Fun Diabloceratops Facts For Kids

Diabloceratops is now an extinct genus of Centrosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur, which was in existence about 80 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. Most of its fossils have been found in Utah, North America.

Diabloceratops was a medium-sized ceratopsian with a moderate build, ground-dwelling, and quadrupedal herbivore. It is estimated to have grown up to a length of 18 ft (5.5 m). It used to be known as the oldest known ceratopsian at the time of its discovery.

It was the first centrosaurine from the Montana, United States of America. The meaning of its name is ‘devil-horned face.’ Diablo means ‘devil’ in Spanish, and ceratops means ‘horned face’ in Spanish.

The two available specimens of Diabloceratops eatoni were recovered from the Wahweap Formation in Kane County, Utah. The paleontologist Don DeBlieux in the year 2002 collected the type specimen UMNH VP 16699 from the Campanian stage of the Cretaceous period, which was approx 81-76 million years ago.

It had a partial skull and a lower jaw piece with an intact right side and a weathered left side.

One other paleontologist Joshua A. Smith discovered a specimen UMNH VP 16704 in the year 1998 and later was assigned to the Dia. Both of these specimens are in the Natural History Museum of Utah.

For more such heart-warming and fascinating facts, keep reading. Here are some more interesting facts about other dinosaurs like the Mapusaurus or the Sinraptor.

Diabloceratops Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Diabloceratops'?

The pronunciation of this five-horned dinosaur is 'dee-ob-low-sarah-tops.' They were different from other large ceratopsians like Triceratops as they had two horns on the snout rather than one which most ceratopsians like Pentaceratop, Chasmosaurus, and Centrosurus possessed.

What type of dinosaur was a Diabloceratops?

The Diabloceratops was a horned dinosaur that used to have many horns on its frontal body. It comes under the category of Ceratopsians. It had two big horns on its snout and two long horns on the frill on both sides.

In which geological period did the Diabloceratops roam the Earth?

The Diabloceratops, of the family Ceratopsidae, used to live in the age of the Late Cretaceous period, which was about 81-76 million years ago in history, as has been interpreted by the fossil found in Utah.

When did the Diabloceratops become extinct?

The extinction of this animal with a round nose and spiked neck frill of the family Ceratopsidae was about 65-64 million years ago during the Jurassic age.

The reason for their extinction is still not clear as of now, but it is believed that, like other ceratopsians, this dinosaur might have also died because of some meteor attack or flash floods, or tsunamis.

Where did a Diabloceratops live?

These dinosaurs were highly terrestrial and also preferred the water body's habitat. Their main fossils were found in the Bryce Canyon National Park through Zion National Park and into the Grand Canyon, Kane and Garfield counties, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah.

What was a Diabloceratops' habitat?

Being a terrestrial animal just like other ceratopsians of the family Ceratopsidae, the habitat in which they used to live were the grasslands, around lakes, floodplains, marsh areas, redwood forests, wetlands, scrublands, forests, tall grasses, or the places with plant material and good water to survive as they were herbivorous.

The five horns they possessed were used to protect them against the predators according to paleontology and also, their weight was an added advantage to them to get a lead in fights.

Who did a Diabloceratops live with?

This ceratopsian dinosaur was a social dinosaur and used to form small groups to overpower other dinosaurs easily. The groups were tiny, hardly of three to four.

This Diabloceratopsdinosaur, most of the time, used to move in small groups. The average population of an area where they used to live is not known. They used to form small groups with related species and hunt down large Utahraptor and small Centrosaurus.

How long did a Diabloceratops live?

The exact span of their lifespan is not known yet as they existed in the late cretaceous period but they lived around 80 million years ago. These dinosaurs of Utah had a good heal and blood system with a good recovery rate.

How did they reproduce?

The information on their reproducing ways is not clear. Little is known that they used to use their frill and horns to attract the females of the group. They often showed dominance in the best way possible to attract females and then mate. They were oviparous.

Diabloceratops Fun Facts

What did a Diabloceratops look like?

Diabloceratops was a ceratopsian with typical features they possessed. The large neck frill was made of bones and had a small horn on the nose, two large horns on the snout, and two just above the eyes on the frill on the Diabloceratops skull.

Their skull was shorter and deeper, unlike other centrosaurines. The horns on the frill are the same as that of Einiosaurus and Styracosaurus.

They were different from other large ceratopsians like Triceratops. As it was the earliest centrosaurine, the Kirkland found relative characteristics with a more primitive dinosaur, ‘Protoceratopsid.’ They both had an opening in the skull and used to almost disappear later in more advanced ceratopsids.

Their fossils were discovered in southern Utah. The Diabloceratops's color was brownish and blackish.

How many bones did a Diabloceratops have?

The number of bones that a Diabloceratops skeleton had is still not known. They were recovered at the Wahweap Formation in Kane County, Utah.

How did they communicate?

The information on their communication skills is still unknown. These dinosaurs used to live with other ceratopsian dinosaurs peacefully in the same territory.

They used to have fatal fights with Albertosaurus and Allosaurus. They shared their habitat with Pachycephalosaurus. They were very efficient in group hunting, and even their very small group of three to four could even hunt a dinosaur as big as a T. rex.

How big was a Diabloceratops?

The length of this species of the clade Dinosauria was about 18 ft (5.5 m).

How fast could a Diabloceratops move?

These dinosaurs were very fast for a ceratopsian. It used to run away from those with whom it was unable to fight, and from those whom it can fight, it didn't use to run away.

The average speed with which an adult Diabloceratops could run was 19.6 mph (31.6 kph). For a juvenile, the average running speed was 18.76 mph (30.2 kph), and for the hatchling, it was 18.85 mph (30.353 kph).

How much did a Diabloceratops weigh?

The Diabloceratops size or weight of this round beaked and hard neck frill dinosaur used to be around 3.58 tons (3,250 kg). The weight of the hatchling was about 99.2 lb (45 kg) and that of a juvenile was 2.039 tons (1,850 kg).

The Diabloceratops' four horns were used to protect them against predators during fights for territory, just like a Pentaceratops.

These dinosaurs of southern Utah had a good fossil history. They had two horns on the nose, two very long horns on the frill, two horns above both the eyes.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names for the male and the female of this dinosaur species of southern Utah Diabloceratops(Diabloceratops eatoni). It used to be very difficult to distinguish between the male and the female Diabloceratops.

What would you call a baby Diabloceratops?

The baby of this herbivore dinosaur species does not have any particular name to get called by. They were called baby Diabloceratops.

What did they eat?

This dinosaur of the Late Cretaceous period was a herbivorous ceratopsian and hence the diet contained mostly plant materials, flowers, twigs, grasses, fruits, pine needles, and leaves.

How aggressive were they?

They were moderate to highly aggressive. They often used to get into fights with Albertosaurus and Allosaurus. On getting provoked by some ceratopsians, this hard-neck frill dinosaur would have formed pair to overpower them easily. The weight of this dinosaur has been recorded as around 3.58 tons (3,250 kg).

Did you know...

This five-horn dinosaur used to have a very good turn radius, meaning even with a broken leg, they used to turn very fast. Their stamina was also excellent and they had relatively high health and mass. 

These dinosaurs used to eat a lot and often and the hunger was highest during middle age. T. rex used to run faster than them and hence Diabloceratopscan be caught by them as they had a slow attack rate.

Who discovered the Diabloceratops?

The paleontologist Eaton established a Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument where this dinosaur's specimen was discovered. James Ian Kirkland and Donald DeBlieux named and described the type species Diabloceratops eatoni. They were recovered at the Wahweap Formation.

What does 'Diabloceratops' mean?

Diabloceratops means devil horned face. Diablo means ‘devil’ in Spanish and Ceratops means ‘horned face’ in Spanish. 

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other dinosaurs from our Bravoceratops facts pages and Zuniceratops facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Diabloceratops coloring pages.