The Dinosaur - Quetzalcoatlus

While dinosaurs ruled the land, the skies were ruled by flying reptiles called pterosaurs. No dinosaurs could actually fly (although some developed feathers possibly to keep them warm) so pterosaurs had the skies to themselves. .

Quetzalcoatlus, a type of pterosaur, was the biggest flying creature ever – as big as a small plane! Its head measured more than two metres and its neck was over three metres long. It may have weighed as much as a large human being. To support its weight, this late-Cretaceous pterosaur had a wingspan like that of a light aircraft.

With wings made of skin, they flew over water and swooped down to catch fish. Quetzalcoatlus chopped up crabs and other shellfish with its strong beak.

Just like vultures do today, the Quetzalcoatlus, flew over land looking for dead or dying animals. If it spotted something tasty looking it would land and feed on the creature with its sharp beak.

Like modern-day bats, the pterosaurs wings of leathery skin stretched between their legs and finger bones. Pterodactyls, a group of pterosaurs, may have even slept like bats hanging upside down from branches.

It makes sense that flying animals need to be light so many of a pterosaur's bones were actually hollow inside. They were criss-crossed with little bony rods to make them stronger.

Quetzalcoatlus means 'feathered serpent' but experts don't think it actually had feathers. Its body might have been covered in fuzzy fur or hair-like scales.