Quetzalcoatlus northropi

Overview

Quetzalcoatlus was one of the largest flying animals that ever existed—a pterosaur with a wingspan as wide as a small airplane! Named after the Aztec feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this incredible creature soared over North America during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 68-66 million years ago, right alongside T. rex and Triceratops.

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Taxonomy & Classification

• Order: Pterosauria
• Family: Azhdarchidae
• Diet: Carnivorous
• Type: Giant pterosaur

Remember: Pterosaurs were NOT dinosaurs—they were flying reptiles that lived alongside dinosaurs!

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Physical Characteristics

Mind-Blowing Size

• Wingspan: 10-11 meters (33-36 feet)—as wide as a small airplane!
• Standing Height: About 5 meters (16 feet)—as tall as a giraffe!
• Weight: 200-250 kg (440-550 lbs)
• Head + Neck Length: About 3 meters (10 feet)

Body Design

• Enormous head with a long, toothless beak
• Incredibly long neck for reaching prey
• Hollow bones made it lightweight despite its size
• Membranous wings stretched over an elongated fourth finger
• Long legs for walking on land

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How Did It Fly?

Taking Off

Scientists believe Quetzalcoatlus launched using:

• A powerful "pole vault" motion with its wing-arms
• Could vault itself 15 feet into the air in one leap!
• Used thermals and air currents to soar for hours
• Rarely needed to flap—mostly glided

Flying Style

• Could fly at speeds of 80+ mph
• Traveled hundreds of miles without landing
• Similar flying style to modern albatrosses
• Cruising altitude possibly 15,000 feet or higher!

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Hunting & Diet

What Did It Eat?

Scientists debate this, but likely prey included:

• Small dinosaurs and their babies
• Lizards and snakes
• Small mammals
• Fish (though this is debated)
• Basically anything it could swallow whole!

Hunting Style

• Probably hunted on the ground, walking like a stork
• May have stalked through forests and plains
• Used its long beak to snatch up prey
• Could swallow animals the size of a small dog!

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Life on the Ground

Walking Giant

Unlike many pterosaurs, Quetzalcoatlus was good on land:

• Walked on all fours using its wing-hands
• Could run when needed
• Spent significant time on the ground hunting
• Had an unusual stiff-legged gait

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Living with Dinosaurs

The Late Cretaceous

Quetzalcoatlus shared its world with famous dinosaurs:

• Tyrannosaurus rex
• Triceratops
• Edmontosaurus
• Went extinct in the same asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs

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Discovery

Found in Texas

• First discovered in Big Bend National Park, Texas in 1971
• Named in 1975 by Douglas Lawson
• Named after the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl
• The species name "northropi" honors Jack Northrop, aircraft designer

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Size Comparisons

Animal	Wingspan
Quetzalcoatlus	10-11m
Wandering Albatross	3.5m
California Condor	2.9m
Bald Eagle	2.3m
Cessna 172 Airplane	11m

Yes—Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan matching a small plane!

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Cool Facts

• When standing, Quetzalcoatlus was as tall as a giraffe!
• It could have looked into a second-story window
• Despite its size, it weighed less than many adult humans
• Its beak was longer than an adult human
• Scientists think it could fly from Texas to Canada non-stop
• The largest flying animal ever (that we know of)
• It was so big, some scientists initially didn't believe a flying animal could be that large!

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Quetzalcoatlus was the king of the Cretaceous skies—a flying giant so enormous it seems almost impossible, yet it really soared above the last dinosaurs!