The Quetzalcoatlus is commonly known as a pterosaur.These creatures were from the late cretaceous time in North America. It is known to have been the largest animal that flew at that period of time. Quetzalcoatlus is part of the Pterosaur family. It was toothless and had a long and stiff neck.This family is called Azhdarchid. It was also the largest flying animal in its family. Fossils of the Quetzalcoatlus were discovered in Texas and the United States from around 67 million years ago. The fossils consisted of a wing that was estimated to be at about 32 ft (10 m). The Azhdarchid family were terrestrial hunters that picked up small animals. They would swallow anything that would fit in their mouths. These magnificent creatures were incredible at flying. They would launch themselves off the ground with a 4 ft (1.2 m) jump, which was supported by immense power.Quetzalcoatlus’ torso was small and packed with huge muscles. A single leap could get these huge giants off the ground and into the air. It would take a few flaps for them to get enough support and help with their launch. The Quetzalcoatlus could travel for about 9,941 mi (16,000 km) in the air after their launch, with only a few flaps of their wings. Their wings were not just a thin layer of skin but also filled with strong muscle fibers.If you enjoy this article, you may also like to read 17 dino-mite quetzalcoatlus facts and all about the coconut crab size here on Kidadl.How tall was a Quetzalcoatlus?The Quetzalcoatlus northropi was huge; it stood as tall as a giraffe when it was on the ground.More than 16 ft (5 m) tall, it weighed about 551 lb (250 kg). This is the maximum weight of a flying animal. Very few azhdarchids come close to the Quetzalcoatlus northropi’s size.Our information about these creatures comes from the study of their fossil remains. Despite this species being so popular, their fossil remains are very scarce. Their model is reconstructed on the basis of their family members. In this case, the skull is very rare, but it has been reconstructed based on our knowledge of other species.When standing, the Quetzalcoatlus was approximately 18-20 ft (5-6 m) tall and had a wingspan of 30 ft (9 m) or more. The Quetzalcoatlus northropi was quite possibly the largest pterosaur in the skies.How heavy was a Quetzalcoatlus?The mass of the azhdarchids was extremely big, and no other living species shares its body size or span.Measuring its wingspan, its height would be 9 ft (2.7 ) which is taller than a human being!The Quetzalcoatlus’ weight, by many reports, has been found to be very low compared to the size of the animal. It was found to be 150 lb (70 kg). From the year 2000, the estimated weight of the creature has risen to around 440-551 lb (200-250 kg)This creature is very well-known to have no other animals that share its body size on Earth. Due to this, scientists struggled to estimate its weight.Which is bigger, Hatzegopteryx vs Quetzalcoatlus?There are two different subspecies of the Quetzalcoatlus.There is another very similar pterosaur to the Quetzalcoatlus, known as Hatzegopteryx, which was also about the same size.Both are a dinosaur from the late cretaceous period in North America. The Hatzegopteryx may have been heavier, with a large head and a pronounced crest running down it. Both the species fed on small dinosaurs, which were up to the size of humans. The Hatzegopteryx lived on an island with small dwarf-like dinosaurs. In size, the Hatzegopteryx was considered to be almost the same compared to the remains of the Quetzalcoatlus. This would make it as tall as the large pterosaurs. One striking feature that is drawn on in this comparison is its large head.As tall as a giraffe, the wingspan of Quetzalcoatlus was 36-40 ft (11-12 m), and it weighed about 440-550 lbs (200-250 kg). The estimations of its wingspan were 39 ft (12 m), which shows it was larger than its relative. The Hatzegopteryx is also a part of the azhdarchid family, known from its remains that were found in Transylvania. These dinosaurs were the birds of the sky at that time period. Based on the study of its fossilized bones, the Hatzegopteryx may have been bigger than the Quetzalcoatlus, but this is unknown due to the rarity of their remains. Many claims have said that the Hatzegopteryx was much larger than the Quetzalcoatlus, when their height and wingspan are taken into consideration. However, many of these claims may be untrue as pterosaurs’ remains are hardly found, and the answer to this question is uncertain. This causes most people to think that the pterosaurs were of almost the same height.The largest flying bird on Earth is now the wandering albatross; it is the biggest out of all the 23 types of albatrosses.Was the Quetzalcoatlus bigger than the T Rex?A paleobiologist, Mark Witton says, more people should know the history of these astonishing flying animals that existed about 65 million years ago.The Quetzalcoatlus was the largest flying pterosaur. Pterosaurs were not dinosaurs, but they were winged reptiles that flew in the skies about 65 million years ago.The T-rex was one of the largest theropod dinosaurs and also one of the strongest. The T-rex was almost the same height compared to the pterosaur, which was about 18-20 ft (5-6 m) tall. The pterosaur weighed 550 lbs (249 kg), whereas the T-rex weighed about 8.8-11 tons (8,000-10,000 kg). The pterosaurs had a much wider wingspan compared to the T-rex, as the T-rex did not have wings. When it comes down to size, the T-rex and pterosaur had almost the same height. In weight, the T-rex was way heavier, but overall the pterosaur was slightly bigger.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked reading about the Quetzalcoatlus, then why not take a look at our articles on whether a penguin is a mammal or about whether a piano is a string instrument?
The Quetzalcoatlus is commonly known as a pterosaur.
