Riddles about Animals living before Dinosaurs

My fifth and newest riddle book, Riddles from The Farm, is out now. This is for young children and as it rhymes, will help them learn and remember simple facts about farm animals.

The riddles below are completely different and are some of the amazing animals who are around today, who also lived millions of years ago before the dinosaurs.

Riddle 1

I’m beautiful, a carnivore,
tadpoles, insects, fish,
I’ll take what’s there, what’s right for me
and chomp a tasty dish!

I do not have a nose.
I breathe some other way
It is too rude to say it,
perhaps another day!

I zap across the water
if it’s fresh and not the sea.
I can fly six different ways,
I’m good at flight– that’s me!

We may migrate to feed ourselves.
We want to stay alive.
For actually we don’t live long,
some four years, maybe five!

My sharp teeth rarely bite you,
it is not you I sting.
My vision’s really very good
I can see like anything!

Now that you have listened,
just tell me what’s my name.
If you don’t know, don’t worry,
I’ll tell you all the same.

Riddle 2

I did live with the dinosaurs
but they did not eat me!
I wasn’t yummy veg or meat,
but different, as you’ll see!

Please don’t put me on the beach
I would much rather not!
I’ll disappear while you’re away
especially when it’s hot!

We can be girls or boys
Or both, just fancy that!
You people cannot do this,
but that is where we’re at!

I have no legs or limbs
but tentacles below
they dangle very long
much longer than you know!

Now that you have listened,
Just tell me what’s my name.
If you don’t know, don’t worry,
I’ll tell you all the same.

Riddle 3

There are more of us than you would know,
we’re the biggest group of all
(a quarter of all animals)
we often are quite small.

With no backbone, I’m invertebrate.
Some of us may glow.
Weevils, ladybirds as well,
they’re in our group, you know!

We did live with the dinos.
And we survived them too.
We used to pollinate the plants
for them and mammals – that is you!

We don’t like it when it’s very cold
We’ve wings and we can fly.
Our mouth is on our head
I really don’t know why!

We mostly feed on plants
and it’s certain, we can chew
You’re lucky as it is the case
we never chew on you!

Now that you have listened,
just tell me what’s my name.
If you don’t know, don’t worry,
I’ll tell you all the same.

If you want the answers, they are below,
but not in the correct order.

                  beetles, dragonflies, jellyfish

If you want to listen to the audio version, the link is here:
https://charlotteswonderfulstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/recording0012.wav