PTERANODON
(ter-AN-oh-don)

Pteranodon lived over 66 million years ago. Since dinosaurs did not fly, Pteranodon was not actually a dinosaur but a large flying reptile. Its name means "Winged Toothless" which comes from its large toothless beak.

Pteranodon’s body was only about the size of a turkey and weighed about 30 pounds, but its wingspan was as large as 25 feet wide. Study of its muscle structure leads scientists to believe it probably did more gliding than actually flapping of its large wings. It had a large neck pouch like the current day pelican and would fly over water and scoop up fish.

Can you imagine what a turkey would look like with a 25 foot wingspan?

(c)1998 Peponi Internetional