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QUETZALCOATLUS

Quetzalcoatlus northropi

Meaning: "Feathered Serpent God"

🥩 Carnivores 🦶 Flying 🕐 68.0-66.0 Ma

📊 STATS

📏 Length 3.0-3.5m

📐 Height 5.0m

⚖️ Weight 250kg

💨 Speed 130 km/h

Size comparison:

As long as a small car!

📖 ABOUT QUETZALCOATLUS

Meet Quetzalcoatlus, the giant flying reptile named after a feathered serpent god! With wings wider than some airplanes, this amazing creature soared through the skies of prehistoric Texas!

Imagine a bird...but HUGE! That's Quetzalcoatlus (say: kwet-zal-ko-AT-lus), a pterosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 68 million years ago. Pterosaurs weren't dinosaurs, but they were close relatives and shared the Earth with them! Quetzalcoatlus was one of the largest flying animals EVER! Its wingspan could reach over 10 meters, making it bigger than some small airplanes!

Discovered in Texas, USA, in 1971, Quetzalcoatlus probably used its long beak to scoop up small animals like lizards, amphibians, and maybe even baby dinosaurs. Scientists think it might have stalked its prey on the ground, using its long legs to walk and its enormous wings to launch into the air. Because it was so big, some scientists also think it may have scavenged for food like a vulture. Unlike birds, Quetzalcoatlus probably didn't have feathers all over its body, but it might have had some fuzzy proto-feathers for insulation. This amazing reptile was a true giant of the skies!

🔬 CLASSIFICATION

Group: Pterosauria
Family: Azhdarchidae
Period: Late Cretaceous (100-66 Ma)
Era: 68.0 - 66.0 million years ago

🗺️ DISCOVERY

Year: 1971
Discovered by: Douglas Lawson
Location: Texas, USA
Fossils found in: USA (Texas)

🎨 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION

Artistic reconstruction of Quetzalcoatlus based on fossil evidence

🗺️ WHERE FOSSILS WERE FOUND

USA (Texas)

🤓 FUN FACTS

✨ Quetzalcoatlus was named after Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent god from Aztec mythology!
✨ Its wingspan was so big, it's like having the wings of a small airplane!
✨ Scientists aren't completely sure how Quetzalcoatlus flew, but they think it was a powerful glider!
✨ Quetzalcoatlus lived at the same time as Tyrannosaurus Rex!
✨ Fossils of Quetzalcoatlus have only been found in Texas, USA!

💡 DID YOU KNOW?

Get ready to be amazed! Scientists believe Quetzalcoatlus could reach speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour in the air! That's faster than a cheetah on land!