Pterandon sternbergi (left), P. longiceps (right)
Name	Pterandon sternbergi (left), P. longiceps (right)
Order	Pterosauria
Suborder	Pterodactyloidea
Class	Sauropsida
Name Translation	Winged and Toothless
Period	Late Cretaceous
Location	North America
Diet	Piscivore
Length	5.6 metres (Wingspan ♂), 3.8 metres (Wingspan ♀)

The Pteranodon was a pterosaur, a prehistoric flying lizard. It measured about 1.8 metres (six feet) long with a wingspan of 7.5 m (25 feet), and lived during the late Cretaceous period. It ate fishes,squid and other small sea animals and captured them with its long beak. It usually gets mistaken for pteradactyl, even though pteradactyl's proper name is Pterodactylus, which was smaller and lived in the Late Jurassic, much earlier than Pteranodon, and probably lived in Germany instead.

Pteranodon was notable for its skull crest. The crest has many blood vessels in it, found especially in male skeletons. It is belived that these were used as mating displays, in a similar fashion to how a peacock uses its tail feathers. Finds indicate that pteranodon may have gathered in large rookeries during mating season. It is likely that males with bigger and brighter crests would be more appealing to the females.

Pteranodon was notable for its skull crest. These may have been used as mating displays, or it might have acted as a rudder, or perhaps both. It has been suggested that males of the species bore larger crests, but with fossil animals it is often difficult to tell whether differences in crest shape reflect different sexes or different species.

A number of species of Pteranodon have been named, including Pteranodon ingens, P. longiceps, and P. sternbergi.

In the mediaEdit

Pteranodon appears in many movies, tv-shows and videogames. It has become one of the most popular pterosaurs.

• A flock of pteranodons attack the main characters in Jurassic Park III
• It is alo seen in The Lost World novel by Arthur Conan Doyle
• One of the main characters of the movie We're Back a Dinosaur's Story is a purple female pteranodon named Elsa. However, she is referred to as a pterodactyl.
• It can be created in the video game Jurassic Park Park Builder.
• One of the main characters of the Land Before Time movies is a pteranodon named Petrie
• Mr., Mrs. Pteranodon, Tiny, Shiny and Don from Dinosaur Train.
  

  Pteranodon in Primeval

  

  Pteranodon in Jurassic Park III

  

  A pair of Pteranodon flying over the Cretaceous ocean

  
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