Triceratops is a genus of chasmosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur that lived during the late Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous period, about 68 to 66 million years ago in what is now western North America. It was one of the last-known non-avian dinosaurs and lived until the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago. Triceratops is the most commonly recovered dinosaur in the uppermost Cretaceous deposits of western North America, and its remains have been found throughout the region. Here are some key facts about Triceratops:

• Appearance: Triceratops had a large, four-legged body, a large bony frill, and three horns on the skull. The horns were placed above each eye and on the snout, and the frill was studded with small spikes called epoccipitals. The size and shape of the horns changed as the dinosaur aged, and some adult Triceratops skulls are 10 feet long.

• Size: Triceratops was one of the largest dinosaurs, up to 8–9 meters (26–30 feet) long and 5–9 metric tons (5.5–9.9 short tons) in body mass.

• Diet: Triceratops was a herbivore that used its beak-like jaw and slicing teeth to pluck and chew tough plants that other dinosaurs couldn’t eat. Evidence suggests that Triceratops teeth were incredibly complex, enabling them to slice through dense vegetation that would have been difficult for other herbivores to consume.

• Behavior: Triceratops was unusual in that its remains are usually found individually, suggesting they may have spent much of their lives alone. However, they might have used their horns to fend off attacks from predators like Tyrannosaurus rex. Male Triceratops also used their horns to fight each other, probably to impress females.

• Discovery: Triceratops has been documented by numerous remains collected since the genus was first described in 1889 by American paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh. When the first specimen was discovered in 1887, it was mistaken for a gigantic species of extinct bison.

• Name: The name Triceratops, which literally means three-horned face, is derived from the Greek words trí- (τρί-) meaning three, kéras (κέρας) meaning horn, and ṓps (ὤψ) meaning face.

Triceratops is one of the most recognizable and beloved dinosaurs, and has been featured in numerous films, postage stamps, and many other types of media.