Ask aDino Field Guide ← Jurassic

Artist's reconstruction · realistic art coming in a later version

Pterodactylus

TER-uh-DAK-til-us

“Winged Finger”

Jurassic
When
Late Jurassic
Where
Germany
Size
About 3 ft wingspan
Diet
Fish & small animals

6 Facts

1–6
  1. Pterodactylus was a flying reptile — and despite what many people think, it was not a dinosaur.
  2. Its name means “Winged Finger,” because its wing was a flap of skin stretched along one super-long finger.
  3. It had a wingspan of about 3 feet, roughly like a large hawk.
  4. It was one of the first flying vertebrates scientists ever studied.
  5. It probably ate fish and small creatures, snapping them up with its pointed teeth.
  6. Pterosaurs like this one ruled the skies while dinosaurs ruled the ground.