Quetzalcoatlus (2024)

Wild

From afar, it's hard to believe that Quetzalcoatlus is one of the largest avians on the island. It shares a similar silhouette with the Pteranodon, and nests near the absolute highest peaks. Upon closer inspection, though, Quetzalcoatlus is an enormous creature of tremendous power.

I find it strange that such a large, imposing beast would be so skittish. Unlike other creatures of its size, it is more likely to flee than fight. I suppose the decision to flee from any trouble keeps the species alive on an island with so many dangerous predators. But then how does it eat enough to sustain its massive size?

Domesticated

Tamed Quetzalcoatlus have a very specific role on the island. Too slow to be an efficient local transport, and too weak to be an effective warbird, the tribes I've encountered tend to employ it as a mass carrier. Quetzalcoatlus is primarily used by these masters of the skies to safely carry vast quantities of supplies, creatures, and human cargo from one base to another without tiring.

— The Dossier

The Quetzalcoatlus or Quetzal is a large carnivorous pterosaur found on the Ark.

Quetzalcoatlus (1)
Wikipedia has a more detailed and comprehensive article on Quetzalcoatlus

Contents

  • 1 Appearance
  • 2 Behavior
  • 3 Domestication
    • 3.1 Taming
    • 3.2 Useful Traps
  • 4 Flight Control
    • 4.1 Carry-able Creatures
  • 5 Trivia
    • 5.1 Trivia not relevant for the game
  • 6 Gallery
    • 6.1 Gameplay Images
  • 7 Videos
    • 7.1 Spotlight

Appearance[]

Quetzalcoatlus is the largest flying animal yet found on the island. A gigantic, long-necked pterosaur, it dwarfs the much more common Pteranodon. These creatures are solitary and far-ranging, moving all across the island to roost and feed. They are carnivorous, feeding mainly on fish and small game taken from the ground. In addition, they scavenge.

Behavior[]

The Quetzalcoatlus is constantly flying and flees if attacked. In casual flight, Quetzal tends to fly somewhat slowly. However, if startled, they can move at surprisingly fast speeds—comparable to that of a pteranodon's sprint—in an attempt to escape. After a few seconds it will stop and go to normal speed.

Domestication[]

  • Long distance transport: high stamina and load capacity, flyable
  • Mobile base with platform saddle: attacking platform, crafting resources

Taming[]

Tamable by knockout (torpor)Food: Kibble (Rex Egg), Raw Mutton, Cooked Lamb Chop, Raw Prime Fish Meat

Useful Traps[]

Chain Bola, Bear Trap, Large Bear Trap, Plant Species Y Trap

Flight Control[]

TBA

Carry-able Creatures[]

Human, Dodo, Dilophosaurus, Kairuku, Oviraptor, Lystrosaurus, Compsognathus, Mesopithecus, Jerboa, Dung Beetle, Araneomorphus, Titanoboa, Phiomia, Pachycephalosaurus, Raptor, Terror Bird, Castoroides, Pulmonoscorpius, Mantis, Beelzebufo, Megaloceros, Direwolf, Sabertooth, Arthropluera, Parasaurolophus, Procoptodon, Diplocaulus, Kaprosuchus, Thorny Dragon, Gallimimus, Gigantopithecus, Dimetrodon, Triceratops, Carbonemys, Doedicurus, Ankylosaurus, Stegosaurus, Direbear, Sarcosuchus, Carnotaurus, Morellatops, Woolly Rhino, Mammoth, Chalicotherium

Trivia[]

  • The dossier was revealed on June 17, 2015.
  • Quetzalcoatlus conchapicem roughly translates to "Feathered lizard god that carries fish". This is a reference both to its name's origin as a Aztec god and to its in-game usage as a carrier as well as its diet of fish.
  • It can carry up to 40 structures on its Platform Saddle (including windows, doors etc.).
  • Unlike the Argentavis or Pteranodon, the Quetzal cannot angle upwards or downwards.
  • Often attempts to travel to 50 latitude - 50 longitude (on both Center and Island maps) when you attempt to knock it out. This should have been fixed in 236.6 but it still seems the case.

Trivia not relevant for the game[]

  • The game notes the Quetzalcoatlus as "carnivorous." While it was thought for quite some time that it was piscivorous, recent research findings have strongly suggested that the Quetzalcoatlus did indeed feed mostly on land animals.
  • In the real world, Quetzalcoatlus is the largest known flying animal of all time, and more recent estimates place its wingspan at 10–11 meters (33–36 ft).

Gallery[]

Gameplay Images[]

Quetzalcoatlus (2)

Quetzalcoatlus (3)

Quetzalcoatlus (5)

Quetzalcoatlus (6)

Quetzalcoatlus (7)

With Tyrannosaurus

Quetzalcoatlus (8)

With Tyrannosaurus

Quetzalcoatlus (9)

Videos[]

Spotlight[]

Quetzalcoatlus (10)
Creatures
Dinosaurs
Mammals and Synapsids
Reptiles and Amphibians
Birds
Fish
Invertebrates
Bosses
Event Creatures
Scorched Earth
Ragnarok
Abberation
Quetzalcoatlus (2024)

FAQs

Could Quetzalcoatlus fly or glide? ›

Paleontologists estimate that Quetzalcoatlus could have flown at speeds up to 128 kilometers per hour (80 miles per hour) and could have traveled 643 kilometers (400 miles) a day. Its powerful muscles may have allowed it to launch itself into the air quickly.

What killed the Quetzalcoatlus? ›

Quetzalcoatlus
Creature information
Primary diet :Carnivore
In the documentary
Fatalities caused :Several baby Tyrannosaurus
Causes of death :Fire, Mega Tsunami
3 more rows

Could we have ridden Quetzalcoatlus? ›

If humans and Quetzalcoatlus northropi had existed at the same time, is it possible a human could have ridden on one while it flew? Quite possibly, especially a smaller Human. They could likely grab and carry a short distance up to half their weight and they probably weighed around 440 lbs to 550 lbs.

Is Quetzalcoatlus named after the Aztec god? ›

The mighty pterosaur likely walked on all fours. The Quetzalcoatlus is named after Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent god of the ancient Aztecs.

Was Hatzegopteryx bigger than Quetzalcoatlus? ›

They concluded that an estimate of a 12 metres (39 ft) wing span for Hatzegopteryx was conservative, "provided that its humerus was longer than that of Q. northropi". In 2010, Mark Witton and Michael Habib concluded that Hatzegopteryx was probably no larger than Q.

Was Quetzalcoatlus a predator? ›

Quetzalcoatlus had a very long, sharp beak similar to the storks that we know today. Based on this observation, it is commonly thought that this pterosaur may have hunted small animals on the ground, similar to storks or hornbills.

How big was Quetzalcoatlus head? ›

The head of Quetzalcoatlus is slender and spear-like, stated to be up to three meters (10 feet) long, [PhP 2] including a beak that is 1.8 meters (6 feet) long.

How fast did Quetzalcoatlus fly? ›

Habib et al suggests 130 km/h. Witton suggests 90 km/h. Both values are for sustained level flight.

Did Quetzalcoatlus eat other dinosaurs? ›

An animal the size of Quetzalcoatlus could consume victims as large as small dinosaurs, picking them up in its huge toothless jaws. Despite this terrestrial hunting, Quetzalcoatlus and kin were incredible aeronauts. Like all flying reptiles, they launched off the ground in a four-footed leap.

How high could Quetzalcoatlus jump? ›

Studies of Q. northropi and Q. lawsoni published in 2021 by Kevin Padian and colleagues instead suggested that Quetzalcoatlus was a very powerful flier, it had a large breastbone to support the necessary muscles for creating the flight stroke, and that it would probably have used its powerful hind legs to launch as ...

Was a Quetzalcoatlus taller than a giraffe? ›

With a 40-foot wingspan, Quetzalcoatlus was longer than a Tyrannosaurus rex, taller than a giraffe and clearly the largest flying animal to ever live. Unlike pteranodon, it likely cast its long shadow over land, where it hunted. Read More: The Time of Giants: How Did Dinosaurs Get So Big?

Who found Quetzalcoatlus? ›

In 1971, University of Texas–Austin graduate student Douglas A. Lawson discovered the first Quetzalcoatlus fossils from the Javelina Formation in Big Bend National Park. These fossils consisted of bones to a partial wing of a gigantic flying reptile, or pterosaur.

Is Quetzalcoatlus bigger than T-rex? ›

It's called a Quetzalcoatlus: it's another giant predator, a pterosaur. And at six metres tall (the size of a giraffe), it's slightly bigger than the T. rex. The familiar voice of David Attenborough tells us that this other beast could poke the T.

Is Quetzalcoatl evil? ›

Once a well-meaning deity who helped humanity, albeit, through violent means, Quetzalcoatl grew angry, vengeful and bitter over his constant revivals and seeks to wipe out humanity and begin anew.

What did Quetzalcoatlus eat? ›

Recent evidence suggests that Quetzalcoatlus may have had feeding habits a bit like those of modern storks, combining scavenging for carrion with preying on small animals, such as small dinosaurs.

Can pterodactyls fly or glide? ›

Although many animals can glide through the air, pterosaurs, birds, and bats are the only vertebrates that have evolved to fly by flapping their wings.

Did pterosaurs fly or glide? ›

Pterosaurs were the first animals after insects to evolve powered flight—not just leaping or gliding, but flapping their wings to generate lift and travel through the air.

How did the Quetzalcoatlus move? ›

Quetzalcoatlus was bipedal, that is, it walked on two legs. But because its forelimb bones are so elongated, its wings could not avoid touching the ground when folded. This four-point stance suggested to some that the pterosaurs walked like a vampire bat, which uses its forelimbs to propel itself forward on the ground.

How did Quetzalcoatlus get airborne? ›

They studied fossils of Quetzalcoatlus to see where it had the most muscles and how its joints moved. Their studies found that to begin flying, the mighty pterosaur crouched down and then sprung up about eight feet high in the air. That launch gave it enough room to flap its huge wings and take off.

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