Sterrholophus Facts
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 3m |
| Length | 9m |
| Weight | 6 tonnes |
| Speed | 25 km/h |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ceratopsian |
| Location | North America |

| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 3m |
| Length | 9m |
| Weight | 6 tonnes |
| Speed | 25 km/h |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ceratopsian |
| Location | North America |
Sterrholophus was a large ceratopsian dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, between 83.6 and 72.2 million years ago in what is now North America. Originally described as a distinct genus, palaeontologists now recognise that Sterrholophus specimens actually belong to the famous Triceratops, making it a junior synonym of that well-known three-horned dinosaur.
This impressive ceratopsian measured approximately 9 metres in length and stood about 3 metres tall at the hip, weighing around 6 tonnes. Like other ceratopsians, it possessed the characteristic features that made these dinosaurs so distinctive: a large bony frill extending from the back of the skull, facial horns, and a powerful parrot-like beak designed for cropping vegetation.
As a herbivore, Sterrholophus fed on the abundant plant life of Late Cretaceous North America, including ferns, cycads, and early flowering plants. Its strong beak and rows of shearing teeth were perfectly adapted for processing tough plant material. The dinosaur's impressive frill and horns likely served multiple purposes, from species recognition and display to defence against predators like Tyrannosaurus rex.
Living on the island continent of Laramidia, Sterrholophus inhabited lush subtropical environments with rivers, forests, and coastal plains. These ceratopsians were among the most successful herbivorous dinosaurs of their time, thriving until the mass extinction event that ended the age of dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
Sterrholophus possessed a large bony neck frill, three prominent facial horns (two above the eyes and one on the nose), and a distinctive parrot-like beak. Its solid frill design and robust build made it one of the most recognisable ceratopsians of the Late Cretaceous period.
Sterrholophus likely lived in herds, as evidenced by bone bed discoveries of related ceratopsian species. These dinosaurs probably used their impressive frills and horns for both defensive purposes against predators and for intraspecific displays during mating seasons or territorial disputes.
While Sterrholophus itself rarely appears in popular media due to its reclassification, the specimens originally assigned to this genus are now part of Triceratops representations in films and documentaries.
Sterrholophus was first described by John Bell Hatcher in 1891. The original fossils were discovered at Lance Formation, Wyoming, USA.