Salamanders Lived With The Dinosaurs

In 2015, scientists found 200-million-year-old fossil remains of a huge salamander-like amphibian, a “super salamander,” that was a top predator of rivers and lakes. It might have even munched on early dinosaurs! Young paleozoologists will love learning about these remarkable creatures that once lived on Earth as well as seeing imaginative images of what they might have looked like. They’ll be amazed how such beasts change and adapt into the animals we know today.

Why are salamanders so slimy? These amphibians need to stay moist so they can breathe through their skin! If their skin ever dried out, the salamander would stop breathing and die. Slime helps salamanders survive in other ways, too. It keeps them safe from hungry enemies. The slime on a salamander's skin tastes bad and is often poisonous. Some people may think their slimy coating is gross, but it has helped salamanders survive on Earth since the time of the dinosaurs! In Slimy Salamanders, large color photos and fascinating facts will captivate readers as they discover what these water-loving creatures eat, how they stay safe, and the tremendous transformations that take place as these amphibians grow from tiny eggs to full-fledged adults.

Some bugs are big—but they can’t beat the ancient dragonfly called Meganeura. Its wingspan was as wide as a seagull’s. Try squishing that with a fly swatter! Readers will love the astounding prehistoric world in the vivid pages of this informative book. Besides stunning facts about dragonflies, they’ll learn about dinosaurs and other creatures that roamed Earth at that time. Amid information that will ignite their imaginations, they'll also contemplate significant science subjects that aid in understanding the animals that walk Earth today.

Ancestors of horseshoe crabs date back over 450 million years. That’s before dinosaurs walked Earth! Readers will find out more about these intriguing arthropods—which aren’t even crabs!—and theories about why they survived while dinosaurs became extinct. They’ll learn about horseshoe crabs’ unique behaviors, how they’ve adapted over the years, and gain an overall appreciation for these magnificent marine creatures.

Sharks are among Earth’s oldest creatures. They appeared at least 420 million years ago—that’s 200 million years before the first dinosaurs! These organisms were quite different than the ferocious marine predators we know today. Readers will love learning about these aquatic animals and how scientists think they survived against vicious marine reptiles such as pliosaurs. This book’s lively design, along with its high-interest topic, makes it a must-read for shark and dinosaur lovers.

It’s incredible to think that crocodiles were contemporaries of the dinosaurs. Not all crocs looked like the creatures we know today, though. Some were real monsters—such as Machimosaurus rex. It was 30 feet (10 m) long! Reptile lovers and dinosaur enthusiasts will love the details and images found in this high-interest book. They’ll also review important science concepts, such as adaptation and extinction, and relish sharing the fascinating facts they absorb with their friends!

Some spiders today are definitely scary. They might look hairy, have a poisonous bite, or especially long legs. But some spiders that lived during the age of the dinosaurs were really scary—and large! Yet, readers won’t want to run away from the astonishing images and information in this volume about prehistoric spiders. They’ll love discovering what these creatures were like and how they changed over the centuries into the creatures we know today. Important science concepts and vocabulary make this motivating volume a perfect addition to any animal library.

It seems the most overlooked creatures tend to have tricks up their sleeves Ð or in this case, tails. Threaten a salamander and it might steal away, leaving one extremity behind. Kids will delight in the salamanderÕs means of survival, and learn how this amphibian behaves in the wild.

The Chinese giant salamander looks like a creature from another world. Growing up to 6 feet long, this record breaker is the world's largest amphibian. Scientists consider it a "living fossil." The Chinese salamander has made its home in underwater caves since dinosaurs roamed Earth. This book offers readers a close look at this unique goliath. Full-color photographs accompany details about the giant salamander's anatomy, habitat, behaviors, life cycle, and role in maintaining the balance of the natural world.