1 Brian loved his new invention. It was a Dinocam. It was a camera that could see into the past. He had seen many dinosaurs. He wanted to see some flying reptiles! He set the dial for 76 million years ago. He pressed the big red button. He peered into the lens. Brian felt excited!
2 Brian saw a vast sea. It was as smooth as glass. Far away, the smoke from volcanoes rose into the sky. Trees with broad green leaves lined the beach. Flowers bloomed. Deep in the sea, tiny shells covered the ocean floor. Brian knew he was in the Cretaceous period. That was when the biggest, fastest, smartest dinosaurs lived.
3 Brian saw a funny creature. It sailed over the clear water. It flew as well as Brian's best paper airplane. It was a flying reptile, a pterosaur. A pterosaur was not a dinosaur. They were the largest flying animals ever! Brian saw its skin-covered wings. They looked like leather. Each wing was 20 feet long! The creature's neck was ten feet long. He had tiny eyes. He had a long, sharp beak. Brian heard a sound. The creature was talking!
4 "Fish, I must find fish!" said Perry. He was an
Arambourgiania. He was the largest pterosaur ever!
5 Perry soared over the sea. His skinny neck went up. His skinny neck went down. He was worried. His babies needed food! He looked down into the blue-green water.
6 "Fish! I need fish!" he said.
7 Perry's mate flew close by. She swooped down. Her name was Patty. Raising babies was hard. Some lizards ignore their young. Pterosaurs were different. Scientists think that they may have mated for life. Perry and Patty had to guard their babies. Arambourgiania were carnivores. That means they ate meat. Perry and Patty had to feed their babies all the time. That was why they were fishing.
8 Patty scooped up sea water. It was salty! No fish, though. She soared back into the sky. She looked graceful. She caught an updraft. She glided next to Perry.
9 "Did you catch anything?" called Perry.
10 "Not yet," called Patty. "I'll try again!"
11 Patty swooped down to the sea. The water was clear blue. She saw flashing silver ribbons. Fish! They were close to the surface. She got one. She nodded to Perry. They flew back to their babies.
12 Their family waited at the nest. The nest was on a high cliff. The babies were new. They were ugly! They were so hungry. They squawked! Percy was a loud baby. He made the most noise.
13 Perry and Patty perched on the edge of their nest. Percy looked up with bright eyes.
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