Triceratops (Three Horned Face) is a large North American dinosaur. It is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon 2.
Description[]
Triceratops is a member of the ceratopsid family of dinosaurs, a group recognized by their large facial horns and large frill extending from the back of their heads. It is one of the largest members of its group, reaching lengths of about 9 m (30 ft) long and probably weighing around 5,400 kg (12,000 lb). Owing to evidence from fossil trackways showing the footprints of dozens of individuals, palaeontologists believe that Triceratops lived in herds, similar to those of modern-day Bison.
The most distinctive features of Triceratops were the three horns on its skull, with two long horns above its eyes and a shorter one on its nose. The exact function of these horns is unclear, but it is possible they used them in courtship and dominance displays like that of modern deer, as well as to defend itself against predators such as Tyrannosaurus rex. Despite its fierce appearance, Triceratops was a herbivore, using its large beak to break up tough vegetation. Triceratops was one of the last known dinosaurs to exist, living at the end of the Cretaceous Period.
Zoo Tycoon[]
Triceratops is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon and is available in the base game. It is unlocked after clearing the Breeding Giant Pandas scenario, but can also be accessed by renaming an existing exhibit "Cretaceous Corral".
Triceratops is a Savannah animal, and its favorite foliage is the Grass Tree. It is the largest adoptable animal in the base game and as such requires a very large exhibit to be happy.
With the installation of the Dinosaur Digs expansion pack, Triceratops is modified to function like the other dinosaurs; for example, they can no longer be adopted as adults, require a scientist to take care of them and will break out of all Zoo Tycoon fences. They share similar requirements to Ankylosaurus and it is possible to mix them.
 Animal Facts
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| The full name for this dinosaur, Triceratops horridus, is Greek for "horrible three-horned face." Although "horrible" may be overstating the case, this creature's face is quite formidable in appearance, with one short horn over a turtle-like beak and two longer horns directly over its eyes, all set against the backdrop of an enormous bony neck frill. Triceratops has the largest skull of any land mammal; its massive head is nearly one-third as long as its body. A Triceratops has an average weight of over five tons, and can reach thirty feet in length.
Despite their fierce appearance, Triceratops are herbivores and social animals. A herd of Triceratops will leave a devastated landscape in their wake, as each animal needs to consume huge quantities of vegetation to maintain its massive bulk. Triceratops eat mostly cycads (seed plants with large compound leaves and stout trunks) and palm fronds. If tempted by the new growth at the top of a large tree, a Triceratops will simply push the tree over with its massive head. These animals have large and complex batteries of blade-like teeth, which they use to tear and slice the tough fibrous plants they consume. Keeping a Triceratops well-fed and its enclosure clean can certainly keep a zookeeper busy! Historically, Triceratops could be found throughout the western parts of Canada and the United States, although today its range is much more limited. This animal prefers the warm, humid, lowland climate found in coastal swamps and delta regions. The large size, powerful build, long horns and bone-crushing bite of the Triceratops all serve to keep this animal safe from most predators. Like a rhinoceros, a Triceratops when threatened will charge at full speed toward its enemy. Only the Tyrannosaurus rex poses a threat to an adult Triceratops in good health. Triceratops young may also fall prey to crocodiles. Triceratops are very robust creatures; most specimens in captivity are over 65 million years old. While little is known about the social and reproductive behavior of this species, due to the difficulties involved in field observation, it is thought that their distinctive neck frill may serve as a display device more than as defensive armor. In competition for mates and to establish dominance within the herd, Triceratops males are believed to engage in fierce butting contests, much like American bighorn sheep. Triceratops young hatch from eggs. The main threat to this species is destruction of its habitat. |
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
Triceratops is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon 2 and was made available as part of the Dino Danger Pack. In Campaign and Challenge Mode, it is available for adoption once a zoo reaches a rating of 4 stars.
Triceratops is a Boreal Forest animal. Like the other dinosaurs introduced in the pack, it will use the Dinosaur Prey Dummy to enrich itself and will make a nest to lay its eggs in.
Triceratops is also available in the Extinct Animals expansion pack and, if the Dino Danger Pack has already been installed, it is modified to match the other dinosaurs. Changes include different skin tones; for example, young Triceratops changed from blue to hazel. If stressed, they will rampage.
 zootycoon.com Description
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| Triceratops, a descendant of Styracosaurus, was one of the short-frilled ceratopids. Its distinctive ornamentation included horns on its snout and above its eyes, and a short, spiked neck frill. Unlike the longer, softer frill of the Styracosaurus, the frill of the Triceratops was short and rigid. It was likely used in both defense and as a display during mating combats. The Triceratops’s spikes weren’t its only impressive feature. Its massive skull was also distinctive: It was so large, it made up about a third of the dinosaur’s body length. |
 Zoopedia Zoopedia Description
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| The genus Triceratops includes several species of four-legged, herbivorous dinosaurs that lived during the Cretaceous Period over 65 million years ago. The triceratops had three horns on its skull, one on its snout and one above its eyes. The name derives from the Greek words "treis" (three), "kerat" (horn) and "ops" (face). Triceratops was one of the largest horned dinosaurs. Other distinguishing features of the dinosaur are its beak and neck shield. The Triceratops was a member of the Ceratopsia (horned dinosaurs), a species-rich group of Ornithischia (bird-hipped dinosaurs) that populated North America and Asia towards the end of the Dinosaur Age. Numerous skulls have been found in deposits,
An adult Triceratops reached an average length of 8 m and a weight of up to 12 t. The skull of an adult specimen was 2.5 m long and had a narrow, parrot-like beak. The beak was furnished with rows of closely spaced teeth resembling large scissors. This dinosaur could open its jaws sideways via a joint between its head and neck, allowing it to grasp leaves and twigs with a twist of its head. When it caught the food in its beak, it would turn its head back and then chew the food with its powerful jaws. The underside of the neck shield was criss-crossed with a dense network of blood vessels. Fossil finds suggest that body heat was emitted through these blood vessels, similar to today's elephants, who pump blood through their ears to regulate their body temperature. Some scientists believe the triceratops could gallop like a rhinoceros, while others believe it was far too heavy and sluggish to do so. Skeletal remains of Triceratops have been found in a large alluvial plain resembling today's lowland bordering the lower Mississippi River on the Gulf of Mexico. The jaws of the Triceratops were well suited to tearing down fibrous plants typical of the time in this plain, e.g. B. reeds and palm trees. The giant size of the triceratops suggests that it lived in an environment rich in food. Poorly healed injuries in fossil skulls indicate that the dinosaurs, like some contemporary horned mammals (e.g., billy goats or deer), fought among themselves. However, some paleontologists believe that the triceratops' horns played a role in various areas of social behavior, e.g. B. |
Gallery[]
Zoo Tycoon[]
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
Zoo Tycoon 2 DS[]
.png "ZT2DS Render - Triceratops (Adult).png (3 MB)")
.png "ZT2DS Render - Triceratops (Young).png (2.75 MB)")
Trivia[]
- Triceratops is the only animal to have been modified in multiple games (first between Zoo Tycoon and Dinosaur Digs, then again between Dino Danger Pack and Extinct Animals).
| Zoo Tycoon 2 DS animals | |
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| Standard Animals | African Elephant • Black Panther • Black Rhinoceros • California Sea Lion • Cheetah • Chimpanzee • Dolphin • Dromedary Camel • Galapagos Giant Tortoise • Giant Sable Antelope • Gray Wolf • Greater Flamingo • Grizzly Bear • Komodo Dragon • Lion • Masai Giraffe • Moose • Nile Crocodile • Ostrich • Orangutan • Polar Bear • Pygmy Hippopotamus • Red Kangaroo • Spanish Lynx • Wolverine • Zebra |
| Star Animals | American Beaver • Emperor Penguin • Giant Panda • Koala • Mountain Gorilla • Sea Otter |
| Amazing Animals | Saber-toothed Tiger • Triceratops • Unicorn • Yeti |