A unique species of flying reptile, or pterosaur, that lived 168-166 million years ago has been discovered on the Isle of Skye.

Its wings, shoulders, legs and backbone were found in a rock on a beach, but the fossil’s skull was missing.

Scientists were surprised to find a pterosaur from this period off Scotland’s west coast - they were thought to mostly live in China.

The creature - called Ceoptera - is the second pterosaur found on Skye.

Its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic word cheò, meaning mist, and is a reference to the Gaelic name of Isle of Syke - Eilean a’ Cheò or Isle of Mist.

Fossils from this era, called the Middle Jurassic, are extremely rare, says Dr Liz Martin-Silverstone at the University of Bristol who used a CT scanner to make a 3D digital model of the fossil.

“Finding anything from that time period that’s more than just a single bone is really exciting,” she says.