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Step 1
Look at the head of a stegosaurus. Despite its enormous size this dinosaur had a brain approximately the size of a walnut. Its jaws had a spiky casing, which was used to bite or tear off leaves and then would grind in its teeth. The stegosaurus may have had a gullet, and is believed to have swallowed stones to help it digest its food.
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Step 2
Note the habitat of the stegosaurus. It is believed to have lived near water or in swampy areas where it could find its food. The stegosaurus probably ate ferns, which were abundant during the Jurassic period, along with low-growing trees and plants. It must have consumed immense amounts of food considering its size; it grew up to 14 feet tall, weighed between 5 and 10 tons and was nearly 20 feet long.
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Step 3
Take not of the plates running down the stegosaurus' back, its most distinct feature. Some scientists believe they were used for heating and cooling the dinosaur, gathering in and dispelling heat from the sunlight, and the veins that run through them support this theory. Others claim they were used for identification for reproductive purposes. Still others claim they made the dinosaur appear larger than it was for defensive purposes.
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Step 4
Look at the legs and feet of the stegosaurus. The hind legs are longer than the front legs, developing massive shoulder and front leg muscles to support its weight. Most likely it walked in a manner similar to the elephant. The stegosaurus had five toes on its front feet and three on its back feet.
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Step 5
Watch out for the tail! Although the stegosaurus was probably a timid dinosaur it was equipped with a vicious defense--its tail. This was approximately 6 feet long and equipped with four to eight sharp, 3 foot spikes that may have been used in defense of its eggs. Many palaeontologists believe that the stegosaurus watched over its nest as modern birds do today.
