More About Quetzalcoatlus

Quetzalcoatlus was a flying reptile whose wing-span was just under 36 feet wide (10.96 metres). It had hollow bones, was lightly built and had a small body. Even though it was very big, it probably weighed only about 135 kilograms (300 pounds). It had toothless jaws and a long, thin beak. Its neck measured 10 feet (3 metres) long and its legs were over 7 feet (2.1 metres) in length, as was its long head.

Quetzalcoatlus had a large brain and large eyes, suggesting it had excellent eyesight. Its body may have been covered in fur-like fuzz (modified scales). A light-weight, bony crest on top of its head may have been a mating characteristic. The crest might have acted as a rudder for flying.

Quetzalcoatlus was a carnivore and skimmed the water in search prey. It lived inland from the sea, near fresh-water ponds (so its diet was not primarily sea fishes and marine mollusks like other pterosaurs). It probably ate arthropods (like early crayfish) and dying animals. Quetzalcoatlus probably hunted its prey by gliding towards the water and scooping up its meals in its long beak. It filtered its food through its long, pointed, toothless jaws.

Quetzalcoatlus wings were covered by a leathery membrane and were over 9 inches (23 centimetres) thick at the elbow. This thin but tough membrane stretched between its body, the top of its legs and its elongated fourth fingers, forming the structure of the wing. Its fingers were equipped with claws. Quetzalcoatlus was capable of flying long distances.

There are a number of different ideas about the lifestyle of Quetzalcoatlus. With its long neck vertebrae and long toothless jaws, it might have fed on fish like heron, or perhaps it scavenged like the Marabou Stork. Others maintain that it fed like modern-day skimmers. Presumably Quetzalcoatlus could take off under its own power, but once aloft it may have spent much of its time soaring on the air thermals. On the ground, Quetzalcoatlus probably walked on all 4 limbs.

The first Quetzalcoatlus fossil was discovered in Texas in 1971 by Douglas A. Lawson. During the Cretaceous period, the climate was similar to modern tropical coastal wetlands and lagoons, extending along the Cretaceous Seaway that filled the centre of North America. Bones of related animals are also known from Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada.