Plant-Eating Dinosaurs

This week we will look at plant-eating dinosaurs, also called herbivores, they were among the most varied animals of the prehistoric world. They ranged from small, quick dinosaurs that browsed close to the ground to enormous, long-necked giants that could reach leaves high in the trees. Instead of hunting other animals, they relied mainly on plants for food.

Some of the best-known plant eaters included Triceratops, with its three horns and broad neck frill; Stegosaurus, recognised by the plates along its back and spikes on its tail; and Brachiosaurus, whose long neck helped it feed from tall vegetation. Duck-billed dinosaurs, known as hadrosaurs, had batteries of tightly packed teeth that were well suited to grinding tough plant material.

Different herbivores had different feeding tools. Some used beaks to snip leaves, while others had specialised teeth for slicing or crushing vegetation. Others would swallow their food straight down, along with small stones to help with digestion. Large bodies and long digestive systems may have helped many species break down fibrous plants. Because plants provide less concentrated energy than meat, some herbivores probably spent much of their day feeding.

Plant eaters were not helpless, they had horns, armour, tail clubs, spikes, size, speed and group living could all provide protection from predators. Together, their feeding habits and defensive features show how successfully dinosaurs adapted to many environments over millions of years.

Because they were heavy, they couldn’t outrun some meat eaters, however, what they lacked in speed was made up with strength they had enormous strength, they used their tails as a whip and feet as giant crushes inflicting serious injuries. Meat eaters generally stayed clear of them.