恐龍卡第 1526 張，共 2 027 張

Quetzalcoatlus

名字的意思： “named after the Aztec feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl”1

吃：肉飛行爬蟲類白堊紀晚期嚴格來說不是恐龍

Quetzalcoatlus was one of the largest flying animals that ever lived. It was a pterosaur, a flying reptile that lived at the same time as dinosaurs. With a wingspan as wide as a small airplane, it could soar over the ancient landscapes of Texas.2 1

趣味小知識：翼龍在恐龍頭上飛來飛去，但牠們是恐龍的親戚，不是恐龍喔。

生存年代

72 到 66 百萬年前3

白堊紀晚期

化石發現地

Texas, USA (Big Bend National Park, Javelina Formation)3 2

長度

3.5 m (11 ft)1

翼展

11 到 12 m (36 到 39 ft)2 1

體重

230 kg (507 lb)2

高度

2 到 3 m (6.6 到 9.8 ft)1

最高速度

時速約 128 公里（80 英里）

飛行: Witton & Habib 2010 (up to 80 mph)

牠生活在什麼時候？

三疊紀

侏羅紀

白堊紀

2 億 5200 萬年前20114566，小行星撞地球

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

牠有多高？

牠有多重？

跟 12 隻狗一樣重

跟 4 隻狗從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 19 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長跟 46 顆西瓜一樣重跟 12 個幼兒園小朋友一樣重跟 7 個小學生一樣重能在 3 秒內飛越一整座足球場

Quetzalcoatlus 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡算算數學。什麼都不會被儲存或傳送出去。

牠有多快？

走路的人 時速約 5 公里 (3 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 時速約 12 公里 (7 mph)

一匹飛奔的馬 時速約 65 公里 (40 mph)

一隻獵豹 時速約 100 公里 (62 mph)

Quetzalcoatlus 時速約 128 公里 (80 mph)

在高速公路上的汽車 時速約 130 公里 (81 mph)

酷東西

趣味知識

Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan of about 11 to 12 metres (36 to 39 feet), which is as wide as a small plane.2

It weighed only about 230 kilograms (500 pounds), which is light for its huge size, thanks to hollow bones.2

Quetzalcoatlus could walk on all fours using its wings as front legs, like a bat.2

It lived about 68 to 66 million years ago, right at the end of the age of dinosaurs.1

The first fossil was a single wing bone found by a student named Douglas Lawson in 1971.2

Quetzalcoatlus probably launched into flight by pushing off the ground with its strong front legs, not by jumping with its back legs.1

There might be two species: the giant Q. northropi and a smaller one called Q. lawsoni, which had a wingspan of about 5.5 metres (18 feet).2 1

Quetzalcoatlus 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Quetzalcoatlus 可能的樣子。這只是猜測：真正的動物可能長得不一樣，也沒有人知道牠真正的顏色。

你們都在問

關於 Quetzalcoatlus 最常被問的問題

?Was Quetzalcoatlus a dinosaur?

No, Quetzalcoatlus was a pterosaur, a flying reptile that lived at the same time as dinosaurs but was not a dinosaur.2

?How big was Quetzalcoatlus?

It had a wingspan of about 10 to 11 metres (33 to 36 feet), which is as wide as a small airplane. It weighed around 230 kilograms (500 pounds).1 2

?What did Quetzalcoatlus eat?

It most likely hunted small prey on the ground, like storks and ground hornbills do. Some scientists think it also ate small aquatic animals.1

?Could Quetzalcoatlus fly?

Yes, it could fly. It probably launched into the air by pushing off the ground with its strong front legs, using a four-legged takeoff.1

?When did Quetzalcoatlus live?

It lived about 68 to 66 million years ago, at the very end of the Cretaceous period, just before the big extinction that killed the dinosaurs.1 2

?Where was Quetzalcoatlus found?

Its fossils were discovered in Big Bend National Park in Texas, USA, in rocks of the Javelina Formation.1 2

?Was Quetzalcoatlus bigger than T. rex?

Quetzalcoatlus had a much bigger wingspan than T. rex was tall, but T. rex was heavier. Quetzalcoatlus was not a dinosaur, so they are hard to compare directly.1

?Did Quetzalcoatlus have feathers?

No, it did not have feathers. It was covered in hair-like filaments called pycnofibres, which are different from feathers.1

?How did Quetzalcoatlus walk?

It walked on all fours, using its wings as front legs, similar to a bat. It could also walk with a pacing gait.1 2

?Is Quetzalcoatlus the biggest flying animal ever?

It is one of the largest flying animals ever, with a wingspan of about 10 to 11 metres. Some other pterosaurs like Hatzegopteryx were similar in size.1

迷思破解王

迷思： Many people think Quetzalcoatlus was a dinosaur.

真相： Quetzalcoatlus was a pterosaur, a flying reptile that is not a dinosaur. Dinosaurs are a different group of animals.1

給恐龍專家

學名: Quetzalcoatlus
命名者: Lawson 19753
類群: 飛行爬蟲類
科 / 演化支: Azhdarchidae3
分類: Pterosauria > Pterodactyloidea > Azhdarchidae3
岩石的年代: 72 到 66 百萬年 (Maastrichtian)3
岩層: Javelina, Black Peaks3
國家: 美國3
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 8 筆3
發現: In 1971, geology student Douglas Lawson found a huge wing bone in Big Bend National Park, Texas. He named it Quetzalcoatlus northropi in 1975.2 1
仍有爭議: Scientists are not sure whether the smaller Quetzalcoatlus fossils are a separate species (Q. lawsoni) or just young individuals of the giant species.2 1