A triceratops may be a herbivore, but it is no pushover. They make a formidable opponent in battle. Its vast size and giant horns give its predators a real challenge. So how would a triceratops cope in a fight against another similar large herbivore? Today’s elephants are equally impressive with their large size and huge tusks. In this article, we will have a triceratops vs elephant fight to see who wins.
Triceratops vs Elephant: Fact Sheet
| Triceratops | Elephant | |
| Size | weight 5,000 – 10,000 kg length 8 – 9 m shoulder height 2.3 – 3 m | weight 4,500 – 6,000 kg length 7.3 m shoulder height 3.2 – 4 m |
| Speed | 20 mph | 25 mph |
| Attack | horns made of bone | tusks made of keratin |
| Habitat | 69 million years ago North America forests | African Savanna |
| Diet | herbivore | herbivore |
| Lifespan | up to 70 years | 60 – 70 years |
| Predators | t-rex | humans |
Related Article Triceratops vs Rhino
Triceratops vs Elephant: Size
A triceratops weighed 5,000 – 10,000 kg (11,000 – 22,000 lbs), had a shoulder height of 2.3 – 3 m (7.5 – 10 ft) and measured 8 – 9 m (26 – 29.5 ft) long. These are only estimates based on fossil findings.
The elephant is the largest living land animal with the African bush elephant being the biggest. The heaviest elephant ever was estimated to have weighed 10,400 kg (22,900 lbs), with the tallest individual standing at 4.2 m (13.8 ft). The average bush elephant weighs between 4,500 – 6,000 kg (9,900 – 13,200 lbs) and has a shoulder height of 3.2 – 4 m (10.5 – 13 ft) tall. They have a length of 7.3 m (24 ft).
Triceratops vs Elephant: Movement Speed
Since there is no living triceratops alive today there is no way of studying their actual speed. But scientists have estimated that based on their bone structure, they could have a top speed of 20 mph (32 kph). Elephants, on the other hand, are easy to study. They have a top speed of 25 mph (40 kph). So the elephant beats the triceratops on movement speed, but this isn’t much of a surprise as they weigh less.
Triceratops vs Elephant: Attack Power
The triceratops had three horns and a large frill on its head. It was believed that they were used in defence against predators. But now it is thought they were used for more. They may have been used for identification, and males use them for fighting over mates, much like how a deer uses its antlers. But still, it’s hard not to imagine a triceratops ramming and thrashing its head in a battle against a predator.
The triceratops horns and frill were made of bone and attached to the skull. This made them extremely strong. Only a t-rex had a strong bite force to crush and snap them. The elephant’s tusks are weaker as they are made of keratin, the same material as human hair and nails.
The two biggest horns on the triceratops were 1 m (3.3 ft) long. The average size for an elephant’s tusks is 1.5 – 2.5 m (5 – 8.2 ft). In extreme cases, an elephant’s tusks can grow so long that they almost touch the ground. These elephants are nicknamed tuskers. Tuskers were once widespread across Africa, but sadly, because of poaching for ivory and greedy trophy hunters, they are almost non-existent.
The elephant has one attack. The triceratops does not have that’s a long muscular trunk. An elephant’s trunk contains 40,000 muscles compared to the human body, which has only 600. That’s a lot of power in one place. An elephant can use its trunk to pluck fruit from a tree delicately or throw it around like a massive club. Slamming it into predators like lions or hyenas easily knocking them over. But an elephant’s best attack is charging with its tusks.
Triceratops vs Elephant: Differences
It’s not hard to guess the most significant difference between the two. The two are separated by roughly 69 million years of evolution. The triceratops weighs more and are longer than the elephant, but the elephant has a higher shoulder height. The elephant is a warm-blood mammal that gives birth to live young. Scientists now know that the triceratops was cold-blooded like the lizards we know today. They needed to regulate their body temperature using the environment, like basking in the sun to warm up.
Triceratops vs elephant who would win in a fight?
The triceratops will win in the triceratops vs elephant fight. An elephant has never encountered a threat like a triceratops before. First of all, they would be stunned by such a strange-looking creature, probably believing it to be some new rhino. When the elephant charges into battle, it will come to a dead stop when it locks its tusks with the triceratops horns. The elephant would struggle to push the triceratops back because of their weight.
The triceratops head frill will protect its body from the elephant’s tusks and easily push the elephant backwards with its strength. Depending on the length of the horns and tusks in the fight, the elephant would have to be careful not to impale himself on the triceratops horns. In the battle, the triceratops will overpower the elephant and then gore the elephant’s side to win.
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