20 Quetzalcoatlus Questions and Answers.
A big name for a big animal. ( we will help you with this in the article below though so don’t worry.) It was a big, and we mean HUGE flying reptile that lived 66 million years ago right at the end of the age of the Dinosaurs. It was first found in 1971 in texas and is one of the better known pterosaurs, that’s right, it wasn’t a dinosaur!
We have 20 answers to the most popular Quetzalcoatlus questions below, and don’t forget to check out our Quetzalcoatlus videos, worksheets, factsheets, and more on the site too!
20 Quetzalcoatlus Questions and Answers
Hopefully the questions and answers about Quetzalcoatlus will be helpful to you, if you need to know we also have a link to our Quetzalcoatlus facts page which comes with a downloadable fact sheet to print and collect as well.
When was Quetzalcoatlus discovered?
Douglas A. Lawson Quetzalcoatlus first discovered in 1971 by. on a fossil hunt in Big Bend National park in Texas, USA. it wasn’t a full fossil. However the wing, forearms were enough to estimate the wing span to be over 33 ft (10 meters). this was confirmed when more fossils were found in Texas, Montana, and New Mexico.
What does Quetzalcoatlus Name Mean?
Although its not an easy name to say ( see below) its meaning is easier. It means feathered Serpent God in the old Aztec language – Nahuatl. it seems well suited to its name.
What did Quetzalcoatlus eat?
We are not 100% on what Quetzalcoatlus ate and the theories given by scientists have changed over time. It was thought to be a scavenger, a wading feeder, a skimming feeder over the water, and lastly had a diet like a modern day stork. Jumping or spearing food with its beak in small rivers or land.
What was the Largest Flying Dinosaur?
Quetzalcoatlus is in fact is the largest known flying animal ever and therefore is the largest known pterosaur species, However, Quetzalcoatlus was a pterosaur and not a dinosaur. It was a species of flying reptile.
When Big were Quetzalcoatlus Wings?
Quetzalcoatlus was the biggest flying animal ever, and with that came a massive wingspan of 11 meters (36 feet). this is about the same as a small plane!!
How Big was Quetzalcoatlus?
That wing span of 36 feet came with a huge body as well. When standing on the ground it would have been as tall as a giraffe and up to 3 metres at the shoulder. From the tip of its beak to its tail it would have been 33 ft long.
Was Quetzalcoatlus a Dinosaur?
Quetzalcoatlus was not a dinosaur, although it was alive at the same time as many dinosaurs and may have even eaten some of the smaller ones. It was a flying reptile called a Pterosaur, and there were a few animals in this family.
How heavy was Quetzalcoatlus?
Quetzalcoatlus had a big body to go with its 36ft wing span and giraffe sized body, though it was lighter than a giraffe and weighed an estimated 250–300 kg (550–660 lb). it would have to be lighter to be able to fly.
How far could Quetzalcoatlus fly?
Quetzalcoatlus was an excellent flyer, and could likely fly for up to 10days at a time and 800 miles a day. This means it could have crossed oceans without needing to land.
How long was Quetzalcoatlus beak?
Everything about Quetzalcoatlus was big, except its brain. It beak was as long as a full grown man, and could be over 6ft tall. it had no teeth in the beak though.
Did Quetzalcoatlus have a Crest on its Head?
Quetzalcoatlus is the only know Pterosaur, remember it wasn’t a dinosaur, to have a crest on its head. it is like that it was used to either regulate temperature, or as a display to attract mates. It also had hollow bones, to help it fly as well as those well developed massive wings.
Pterosaur coloring pages above.
What was the largest ever flying animal?
Quetzalcoatlus is the largest known animal to have ever flown as we mentioned above. The closest animal today is an albatross with a 3 metre wingspan, 3 times smaller than Quetzalcoatlus
When did Quetzalcoatlus go Extinct?
Quetzalcoatlus was alive at the end of the era of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. however it went extinct during the aftermath of the asteroid impact around then. A lot of larger animals went extinct at that time probably die to climate change and competition form smaller animals.
Where was Quetzalcoatlus discovered?
we can imagine the excitement as the bones were uncovered. A wing and for arm were found first, the size must have been amazing. It was found in 1971 in Texas. Since then Quetzalcoatlus fossils have also been found in New Mexico and Oklahoma making. Quetzalcoatlus one of the best-known pterosaurs
What Movies has Quetzalcoatlus been in?
Well you are likely to be on this page as you have just watched the most recent Jurassic World Dominion movie and saw this huge flying reptile attacking the plane. We are not sure if that would actually happen, and more damage would like be caused to the Quetzalcoatlus than the plan, but still exciting huh!
So it has been in that movie, however by name it has been in very little else. It is often the basis of the other flying dinosaurs ( not a dinosaur) you will have seen including scaled down versions in Jurassic Park 3 and Both Jurassic Worlds.
Was Quetzalcoatlus a Pterosaur?
Quetzalcoatlus was a Pterosaur, and not a dinosaur as we mentioned. It was a flying reptile. These flying reptiles were very sucessful and lived on the Earth for millions of years from the late Triassic – to the late Cretaceous. (228-66 million years ago.) So successful that there are are over 120 species of pterosaur discovered so far. .
How Tall was Quetzalcoatlus?
Quetzalcoatlus was tall, it could be 3 metres to the shoulder, and would have been 4-5 metres when standing upright. that is the same as a giraffe.
Could Quetzalcoatlus Jump?
Taking off would not have been easy for a 500 lb animal, even with those huge wings. Scientists think it developed the ability to jump to help it get airborne. Up to a height of 8ft!
How to Say Quetzalcoatlus ?
Quetzalcoatlus has 5 syllables but its not easy to see where they are. So we have split it up for you below. You say Quetzalcoatlus like this.
ket·suhl·kow·at·luhs
You can get some coloring pages below including the Flying Quetzalcoatlus!
Conclusion
Quetzalcoatlus was huge in every sense of the word.
- huge wings – check
- huge beak – check
- huge body – check
- huge flights – check
It just wasn’t a dinosaur, we don’t think that takes anything away from this flying giant though, and the fact that other animals could compete with dinosaurs as they walked on earth just makes the whole period much more interesting.
We have more facts on this and other (actual) dinosaurs on the site and you can check out the page below to get a full rundown of all the dinosaurs, and other prehistoric beasties, we have information on. Enjoy!
Some of My Dinosaur Resource Recommendations for Home and School.
Thanks for taking the time to read our facts and questions articles, as a teacher myself i have struggled to find resources in one place and that is why this website was born. I simply love teaching students about dinosaurs both in my role as a language and General Studies teacher. However there is sometimes a need for something more concrete than a printout (as useful as we think ours are! )
There is something awesome about the feeling of awe that these amazing creatures instil in our children and students. To further help you, and potentially me, i have included a few resources below that i have found to be incredibly successful when explaining dinosaurs to children, these range form books and resources, to toys fossils and dinosaur figures.
Sometimes having something tactile to touch in those tiny hands help to focus and cement learning and develop those big brains! Hope they are helpful too.
Dinosaur Books and Readers
There are of course hundreds of excellent, and not so excellent books on Dinosaurs for Children out there. So rather than, yet, go into huge detail. I will highlight the ones I love to use with my students from ages 6 to 10. We have include AR in these as well. ( nothing quite like a moving dinosaur in front of you!
Fossil Sets
I cant say how great these are to use in a classroom while reading with a group. the chance to read about a dinosaur and then touch a real piece is simply great. I have a selection ( self confessed dinosaur geek) but a cheap set of 10 or so will do the trick just as well. Dinosaur poop is great as well!!! i pass it round and ask them to guess what it is first!
Dinosaur Figures
I actually use realia in a lot of classes especially with animals and dinosaurs, and figures help to show the kind of animal we are reading about. It is possible to spend hundreds of dollars on dinosaur figures but ther eis no need, either as a teacher or a parent. The set below and similar we have used to help students picture dinosaurs to great effect.
References
https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Quetzalcoatlus#Head
Hi, I am Roy Ford a General Studies and English Teacher who has taught all over the world. What started as a fossil collection became a great way to teach, motivate and inspire students of all ages and all over the world about dinosaurs and from that and children’s love of dinosaurs came the site dinosaur facts for kids, a resource for all ages.
