Reptile-neighbours

Strong legs




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   Unlike modern reptiles such as crocodiles and lizards, the dinosaurs stood with their legs beneath their bodies in much the same way as mammals. We also know that many of them were warm –blooded, which allowed them to be more active than modern cold –blooded reptiles. All dinosaurs stood tall on straight legs, so their weight – which could be immense – was fully supported. Modern crocodiles are close relatives of dinosaurs, but their legs do not support their bodies quite as well. Lizards usually sprawl with their legs outspread and their belliies close to the ground, which slows them down.

Reptile neighbours


   The dinosaurs were not the only giant reptiles living during the Mesozoic era. They shared their world with marine reptiles such as mosasaurus, and pterosaurs like pterodactylus. These animals were not dinosaurs, although the pterosaurs were close relatives. Most were hunters, and some marine reptiles had massively strong jaws. The pterosaurs were much more lightly build, with small bodies and long, efficient wings of stretched skin.Mosasurus: at up 15m (50ft)long, mosasurus was a powerful predator that lived at the very end of the age of dinosaurs pterodactylus: like all pterosaurs, pterodactylus was a warm –blooded, furry –bodied animals that probably flew as well as a bird.