Quetzalcoatlus (named after the Aztec feathered serpent god "Quetzalcōātl", which means "Serpent of Precious Feathers")[4] is a genus of azhdarchid pterosaur that lived in the Javelina Formation of Texas and the Ojo Alamo Formation of New Mexico, USA, 68 - 66 million years ago, during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period.
Two Quetzalcoatlus intimidating each other before a fight over a nest
“ Quetzalcoatlus are certainly masters of flight, but they're also, perhaps surprisingly, very competent on the ground. Each wing is supported by the single greatly-elongated bone of her fourth finger. By turning her wings upwards, she can walk very effectively on all-fours. ”
At 5.5 meters (18 feet) tall, Quetzalcoatlus northropi was as tall as a giraffe. Previously believed to have a 15.5-meter (51-foot) wingspan,[5] current estimates bring up a lower - but still impressive - wingspan of 10 - 11 meters (36 feet).[MW 1] Despite its great size, the pterosaur's powerful tendons, hollow bones, and overall lightweight build allow it to fly. Early estimates also state that it weighed as low as 70 kilograms (150 pounds), though most estimates after the year 2000 set its mass at around 200 - 250 kilograms (441 - 551 pounds) for Quetzalcoatlus northropi, as per the recent studies of Dr. Mark Witton and Dr. Michael Habib,[MHMW 1] two of the experts who worked on Prehistoric Planet. The earlier, lower masses are more fitting for the smaller, more recently-discovered species, Quetzalcoatlus lawsoni, which was found to be half the size of Quetzalcoatlus northropi. Dr. Darren Naish, lead consultant of Prehistoric Planet (who also has extensive experience in the field of pterosaur research), places the mass of Quetzalcoatlus northropi at around 220 kilograms (485 pounds).[DN 1]
The head of Quetzalcoatlus is slender and spear-like, stated to be up to 3 meters (10 feet) long,[PhP 2] including a beak that is 1.8 meters (6 feet) long.[PhP 1] A study in 1996, which focuses on four incomplete Quetzalcoatlus skulls and mandibles found in Big Bend National Park, Texas, suggests that it could open its mouth up to 52 degrees.[1][2]
Vocalizations[]
Much like its relative, Hatzegopteryx, Quetzalcoatlus is portrayed on the show communicating by means of deep, airy, booming sounds much like moose bellows, considered a more logical voice for the pterosaurs rather than stereotypical shrieks and screams.[DN 2][DN 3] Its bellows are not as deep as those of Hatzegopteryx, however, given its slimmer, less-robust physique.
“ One of the most interesting - because they are the most bizarre - are the azhdarchid pterosaurs, and to try and describe what an azhdarchid pterosaur is like is very difficult. They stand as tall as giraffes, they've got heads that may have been 2 meters long, wingspans of 10 meters... they're just some of the most bizarre things to have ever evolved on Earth. ”
― Dr. Mark Witton, Paleoartist & Paleontologist
On Prehistoric Planet, the females are covered in a tan and bluish-gray pycnofiber coat, and they also sport a small, rectangular crest on top of their head. Two similar-looking individuals were also seen in North America, though it is unknown if they are meant to be females, or if at least one of the individuals from North America is male, implying that, unlike Hatzegopteryx, Barbaridactylus, and Tethydraco, Prehistoric Planet does not depict Quetzalcoatlus as a sexually dimorphic pterosaur species.
The skull of a Triceratops, with the skulls of a Quetzalcoatlus, Mosasaurus, Barbaridactylus, and a smaller Triceratops skull in the background, appears in the opening of every episode of Prehistoric Planet's second season. Quetzalcoatlus is the focus of the fourth segment of Freshwater, where a female lays her eggs in the swamp forests of South Africa and ends up getting into conflict with another female that attacked her nest while she was away. Quetzalcoatlus also appears in the first segment of North America, where a pair of them harass a T. rex to force it away from an Alamosaurus carcass they want to scavenge, with footage of their conflict with T. rex being used in the Prehistoric Planet: Uncovered segment "What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs?", during the part where the pterosaurs' dominance of the skies is discussed. Finally, Quetzalcoatlus, along with fellow azhdarchid Hatzegopteryx, serves as the main focus of the Uncovered segment "Could Giant Pterosaurs Really Hunt on the Ground?", which discusses the hunting preferences of azhdarchids and, based on evidence, concludes that they were well-suited for stalking and even pursuing prey on the ground.
A lone Quetzalcoatlus arriving to the shores of the Javelina Formation in Texas, USA
Quetzalcoatlus lived 68 - 66 million years ago in the Javelina Formation, Texas and the Ojo Alamo Formation, New Mexico, USA, alongside animals like Alamosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. It is believed that the region it inhabited was a semi-arid inland plain at least 400 kilometers (250 miles) away from the shoreline (even appearing to lack large rivers and deep lakes),[5] though, given the flight capabilities of Quetzalcoatlus, it is able to fly to habitats it prefers more, or visit areas it normally would not be found in to exploit various opportunities, like large carcasses that can be scavenged, or damp soil that is ideal for the animal to lay its soft, leathery eggs in.
The damp soil of the South African swamplands are ideal nesting grounds for pterosaurs
“ Southern Africa. Here, too, the annual rains create floods. And the land turns into a maze of narrow channels running between countless small islands. This is now a swamp forest. And it attracts one of the largest flying animals that has ever lived on Planet Earth. ”
In the fourth segment of Freshwater, Quetzalcoatlus females are depicted flying from North America to lay eggs in the swamp forests of South Africa, though it should be noted that, while azhdarchids have been found in the northern, eastern, and western parts of the continent, no azhdarchid remains have been discovered in South Africa yet, and Quetzalcoatlus is only known from the southern end of the United States. However, such speculation is not unreasonable or implausible given the flight capabilities of azhdarchids, a significant factor that allowed the group to successfully colonize many parts of the world by the end of the Cretaceous.[MH 1] In North America, two Quetzalcoatlus get into a fight with a Tyrannosaurus over a dead Alamosaurus by the coast of the sea that split North America in half during the Late Cretaceous Period. While not the sort of creature to prefer coastal environments, the promise of a large body to scavenge is enough to attract the attention of this azhdarchid.
It has once been suggested that Quetzalcoatlus also lived in other parts of North America, like the Dinosaur Park Formation (southern Alberta, Canada, 76.5 - 74.4 million years ago),[6] as well as the Hell Creek Formation (Montana - South Dakota, USA, 68 - 66 million years ago), the latter based on specimen BMR P2002.2, an azhdarchid neck vertebra (resembling the fifth cervical vertebra of Quetzalcoatlus) discovered in southeast Montana in 2002.[7][8] However, such specimens have since been reclassified, with the Dinosaur Park Formation species called Cryodrakon boreas (Ice Dragon, North Wind god) in 2019,[9] and the Hell Creek Formation species renamed as Infernodrakon hastacollis (Hell Dragon, Spear Neck) in 2025, the latter of which has been determined to be more closely related to Arambourgiania than Quetzalcoatlus.[10] Currently, confirmed Quetzalcoatlus remains have only ever been found in the southern portion of the United States.
A Quetzalcoatlus quadrupedally launching herself into the air
As with all pterosaurs, Quetzalcoatlus took off from the ground by means distinct from those of birds. To fly, birds jump off with their two legs, and some even need to run in order to take off. Pterosaurs, on the other hand, relied on the "quadrupedal launch" technique, as suggested by Dr. Mark Witton and Dr. Michael Habib, two of the experts who worked on Prehistoric Planet. With their muscular forelimbs and pectoral muscles, they are able to catapult their lightweight bodies into the air and achieve lift. Due to their more energy-efficient means of taking flight, the pterosaurs were not restricted to the same body size and form limitations as birds, allowing them to achieve massive body sizes, with their flight muscles being 50 kilograms (110 pounds), making up 20 - 25% of the total body mass of the largest azhdarchids.[MH 2][11][MW 2] One common misconception is that the different atmospheric conditions of the Mesozoic Era allowed pterosaurs to stay aloft better, though Dr. Darren Naish, Prehistoric Planet's lead consultant, clarified that pterosaurs only relied on their own power to achieve lift, and would be able to fly just fine even in environments like those of the modern day.[DN 4]
A Quetzalcoatlus in flight
The exact dynamics of Quetzalcoatlus flight are still debated. While it very much likely flew, its wings clearly non-vestigial, working well in conjunction with its light weight and powerful muscles, some studies, like those of Dr. Michael Habib, say it can fly at a maximum height of 4.6 kilometers (2.86 miles), and, at a speed of approximately 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour, cover around 13,000 - 19,000 kilometers (8,000 - 12,000 miles), enough to traverse oceans and visit other continents in 7 - 10 days.[3] Other studies suggest that it did not soar at all, and only flew short distances.[12] Prehistoric Planet chose to go with the idea that Quetzalcoatlus could cover long distances in order to reach areas of interest, like isolated swamp islands that can keep their eggs and offspring safe from potential predators.
Nesting Habits[]
“ She's come here to make a nest. She chooses to do so on damp, swampy soil that will prevent her soft-shelled eggs from drying out. These first two are just the start. For the next three weeks, she will guard the open nest, and add two more eggs every few days. Producing eggs takes a lot of effort and energy. Each one is huge, weighing around a kilo. ”
Pterosaurs are believed to lay leathery, soft-shelled eggs (each melon-sized egg being one kilogram in weight)[DN 5] much like lizards rather than hard-shelled eggs like birds.[13][14] Hence, it is believed that, much like crocodiles and turtles, they buried their eggs (preferably in damp soil, as the Quetzalcoatlus did, to ensure they did not dry out).
“ Eventually, she produces a clutch of a dozen or so. She covers them with vegetation to conceal them. There should be enough food on this island to sustain her youngsters when they hatch. But there's nothing substantial enough here to satisfy her own hunger. She must leave to hunt for prey elsewhere... and trust that isolation of her nest will keep her unhatched young safe while she's away. ”
The egg-laying strategy of each pterosaur varies. Some, like Tethydraco in Coasts, formed families in colonies to provide their young better protection against predators, and 215 pterosaur eggs found in Early Cretaceous China proved this to be the case for some species, and also imply a long period of parenthood that justifies reliance on this strategy for protection, for, based on the bone growth rings of the embryos preserved within the eggs, these particular pterosaurs took two years to develop before hatching.[15] Others, like Alcione in Coasts and the azhdarchids in Swamps would bury their eggs in isolated areas, and leave the eggs be. Quetzalcoatlus is depicted relying on something similar to the latter strategy, except rather than simply laying her eggs in a communal nesting ground, she lays her eggs alone and, at the cost of her own energy, guards them up to their hatching, for others of her kind would view the existence of other eggs as competition rather than let them coexist with their own eggs, though this may be influenced by other factors, like insufficient food and other resources in the area.
“ Another, much older Quetzalcoatlus female. She too is looking for a safe place to lay her eggs, and there may not be enough food here for two sets of giant nestlings. But there is a way to solve that problem... and, eggs, after all, are very nutritious. ”
Overall, soft, leathery eggs are meant to be a weight-saving adaptation. However, they are very delicate, and, given how much care is needed to prevent them from drying out, these types of eggs limited pterosaurs to laying them in specific environments and conditions, which was made clear when, in the Freshwater episode, another, older Quetzalcoatlus easily discovers the nest and, to prevent competition, destroys the nest and most of the eggs, eating some of them, resulting in a fight between the owner of the nest and the attacker to ensure whose spawn is guaranteed more success moving forward.
“ The older female is driven off. But the younger female's nest is wrecked. Out of the dozen eggs that she laid, only three have survived. The success of her breeding season now rests on these three fragile eggs. She will protect them as best as she can until they hatch in a few months' time. But after that, her young will have to fend for themselves. ”
The lesser the eggs, the more careful the mother is to ensure their survival. But, much like some snakes and sea turtles, once the eggs hatch, the mother leaves the young to fend for themselves, their survival no longer her responsibility. However, a combination of a baby pterosaur's ability to fly after hatching and careful selection of an isolated, food plentiful nesting sight chosen by their mother means that they can survive in relative peace until they're large and strong enough to leave their birthplace. Overall, Prehistoric Planet depicts Quetzalcoatlus as an r-selected species, an animal that spawns many children and provides them little to no parental care (in the case of Quetzalcoatlus, the little parental care they provide is only for the eggs, but not the juveniles themselves once they hatch), with the hope being that, even when many of them perish as they grow, many more will survive to adulthood and spawn the next generation.
Hunting Tactics and Feeding Preferences[]
“ Pterosaurs would have been an awe-inspiring sight in the sky, but these giants were even more impressive and terrifying on the ground. ”
The hunting and feeding preferences of azhdarchids like Quetzalcoatlus were discussed in the Uncovered segment "Could Giant Pterosaurs Really Hunt on the Ground?", which concludes that, since they were not agile enough to pursue airborne prey, and their necks were not strong enough to withstand the stresses of skim-feeding like various fishing birds, azhdarchids were likely terrestrial hunters, with preserved azhdarchid footprints supporting the fact that they were competent enough to walk on all fours. Hence, while their flight capabilities allowed them to survey great distances and search for prey from above, once azhdarchids have found viable targets, they likely preferred to stalk and pursue their prey on the ground. This was demonstrated by two other azhdarchids that also appeared on the show, Phosphatodraco and Hatzegopteryx. As one of the azhdarchids with slender, spear-like bills, Quetzalcoatlus more likely went after small prey items that are easy to swallow like small dinosaurs, as opposed to azhdarchids with short, deep, and blunt beaks like Hatzegopteryx, believed to be powerful adaptations for tackling and bashing live prey too big to swallow whole.[MWDN 1]
A pair of Quetzalcoatlus scavenging a dead Alamosaurus
As opportunistic predators, azhdarchids likely also scavenged dead animals in order to conserve effort and energy that would otherwise be expended hunting live prey, using their beaks to reach deep into a body cavity and rip meat into smaller, more manageable pieces that can be more easily swallowed. This practice unfortunately puts them at odds with other large opportunistic predators trying to claim carcasses for themselves, like tyrannosaurs. This was first seen in the second segment of Deserts, which shows azhdarchids circling over a sauropod carcass, not coming down to feed on it until the pack of Tarbosaurus sleeping around it left the area. Quetzalcoatlus themselves would also be shown in a similar scenario in the first segment of North America, albeit with slightly different circumstances.
Competitive Behavior[]
A pair of Quetzalcoatlus attacking a T. rex from above
“ Quetzalcoatlus, a giant pterosaur. One of the few creatures that will challenge an adult tyrannosaur. One strike from its six foot-long beak could easily cost T. rex an eye. ”
Quetzalcoatlus are also depicted as having the courage and ability to properly challenge the apex predator of their environment, Tyrannosaurus rex, as seen in the first segment of North America, where two of the pterosaurs challenged a T. rex for feeding rights to an Alamosaurus carcass, much like how modern-day scavenging birds, like corvids, vultures, and eagles, attempt to mob food from larger and stronger carnivores. T. rex weighs 30 - 40 times greater than the lightweight pterosaur, has a powerful, six-ton bite that can crush bone, and is capable of short bursts of speed when necessary.[16][17] In the first segment of North America, a lone Quetzalcoatlus appeared a bit hesitant to approach a T. rex head on, though it slowly tried to creep in when the T. rex had its back turned, implying that it was still ready to try its chances in a confrontation even on its own. When a second Quetzalcoatlus arrived, however, the azhdarchids were more willing to exploit the few advantages they do have to challenge the T. rex. Due to their lighter build, large quadrupedal gait, and competent terrestrial mobility, they can move equally as fast and even be more agile than T. rex on the ground. Their ability to quickly quad-launch into the air at a moment's notice and attack from above is also a definitive advantage, though given the low agility of azhdarchids in the air compared to other types of pterosaurs,[PhP 3] they may need large, open areas like a beach or plain to fully take advantage of their flight capabilities in such a conflict. Quetzalcoatlus also has a six-foot beak that gives it better reach, allowing it to strike opponents from a relatively safe distance. With all these traits, Quetzalcoatlus can effectively harass comparatively less-nimble foes and even pose legitimate dangers (like permanent blindness in both eyes, which can be a death sentence for any sight-reliant predator), all of which can prove sufficient to get even the likes of T. rex to leave if the risks they pose outweigh the urgency to feed.
Even so, the presence of rival predators is not necessarily completely detrimental in nature, and may in fact provide some benefits. Quetzalcoatlus, like most pterosaurs discovered so far, lack talons to help rend flesh, and, while their six-foot beaks are long enough to reach deep into a carcass and sturdy enough to eventually penetrate and rip even the tough skin of titanosaur cadavers on their own, large predators like tyrannosaurs first breaking open body cavities and bones with their powerful jaws to expose the more edible parts of a corpse does help the azhdarchids access these more valuable parts of a carcass like bone marrows quicker and easier, saving stress and effort on their end.
Gallery[]
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↑Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitl (2019). History of the Chichimeca Nation: Don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitl's Seventeenth-Century Chronicle of Ancient Mexico.
