“ | A magnificent pterosaur, Quetzalcoatlus, is hunting for food. | „ |
— Allen Johnson, about Quetzalcoatlus in Death of a Dynasty II: The Return of the King |
Quetzalcoatlus (name meaning "Mexican Feathered God") is a genus of azhdarchid pterosaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now North America. With a wingspan measuring 14 meters, it was the largest pterosaur that had ever existed; often referred to as the king of the pterosaurs.
In the Series 2 finale "Death of a Dynasty II: The Return of the King", a small flock of Quetzalcoatlus were brought to the park from from Late Cretaceous Montana, 65 million years ago.
Facts[]
Era & Discovery[]
Quetzalcoatlus lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous from 75 – 65 million years ago. Living among other pterosaurs, such as Pteranodon, making it one of the last pterosaur species to exist as well.
The first Quetzalcoatlus fossils were discovered in Texas, United States, from the Maastrichtian Javelina Formation at Big Bend National Park (dated to around 68 million years ago) in 1971 by Douglas A. Lawson, a geology graduate student from the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin.
Physical Attributes[]

Quetzalcaotlus skeleton
Quetzalcoatlus was the largest pterosaur ever to have lived in Earth's history and thus the largest flying vertebrate of all time. Possessing a wingspan of 43 – 50 feet (13 – 15 m) wide and weighing over 500 lbs. Quetzalcoatlus was much larger than any other large pterosaurs, such as the more famous Pteranodon and even Ornithocheirus.
Behavior & Traits[]
Quetzalcoatlus also fed on carrion and fish, like all other pterosaurs, but also hunted ammonites, fish, and crustaceans in the shallow seas. Additionally, new research by Mark Witton and Darren Naish revealed that they were actually giraffe-shaped, stork-like creatures, terrestrial stalkers that fed on small animals they picked up off the ground.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The sound effects of Quetzalcoatlus are that of donkey, eagle, hawk, peacock, raven, sea lion, and vulture sound effects.
- Quetzalcoatlus is the last and largest pterosaur to the park.