Like many other stegosaurians, it had plates all down its back and spikes on its tail. Two large spikes were above its hips, and may have been used for deterring an attack from above (considering as it was a fairly short in height compared to later stegosaurians). Its plates were smaller than those of "Stegosaurus", with much less surface area. Thus they would have been much less effective heat regulators, one of the postulated functions of plates.