Pterosaurs were flying reptiles. They first took to the air in the Triassic Period and dominated the skies for the whole of the Age of Dinosaurs. Pterosaurs had wings made of flaps of skin that stretched between their extremely long fourth fingers to their feet or tails. Many pterosaurs had toothed beaks which they used for seizing fish. There were two main types: the long-tailed rhamphorhynchs and the short-tailed pterodactyls.

Rhamphorhynchus (pronounced RAM-foh-RIN-kuss) lived in the Late Jurassic Period. It had a small, furry body with a short neck and tiny legs. Its long, stiffened tail had a diamond-shaped piece on the end. Its long jaws were filled with sharp, forward-pointing teeth. When on land, it spent its time perched on cliffs or branches. It used its claws to climb up and hang on.

Rhamphorhynchus's huge eyes enabled it to spot prey from high up. It then flew low, dragging its beak in the water. Its teeth snapped shut like a cage once it had grabbed a fish.

Pteranodon’s long wings allowed it to glide on air currents above the oceans for hours on end. Having spotted a fish in the waters below, Pteranodon swooped down, scooped it up in its long, narrow jaws, then stored it in its throat pouch—just like a modern pelican.

Quetzalcoatlus was one of the largest animals ever to fly. Its wingspan measured up to 12 metres (39 feet). When standing upright, it was about the height of a modern giraffe.