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Dinosaur, Colorado's bizarre, long-snouted Triceratops. Photo by author.

Last week I asked you submit your favorite atrocious roadside dinosaurs. While the sculptures along the main drag of Dinosaur, Colorado come close to the top of the list, my vote last week went to the ugly, ugly dinosaurs outside Stewart’s Petrified Wood near Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park. Readers sent in a few additional contenders for the title.

Photo by Mark Ryan.

Reader Mark Ryan sent in this sad, decaying dinosaur that stands near Interstate 15 in the vicinity of Victorville, California. No wonder the dinosaur needs those metal rods to support itself—its legs look like they’re made of cooked noodles.

Cowboys and dinosaurs, spotted in Natural Bridge, Virginia. Photo courtesy Kathy Krein.

A regular favorite of Dinosaur Tracking readers is the truly strange Dinosaur Kingdom in Natural Bridge, Virginia. Suggested as a top choice for weird dinosaurs by reader Laura Wilson, this tourist trap features a peculiar southern mash-up of dinosaurs and the Civil War—Union Soldiers are chomped on and terrorized by Mesozoic monstrosities. This particular shot, sent in last year by Kathy Krein, features a rather surprised looking cowboy who looks as if he’s only just begun to realize that riding a deinonychosaur was a horrible decision.

Photo by Kelly Enright.

Reader Kelly Enright sent in a set of several dinosaurian abominations from around the country. This one, complete with glowing eyes, stands guard over Goony Golf in New York.

Photo by Kelly Enright.

While not actually a dinosaur, this boxy mosasaur outside Big Mike’s Rocks & Gifts in Kentucky deserves an honorable mention, especially since the poor thing is stranded hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean.

Photo by Kelly Enright.

While not the absolute worst dinosaur I have ever seen, this Tyrannosaurus at the entrance to Kentucky’s Dinosaur World is one of the creepiest. So if the head is up there, and the legs are on either side, what part of the dinosaur am I walking into, exactly?

Photo by Kelly Enright.

We may have a new winner! While this automotive Triceratops—I think?—from Hanksville, Utah does win some bonus points for recycling, my first thought when I opened the image was “Oh geez! Kill it with fire!” This dinosaur is a junkyard nightmare, and surely a top contender for the worst roadside dinosaur ever.

One of the sad dinosaurs at Stewart's Petrified Wood near Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Photo by David Williams.

I have a fondness for roadside dinosaurs. Not because they’re accurate. Quite the contrary. Concrete and plastic dinosaurs beside America’s highways are often sad, malformed creatures that are truly terrible. Nevertheless, they are a reminder of the popularity and cultural importance of Mesozoic life, especially along roads that connect fossil-rich exposures where many authentic dinosaurs were found.

My vote for the best worst dinosaurs goes to the monstrosities at Stewart’s Petrified Wood shop near Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. One sad, roughshod theropod is poised to chomp down on a poor mannequin, and a model in a shock wig rides a dilapidated sauropod surrounded by icicle lights (seen above in a photo by David Williams).

But I know there must be others out there. I want to hear your suggestions for the worst roadside dinosaurs. And if you have a snapshot, share the photos of the poor beasts. You can send your submissions to dinosaursightings@gmail.com. I’ll share the best of the worst later next week.

When it came time to pick a 2011 Christmas tree ornament, the choice was clear - I needed a dinosaur. Photo by the author.

When it came time for my wife and me to pick this year’s Christmas ornament, there was no question what it had to be: We needed a dinosaur. After all, this year we left New Jersey to settle in the fossil-rich state of Utah, and so it was only appropriate to celebrate our successful move with a dinosaurian decoration. We settled on an Allosaurus pendant from Dinosaur National Monument. This Late Jurassic theropod—one of my favorite dinosaurs—is the official state fossil of my new home, and my first visit to the geologically wonderful national park two years ago was what inspired me to head west. Perfect.

But my wife and I aren’t the only ones to adorn our tree with dinosaurs. Friends have been sending me snapshots of their own tannenbaum dinosaurs over the past few weeks, and yesterday I put out a call for more merry Mesozoic ornaments. I was not disappointed.

Photo by Michael Barton.

Long-time reader Michael Barton tweeted this Cretaceous scene wherein a Triceratops faces off against a Tyrannosaurus. C’mon, guys—don’t you know that this is the time of year for peace on earth and goodwill towards dinosaurs?

Photo by John Pomeranz.

Among other dinosaurs, John Pomeranz nestled this particularly colorful Triceratops among the branches of his Christmas tree. With no predators around, this dinosaur clearly doesn’t need camouflage.

Photo by Aline McKenzie.

Even though pterosaurs aren’t dinosaurs, I couldn’t say no to this photo of one of the flying archosaurs decked out in a Santa hat, sent by Aline McKenzie.

Photo by Helen Fields.

What’s flashier than a Stegosaurus? A sequin-covered Stegosaurus ornament, of course. Thanks to freelancer Helen Fields—who has written about dinosaurs for Smithsonian herself—for this one.

Photo by Matthew Cobb.

Those sparkly stegosaurs sure do get around. This one, tweeted by Matthew Cobb, had been shuffling around the Christmas tree since 1986.

Photo by Twitter user @scurvygirl.

A vintage theropod reaches out from @scurvygirl’s Christmas tree.

Photo by Twitter user @ArtfulMagpie.

Given their probable diet of conifers, I’m surprised there aren’t more holiday sauropods in the mix.  Fortunately for us, though, @ArtfulMagpie has shared this lovely pink sauropod from her Christmas tree. She says “He was a brontosaurus when I got him as a child. I suppose he’s an apatosaurus now!”

Photo by Alexandra Witze.

A cute little Triceratops lives in Alexandra Witze’s Christmas tree, but where there’s Triceratops…

Photo by Alexandra Witze.

…Tyrannosaurus is not far behind. Though, based upon the lipstick, I’d say this one is ready to make love, not war.

Photo by Marc Vincent.

Of course, the fellows at Love in the Time of Chasmosaurs have unique dinosaur decorations, too. These two dinosaurs, sent by Marc Vincent, are out for a nice winter sleigh ride…

Photo by David Orr.

… and LITC founder David Orr has this fuzzy Spinosaurus, crafted by his wife.

Photo by Flickr user cali4niadreamn23.

Even museums have jumped in. This tree—inhabited by many origami dinosaurs—is on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. I think this tree wins the category of “most dinosaurs per square inch.” Thanks to fellow science writer Alexandra Witze for the tip about this one.

Do you have holiday dinosaurs in your home? Don’t hesitate to send them to us at dinosaursightings@gmail.com. We will create an end-of-the-year roundup for whatever other dinosaurs might appear. Until then, all of us here at Dinosaur Tracking want you to wish you warm and happy holidays, wherever you are.

A tyrannosaur bursts from the pages of Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Lost World'. Photo by Chris Scott.

A close-up of the Lost World tyrannosaur (notice the human with the gun perched right next to it). Photo by Chris Scott.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World may not have been the first book to feature dinosaurs, but it certainly has been one of the most influential. The book’s legacy even carries on today—there have been at least six different movie and television interpretations of the book, and there will undoubtedly be more. How fitting, then, that someone NPR’s Robert Krulwich has dubbed the “Library Phantom” should take a hardback copy of Doyle’s book and fashion an “adorably ferocious” tyrannosaur from the pages.

The creation is one of a set of ten, thought to be the last such sculptures to be created by the artist. That’s a real shame. The book sculptures are exquisitely and carefully detailed, and I would have loved to have seen what the author might have done with some more recent dinosaur literature like Jurassic Park or even the lesser-known Raptor Red. Still, I’m thrilled that a bit of dino-lit got the artist’s attention. The tyrannosaur bursting from the book is a wonderful tribute to the lost world Doyle created in people’s imaginations.

If you would like to see more images of this sculpture, see chrisdonia’s Flickr page.

[Hat-tip to reader Greg Leitich Smith who let us know about the book sculptures]

Have you seen a dinosaur or other prehistoric creature in an unusual place? Please send a photo to dinosaursightings@gmail.com.

A Triceratops jack-o'-lantern, sent in by Kevin McDunn.

Halloween has come and gone, but it’s never too late for a cool dinosaur jack-o’-lantern. And, if the two snapshots sent in by our readers are any indication, this is a good year for Triceratops. The first, above, was sent in to us by Kevin McDunn. Reader Nicole Sexton sent in a photo of her son’s own Triceratops carving (below). When it comes to pumpkin popularity, it looks like Tyrannosaurus has some competition.

A Triceratops pumpkin, sent in my reader Nicole Sexton.

Have you seen a dinosaur or other prehistoric creature in an unusual place? Please send your photo to dinosaursightings@gmail.com.