Millions of years ago, long before humans walked on this planet, one of the most extraordinary animals ever ruled the Earth – the dinosaur.
Dinosaurs are among the most successful animals that have ever lived. Some dinosaurs were harmless and ate plants. Others were ruthless hunters with vicious teeth who caught their prey then slashed into their bodies with razor-sharp teeth before eating their flesh.
Special Reptiles
All dinosaurs were reptiles. They lived on land, and most laid eggs with hard shells. They had tough scaly skin and claws of some sort.
Reptiles cannot make their own body heat, they have to rely on the air around them to make them warm or to cool them down. Some scientists now think that
some dinosaurs were ‘warm-blooded’ — that they could make their own heat inside their bodies, just as mammals do.
What Made Dinosaurs Different From Other Reptiles?
Their legs were tucked straight under their bodies, not sticking out to the side like the legs of other reptiles. They could walk and move about much more easily than other reptiles who had to drag their bodies along the ground as they walked, which made movement more difficult.
Dinosaurs walked in a more upright way, either on two or on four legs and although some moved quite slowly, other dinosaurs could run very fast indeed.
Giants And Midgets
Some dinosaurs were gigantic. If they were alive today, they would be able to see over the top of a building four storeys high! These include:
- Triceratops
- Ornitholestes
- Brachiosaurus
- Edmontosaurus
- Tyrannosaurus
- Stegosaurus
There were even dinosaurs that were as long ав four buses. Others scuttled around nearer to the ground. They were the size of chickens. Some were small enough to sit оп а human hand. Like a gecko lizard.
Not A Dinosaur
Pterosaurs, the flying reptiles, were not dinosaurs. Dinosaurs did not fly. The giant swimming reptiles like the plesiosaurs, were not dinosaurs either. They lived in the sea. Dinosaurs lived on land.