S is for Stegosaurus Traditional Cache
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This cache is a small lock and lock container. It was initially stocked with small armored dinosaurs.
Averaging around 30 feet long and 14 feet tall, the quadrupedal Stegosaurus is one of the most easily identifiable dinosaurs, due to the distinctive double row of kite-shaped plates rising vertically along its arched back and the two pairs of long spikes extending horizontally near the end of its tail. Although a large animal, it was dwarfed by its contemporaries, the giant sauropods. Some form of armor appears to have been necessary, as it coexisted with large predatory theropod dinosaurs, such as the fearsome Allosaurus and Ceratosaurus.
The most recognizable features of Stegosaurus are its dermal plates, which consisted of 17 separate flat plates. These were highly modified osteoderms (bony-cored scales), similar to those seen in crocodiles and many lizards today. They were not directly attached to the animal's skeleton, instead arising from the skin.
In the past there has been debate about whether the tail spikes were used for display only, or used as a weapon. Recently, a study of fossilized tail spikes showed a high incidence of trauma-related damage, lending more weight to the position that the spikes were indeed used in combat. Additional support for this idea was a punctured tail vertebra of an Allosaurus into which a tail spike fit perfectly.
When I was young, dinosaurs were one of the things that got me interested in science. It is my hope that these dino caches will have the same effect on the kids who find them.
Young children should feel free to take one of the Dinos without replacement. When the contents drops below 1-2 saurians, leave a note in the log and I'll try to top off the container
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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Treasures
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