Non-dinosaur reptiles
Millions of years ago there lived many weird and wonderful ancient reptiles. Some were aquatic and some lived in the skies and a few looked similar to the mammals living today.
These non-dinosaur reptiles are often mistaken for dinosaurs but they did not have the physical characteristics that define a true dinosaur.
Discover more about some of these non-dinosaur reptiles and see illustrations for each one.
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Aquatic reptiles
Mosasaurs, ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs were all aquatic reptiles living millions of years ago. Learn about some of the animals in this group below.
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Flying reptiles
The flying reptiles are called Pterosaurs. They ruled the skies from the late Triassic Period to the end of the Cretaceous Period. Find out more.
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Mammal-like reptiles
Mammal-like reptiles were the prehistoric reptilian ancestors of mammals, and were the dominant land animals around 260 million years ago. Can you see any similarities with modern mammals?
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