Pterodactyl Dinosaur: Size, Wingspan, Habitat And Other Facts

The word pterodactyl is actually a catch-all term that is incorrectly used by most people to describe any prehistoric flying reptile; perhaps more importantly, pterodactyls are commonly called dinosaurs, which is undeniably false!

If you were anything like me, much of your childhood was spent being fascinated by anything and everything related to dinosaurs. From movies and books to junior fossil-cleaning kits, there is something about digging ancient bones out of the dirt that appeals to the human senses of wonder and awe. One of the most interesting prehistoric creatures did not prowl on the ground among the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Brontosaurus, but instead soared overhead, with wings spanning dozens of feet, in some cases.

Your brain might already be formulating the word… pterodactyl, but the word you should be using for these wide-winged beasts is pterosaur. Also, despite their nearly constant association with dinosaurs, including in movies like Jurassic Park, these prehistoric creatures were not dinosaurs. That sort of misclassification is akin to calling a human being a spider monkey. To make sure you don’t look too foolish in front of your paleontologist friends in the future, let’s dig into the fascinating story of pterosaurs.

Big model of prehistoric flying dinosaur Pteranodon(Krilerg saragorn)S
Pterodactyl (Photo Credit : Krilerg saragorn/Shutterstock)

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Tag » How Big Is A Pterodactyl