Kentrosaurus was an herbivorous dinosaur that lived in what is now Africa. This dinosaur was covered by a double row of flat bony plates along the middle of its back, from its neck to its midsection. The beast's tail was covered by a double row of spikes and could swing in a 180-degree arc. The tail was lashed with such force that it is believed it could have fractured a human skull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kentrosaurus matured faster than its better known cousin, Stegosaurus. It was one of the smallest stegosaur dinosaurs in the Jurassic world, measuring up to 17 feet long and weighing about 2 tons. It had a small brain the size of a walnut. The skull was long and narrow. It had a toothless beak and small cheek teeth. It also had hoof-like claws on its toes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kentrosaurus had been a grazing animal; it required at least three other individuals to satisfy its social needs and lived in an enclosure containing between three and seventeen other dinosaurs of various species. Its huge, strong tail could defend itself against medium and large carnivores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kentrosaurus essentially means \"sharp-tipped lizard\" or \"spiked lizard\" because it had tail spikes on its back.
Kentrosaurus lived during the Upper Jurassic of Tanzania 163.5 million years ago, 145 million years ago.