A little taller than a doorway
  • A little taller than an adult person
  • About 6.3× as tall as a bowling pin
  • About 40% of the length of a 20-foot shipping container
  • About 20% of the length of a city bus

Learn

Facts about Triceratops horridus

Triceratops had a large bony frill and three facial horns, but its frill was probably not simply a shield against predators.

Source: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Triceratops; Encyclopaedia Britannica — Triceratops

Prehistoric Life

NameSizeCompared with Triceratops horridus
Protoceratops andrewsi2 m (6 ft 7 in)0.83×
Castoroides ohioensis2 m (6 ft 7 in)0.83×
Megaloceros giganteus2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)0.88×
Entelodon magnus2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)0.88×
Daeodon shoshonensis2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)0.88×
Triceratops horridus2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)this page
Parapuzosia seppenradensis2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)1×
Pterodaustro guinazui2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)1×
Maiasaura peeblesorum2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)1×
Arthropleura armata2.6 m (8 ft 6 in)1.1×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Triceratops horridus or Protoceratops andrewsi?

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