T. rex vs Triceratops: Real Enemies, Compared in 3D
This is one dinosaur fight that really happened. T. rex and Triceratops lived at the same time and in the same place, and Triceratops bones carry T. rex tooth marks. Some of those wounds healed, which means some Triceratops fought back and got away.
Triceratops
About 9 m long and 6 to 12 tonnes. Three horns and a huge bony frill.
T. rex vs Triceratops: true size
T. rex vs Triceratops at a glance
| T. rex | Triceratops | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | About 12 m long, around 8 tonnes | About 9 m long, 6 to 12 tonnes |
| Lived | About 68 to 66 million years ago | About 68 to 66 million years ago |
| Where | Western North America | Western North America |
| Diet | Meat, including Triceratops | Tough, low-growing plants |
| Weapons | A bone-crushing bite and thick serrated teeth | Two long brow horns, a nose horn and a bony frill |
| Skull | Wide and deep, about 1.5 m long | One of the biggest skulls of any land animal, up to about 2.5 m |
| Walked on | Two legs | Four legs |
Proof that they fought
Many Triceratops fossils have T. rex bite marks. One famous brow horn was bitten off and then healed, so that Triceratops survived the attack. Other bones show that a T. rex pulled the head off a dead Triceratops to reach the meaty neck. So T. rex hunted Triceratops, and also scavenged their bodies.
Who would win?
A healthy adult Triceratops was a dangerous target. Its brow horns were about 1 m long and it weighed as much as the T. rex. Most of the time, T. rex probably had the edge, with its huge bite and its experience as a hunter, but the healed wounds show that Triceratops did not always lose.
Quick facts
- They were among the last dinosaurs alive before the asteroid struck 66 million years ago.
- Triceratops is one of the most common dinosaurs found in the rocks where T. rex lived.
- The Triceratops frill was solid bone, unlike the frills of its relatives, which had holes.
- T. rex could bite with a force of several tonnes.
- Triceratops had a beak like a parrot’s and hundreds of grinding teeth for slicing plants.
Look inside both
T. rex vs Triceratops questions
Did T. rex and Triceratops really fight?
Yes. Triceratops fossils carry T. rex bite marks, and some of those wounds healed, which shows the Triceratops survived an attack.
Who would win, T. rex or Triceratops?
Usually T. rex, which hunted Triceratops. But an adult Triceratops was heavy and well armed, and healed bite marks prove that some escaped.
Which was bigger, T. rex or Triceratops?
T. rex was longer and taller, at about 12 m long. Triceratops was about 9 m long, but large ones may have weighed as much as a T. rex.
Did T. rex eat Triceratops?
Yes. Bite marks on Triceratops bones show that T. rex fed on them, sometimes pulling off the head to reach the neck muscles.
Did they live at the same time?
Yes. Both lived in western North America about 68 to 66 million years ago, right up to the end of the age of dinosaurs.
More face-offs: see all 3D comparisons.
The 3D Dinosaur Anatomy simulator is made by Julian Neagu, a solo founder in London, as part of VisionVix Simulators. It is free to use in the browser on desktop and phone, with no sign-up.