Hobbies And Interests

Reptiles in the Polar Region

Reptiles live in virtually every habitat on the planet, except the polar regions because of the extremely cold temperatures. Millions of years ago, though, areas such as modern-day Victoria in Australia were part of the polar regions. The fossils of ancient reptiles that lived in these prehistoric times have been discovered there. These dinosaurs are the closest examples that there will ever be of polar reptiles.
  1. Allosaurus

    • An ankle bone from the giant, meat-eating Allosaurus was found in 1979 at Cape Patterson in Victoria, Australia, by Tim Flannery. It has been estimated that this two-legged reptile weighed approximately four tons and stood more than 16 feet tall. Allosaurus was at least 35 feet in length and used its heavy tail for balance. The legs of this huge carnivore were designed for speed, and it has been estimated that Allosaurus was easily capable of running down its prey. Each short arm of this dinosaur ended in three fingers that were armed with 6-inch-long claws. The jaw of Allosaurus was hinged and contained sharp 2- to 4-inch teeth.

    Kronosaurus

    • The best specimen of Kronosaurus was discovered in Queensland in the early 1930s. Dynamite was used to blast away the limestone in which the fossil was encased, after which it was shipped to Harvard University in the United States. It has been estimated that an adult Kronosaurus measured 26 to 39 feet long. Fossil evidence indicates that Kronosaurus had numerous teeth that resembled bananas, both in size and general shape. This marine dinosaur is believed to have fed on giant shellfish known as ammonites and other seagoing prehistoric reptiles. This dinosaur's huge flippers indicate that it probably lunged forward with considerable speed to startle and capture prey. Kronosaurus was too large to leave the water and might have given birth in the sea, as another marine-going reptile, Ichthyosaur, did.

    Pterosaur

    • These were flying dinosaurs that ranged in size from small, dove-like creatures to reptiles with a wingspan close to 30 feet in length. Pterosaurs exhibited a keel on their sternum or breastbone and had hollow bones that allowed for flight. As the vast majority of Pterosaurs fossils have been found near water, it is believed that these flying dinosaurs lived along coastal areas and around estuaries, where they fished for food. These egg-laying reptiles represented the largest vertebrates ever known to fly or glide.


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