Pteranodon

Pterosaurs gradually became larger and more specialized for gliding and soaring for long periods of time. One of the larger pterosaurs was Pteranodon. These flying reptiles were design for flight. Pteranodon had a small body, small and weak legs, and a short stump for a tail. Moving around on land may have been difficult for this animal. Pteranodon's wings were so big and its legs so small that Pteranodon would have a difficult time taking off by running and flapping. Its takeoffs possibly consisted of the animal launching off from sides of cliffs into the wind.

Pteranodon was a master in the skies; it could fly at about 30 mph. Its wings were three times longer than the largest bird today, the albatross. They measured 23 feet across; some of the largest Pteranodons may have had wingspans of 30 feet across. The head of Pteranodon was almost the same length of its body. But it was very light as the skull was made of hollow, thin-walled bones. A medium sized Pteranodon measured 7 feet long. Amazingly given the dimensions of this flying reptile, it only weighed 35-40 pounds.

Pteranodon was a toothless flier. The bill had a flexible skin membrane on the chin for scooping fish, like the pelican today. The crest of Pteranodon may have been brightly colored for display at breeding time. The crest was about as long as the bill at the front; it balanced the head and bill over the neck, especially when the mouth was full of food. Pteranodon's crest may have also worked as a rudder for steering in the air.

Pteranodon may have been a warm-blooded reptile. Many Pteranodon fossils show evidence of hair or fur on the body. Also, flying requires large amounts of energy and would have required the animal to have a high metabolism to achieve this.

Fossil remains of Pteranodon have been found in rocks that formed on the ocean floor at least 100 miles from the coast. This is indicative that Pteranodon possibly made long trips over the ocean, using its large wingspan to soar on the winds and skim near the surface to grab fish along the way.