Science, Tech, Math › Animals & Nature Epidendrosaurus Share Flipboard Email Print Epidendrosaurus (Matt Martyniuk). Animals & Nature Dinosaurs Carnivores Basics Paleontologists Dinosaurs & Birds Herbivores Marine Reptiles Prehistoric Mammals Amphibians Birds Habitat Profiles Mammals Reptiles Wildlife Conservation Insects Marine Life Forestry Evolution View More By Bob Strauss Science Writer B.S., Cornell University Bob Strauss is a science writer and the author of several books, including "The Big Book of What, How and Why" and "A Field Guide to the Dinosaurs of North America." our editorial process Bob Strauss Updated March 17, 2017 Name: Epidendrosaurus (Greek for "lizard in the tree"); pronounced EP-ih-DEN-dro-SORE-us Habitat: Woodlands of Asia Historical Period: Late Jurassic (150 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 6 inches long and a few ounces Diet: Probably omnivorous Distinguishing Characteristics: Tiny size; long arms with clawed hands About Epidendrosaurus Archaeopteryx gets all the headlines, but there's a convincing case to be made that Epidendrosaurus was the first reptile to be closer to a bird than to a dinosaur. This pint-sized theropod was less than half the size of its more famous cousin, and it's a sure bet that it was covered with feathers. Most notably, Epidendrosaurus appears to have been adapted to an arboreal (tree-dwelling) lifestyle--its small size would have made it a simple matter to hop from branch to branch, and its long, curved claws were likely used to pry insects from tree bark. So was the late Jurassic Epidendrosaurus really a bird rather than a dinosaur? As with all of the feathered "dino-birds," as these reptiles are called, it's impossible to say. It's better to think of the categories of "bird" and "dinosaur" as lying along a continuum, with some genera closer to either extreme and some smack in the middle. (By the way, some paleontologists believe that Epidendrosaurus should actually be subsumed under another dino-bird genus, Scansoriopteryx.)