Zhengheornis buyu - A Missing Link Bird-like Dinosaur coloring page

This is my free coloring pages blog. 

Today, the new coloring page drawing I did  

is Zhengheornis, a missing link between dinosaurs and birds.

Zhengheornis buyu a Missing Link

Zhengheornis buyu was discovered in 2024 in China. It was a very small bird-like dinosaur. It had only 15 tail vertebrae. This is fewer tail vertebrae than other feathered dinosaurs. It was only about 8 inches or 20 cm in length, and it only weighed around 1/3 of a pound. That is a mass of about 160 grams. So it was very, very small. It was a Theropod, but not a giant Theropod like Allosaurus. 

Modern birds have 5-9 tail vertebrae. Then they have some fused vertebrae that are called the pygostyle. The pygostyle is one bone. Early avian or bird-like dinosaurs had many more vertebrae and no pygostyle. But Zhengheornis had a number of vertebrae that is between the number of vertebrae of modern birds (avian dinosaurs) and ancient Theropod dinosaurs.  

For Example:  Microraptor was an ancient flying dinosaur that had 24-26 tail vertebrae. Zhengheornis had 15 tail vertebrae. Modern birds or modern avian dinosaurs have 5-9 tail vertebrae with an added solid fused bone called the pygostyle. Zhengheornis did not have the pygostyle, but it DID have fewer tail vertebrae than dinos like Microraptor.  With its reduced tail size, Zhengheornis could fly better than more primative flying dinosaurs. Zhengheornis may well be the smallest dinosaur ever discovered. 

So again, Zhengheornis is considered a missing link between birds and dinosaurs. But remember, birds are also considered Avian Dinosaurs. By the way, the Pterosaurs in the background are Rhamphorhynchus. They were NOT flying dinos. They were flying reptiles. 

NOTE: This coloring page is found in printable form by clicking on the button labeled "Paleontology." Then scroll down to the bottom of the "Mesozoic" section of the Paleontology list. If you are accessing this page in August of 2026, then the title of this drawing will be at or near the end of the list. 

Spinosaurus mirabilis a Newly Discovered Spinosaur with a Sword-like Crest

This is my free coloring pages blog. 

Today's new coloring page I drew is of 

Spinosaurus mirabilis from what is now the Sahara Desert.

 Spinosaurus mirabilis

In this coloring page, we see Spinosaurus mirabilis fishing. It is about to grab a gar fish. Spinosaurus mirabilis was related to Spinosaurus aegypticus. But this newly discovered dinosaur had some differences from other Spinosaurs. Spinosaurus mirabilis had a large sword-like or scythe-like crest on its head. This was probably for sexual display or/and to identify the species to other members of the species. 

Another difference from Spinosaurus aegypticus is that Spinosaurus mirabilis had proportionally longer back legs. This made this new Spinosaur more of a wader, and not fully aquatic like the well-known Spinosaurus aegypticus. Spinosaurus mirabilis was also smaller than Spinosaurus aegypticus. Spinosaurus mirabilis was around 40 feet long. This is roughly the size of a Tyrannosaurus rex. Although the two species did not live in the same part of the world nor at the same time. 

I should mention that this type of Spinosaur had a large sail on its back, like Spinosaurus aegypticus. And the name Spinosaurus mirabilis means: "Astonishing Spine Lizard!" I should also mention the Pterosaur seen flying in the background. It was also from what is now the Sahara Desert. Back in that time period around 95 million years ago, the land was much different. It was a riparian environment or a river floodplain. That is very different from the huge desert that is there now. 

NOTE: This coloring page in printable form is found by clicking on the button labeled "Paleontology" and scrolling down to the bottom of the Mesozoic Life section. IF you are accessing this page in August of 2026, then the title of this coloring page will be found at that location.

Mermaid & Merman coloring pages - many with Sharks in honor of Shark Week - Also other Water-Related coloring pages with Animals and Water Fairies

In honor of Shark Week, I am posting several coloring pages 

that I have drawn over the years. All of these are  Merpeople or Open Water-related

drawings or coloring pages. I drew some of these specifically for 

Discovery Channel's Shark Week! Others are just water-related drawings. 

Some of these drawings are recent, and some are from a while back. 

This is a bit of a walk down Memory Lane for those of you who follow this free coloring pages blog. 

It was a walk down Memory Lane for me as well. 

Torra the River Shark Mermaid

Wandari the New Guinea River Shark Mermaid

Megalodon hunting Livyatan

Reina the Ray Mermaid

Shark Mermaid feeding Sharks

Merman with 3 Young Sharks

Sierra the Mountain Lake Mermaid

Mermaid on a Tropical Beach

Kirianna the Shark Mermaid

Addee the Shark Mermaid

Gagolia the Shark Mermaid playing with a Friendly Shark

Skyphia the Jellyfish Mermaid

Tracia the Mommy Mermaid

Young Mercouple in Love

Cruise Mermaid on the Dunes by a Beach

Giant Squid hunted by a Sperm Whale

TarTarRugia the Sea Turtle Mermaid

Avia the Albatross Mermaid

Tracia the Mommy-To-Be Mermaid

Ellia the Treasure Mermaid

Shark Mermaid

Brenlia the Mermaid 

Marinia the Sea Dragon Fairy

Yes, I know this is not a Mermaid, but she IS an Ocean Being and water-related.

American Bald Eagle Fishing

Eagles prey on fish. The big fish is a Salmon.

Havyn the Orca Mermaid

This is a baby Orca.

Pania the New Zealand Mermaid with Hector's Dolphin

Pania the New Zealand Mermaid with Hector's Dolphin - modified

(I added shade on the face and a Sea Turtle.)

Alicia the Sea Lion Mermai

Alicia the Gray Whale Mermaid

Mermaid of Baja California with  Belted Kingfisher and Frigate Birds

Gray Whale Mother and Calf

Blue-Footed Boobies Mother and Chick

Boy River Fairy with Praying Mantis

Addia the Healer Fairy gathering Watercress

Brittnia the Cruise Mermaid with Sandpiper

Beaver Pond with Beaver and Waterfowl

Kinsey the Stream Fairy gathering Watercress

Kenria the Stream Fairy with Bird Friends

Rosanneah the River Fairy 

NOTE: These drawings are all available in printable form by clicking on either the "Fantasy, Myths, and Circus" button or the "Animals" button. You may have to search the drop-down menu of coloring page titles. Newer drawings are found at or near the end of the lists.

Esther the Beautiful and Brave Queen of Persia

Today on this, my free coloring pages blog, I am posting

my latest drawing. It is a coloring page of Queen Esther.

Esther the Beautiful and Brave Queen of Persia

I love the story of Esther in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. She was so brave and so full of faith. She was said to be beautiful. A great deal of beauty is in what kind of person we are. Kind and good people are perceived as more beautiful to other good and kind people. Esther was a good person. She was chosen to be the new queen because of her beauty. Although she was not of the Children of Israel, her husband, King Xerxes, must have been a good person in the light he had. As a result of the faith and bravery of Queen Esther and the faith of the other Jews, the Jewish people were saved, and their enemy Haman was executed. Read the whole story in the Book of Esther!

NOTE:  This drawing, in printable form, is found by clicking on the button labeled "Religious." Then scroll down to the bottom of the Old Testament list. If you are accessing this page in August 2026, then you will find this drawing at or near the bottom of the list. By the way, my last Old Testament drawing was also of Esther. I drew her again today because our lesson in Sunday School was about her. I began to draw this during the Sunday School lesson.  I finished it at home tonight.

Torra the River Shark Mermaid coloring page for Shark Week

Today, in honor of Shark Week, I am posting on this, my free coloring pages blog,

a drawing or coloring page I did

that has a River Mermaid. Her name is Torra. 

She is also a Shark Mermaid.

Torra the River Shark Mermaid

Torra is a River Mermaid. She is also a Shark Mermaid. She lives in the Mississippi River of the USA. She is especially a friend of Bull Sharks. In fact, Torra often protects people by deterring Bull Sharks from attacking people. She encourages Bull Sharks to prey on fish, such as the Catfish, Trout, and the Banded Drumfish that you see in this drawing. The work of the Rier Merepeople is why there are no recorded attacks by Bull Sharks in the Mississippi River. 

The murky water is one of the places Bull Sharks hunt. They often live in deltas and near the mouth of rivers. But they have been found 1000 miles upriver near the states of Illinois and Missouri. They can be aggressive and can be dangerous. Globally, Bull Sharks are the third most dangerous shark. There are 200 confirmed attacks by Bull Sharks, but again, no attacks have occurred in the Mississippi River. 

Torra is a type of Mermaid that has webbed fingers. Some Merpeople have webbed hands, and some do not. Torra can live in both freshwater and seawater. She has often lived near the Mississippi Delta, but on occasion she follows Bull Sharks upriver. Torra is in no danger from the Bull Shark. She has powerful magic that Sharks recognize. Besides, she can communicate with sharks on a basic level. Sharks are not as intelligent as Merpeople, but Torra can communicate with the shark on its level. 

Can you identify the 3 species of bony fish? The 3 types of bony fish are highlighted above. 

NOTE: The printable version of this coloring page is found by clicking on the button labeled "Animals" or by clicking on the button labeled "Fantasy, Myths, and Cirus." Then scroll to the bottom of the list of drawings. IF you are accessing this site in August or September of 2026, then this drawing's title will be at or near the bottom of the list. 

Wandari the New Guinea River Shark Mermaid coloring page for Shark Week

 Today I am posting another drawing for Shark Week.

This is my free coloring pages blog. I drew these coloring pages.

Wandari the New Guinea River Shark Mermaid

This unique shark can live in rivers. It is found in Australia and New Guinea. It is called the New Guinea River Shark. It is also called the Northern River Shark. It has triangular teeth up top but spear-like teeth on the lower jaw. It is capable of reaching sizes up to just over 8 feet, or about 2.5 meters. This drawing shows Wandari looking out for a pup. That is, a shark pup of this species. Maybe it is more like a partly grown juvenile New Guinea River Shark. 

New Guinea River Sharks live in estuaries and brackish water and even further upstream in rivers. They like murky water. In fact, they have small eyes, so they rely on other shark senses to hunt and catch prey. This is a very endangered species with only around 250 adults known to be alive in the wild. That explains why Shark Mermaids, like Wandari, are striving to help the species survive. 

Notice the unique white stripe on the tail. Also, this shark does not need big eyes because they live mainly in murky water. They use their ability to sense electrical charge in the nerves of other animals to hunt. They also can sense movement in the water. 

Did you see the turtle. It is endemic to New Guinea. It is a Pig-Nosed Turtle. Yes, it has a snout like a pig’s snout. Also, if you look in the distance you can see that this is a riparian environment. That means a river environment. By the way, “endemic” means the organism is only found in that location or area. So, the Pig-Nosed Turtle is only found in New Guinea.

NOTE: This drawing in printable form is found under the "Animals" button and under the "Fantasy, Myths, and Circus" button. Then scroll down to the bottom of the list. IF you are accessing this page in late July or August 2026, then you will find this drawing's title at or near the end of the lists. Have fun coloring!

Megalodon hunting Livyatan coloring page for Shark Week

 Today on this, my free coloring pages blog, in honor of Shark Week, I am posting a drawing of 

Megalodon, the giant shark. It is hunting an ancestor of the modern Sperm Whale.

Megalodon hunting Livyatan

Megalodon was a giant shark that lived in the ocean until about 5 million years ago. It hunted whales, seals, probably giant squid, etc. One of the biggest prey species was Livyatan melvillei. It was a whale that was between 44 and 57 feet or 13.5 to 17.5 meters long. It was an ancestor of the modern sperm whale. Unlike modern sperm whales, Livyatan had teeth in its upper jaw AND its lower jaw. Modern sperm whales only have teeth in their lower jaw. By the way, the species name for Livyatan honors the name of Herman Melville, who wrote the book Moby Dick. Moby Dick was a giant albino Sperm Whale.    

Megalodon was thought to be around 50 feet or 15.24 meters long. That size has been upgraded to up to 80 feet long. It is also now thought to have been more torpedo-shaped. It did not look like a big Great White Shark. A find from Denmark of vertebrae shows that Megalodon may have been up to 80 feet or 24.3 meters long. It weighed up to 115 tons. It is remarkable that the vertebrae fossilized; in sharks, bones are made of cartilage. Usually, the only evidence of ancient sharks is their teeth. The find indicates that Megalodon looked more like a giant Lemon Shark rather than a giant Great White Shark.

NOTE: This drawing, in printable form, is found by clicking on the "Animals" button and scrolling down to the end of the drop-down menu. If you are accessing this page in late July or August of 2026, then this drawing's title will be at or near the end of the list.