Monday, February 7, 2011

Q: What did dinosaurs eat?

Some dinosaurs were carnivores. This means they ate meat and fish. Some were herbivores. These dinosaurs ate plants. A third group were omnivores. They had a mixed diet and ate both meat and plants. Some dinosaurs swallowed stones, which crushed foods inside their stomachs so it was easier to digest.

Q: What were dinosaurs?

Dinosaurs were members of the reptile family. They first appeared about 225 million years ago. For 160 million years dinosaurs ruled the earth. They walked on straight legs, tucked underneath their bodies, and they lived on land. The word dinosaur means 'terrible lizard'.

Q: Did some early reptiles had sails on their backs?

YES!




Dimetrodon had a skin 'sail' on its back. It soaked up the sun's heat, and controlled the animal's body pressure.

Q: Which reptiles had fur?

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Some prehistoric reptiles grew fur on their bodies to keep themselves warm. These were the cynodonts. They lived about 245 million years ago. Overtime they changed into a completely new group of animals, called mammals

Q: What did reptiles eat?

The first reptiles, such as Hylonomus, were small lizard-like animals that are tiny creatures. Reptiles learned how to run quickly so they could catch fast-moving insects. As reptiles became larger, they caught and ate bigger prey including other reptiles. Some reptiles only ate plants.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Q: What are reptiles?

About 300 million years ago, some amphibians changed into reptiles. They could live on land all the time. Reptiles have backbones and scaly skin, and most lay eggs. Many reptiles such as crocodiles, spend lots of its time in the water, but they can't breathe underwater. They use the SUN to keep their bodies warm.

Q: which animals live in water and on land?


An animal that can live in water and on land is called an amphibian. It means double life. The first amphibians appeared 350 million years ago. Gradually, they spent more and more time on land.