Triceratops

Triceratops is a ceratopsian hailing from the Late Cretaceous of North America.

Characteristics
Triceratops are large, robust herbivores, covered in rough scales with quills covering their backs. The head of a Triceratops is blood red, with their horns and beaks being a more dull grey and black stripes going down the frill. The body is a light blue, with brown stripes running along their sides. On these stripes running from the shoulder to the end of the tail are quills, used as protection for their back against any predator willing to take a bite. Their frills and horns are their main lines of defense, the horns being able to easily gore most carnivores while the frill can keep predators from reaching their neck, although stronger predators such as Tyrannosaurus and Kaprosuchus can break them between their jaws.

Triceratops herds are actually composed of multiple families coming together for mutual protection, each family being composed of a single bull, his harem of females, and their offspring. The bulls of each harem frequently contest each other for the safest grazing spots. Families will stake out separate fields and floodplains away from other herds, where they will graze and create their nests. These areas are frequented by predators, although bulls will rarely allow intrusions to go unpunished. Once a male offspring grows old enough, it will split off from the harem and begin jousting with other males, which leads to them breaking their horns alongside territorial fights. Males unable to create a harem will be cast out of the herds and primarily live along the river, usually falling prey to feeding frenzies of Kaprosuchus.

While preferring ferns, palms, and the occasional tree root, meat is a necessary part of a Triceratops' diet, usually sustained through the occasional Stygimoloch, wild boar, or fallen predators from failed attacks.

Destruction of the Collider
Triceratops were among the dinosaurs brought to Vulture Valley Vietnam by a malfunction of the first USSR particle collider. Andrei Wynn was later studying one of these dinosaurs when General Grigory Borodin ordered the deaths of all scientists working at his research station, allowing him to hide from the slaughter.

A year later when Vulture Squad, the Black Ops, and Andrei were heading upriver to stop the firing of a second USSR particle collider, the boat came across a mixed herd of Triceratops, Stygimoloch, and Hysilophodonts. While the men remained cautious and aimed their guns at the animals, the dinosaurs remained fairly calm until a feeding frenzy of Kaproshuchus started, causing the herds to stampede and leading to at least one Triceratops being eaten alive by the crocodilians.

Trivia
in the book, Triceratops was only about 10 tones in reality, adults can weigth up to 12 tones