Scale Explorer

Prehistoric

How big is a Quetzalcoatlus?

Quetzalcoatlus · Quetzalcoatlus northropi, the larger species; estimated size · Quetzalcoatlus northropi

Wingspan (estimated)
11–12 m 37–40 ft range
Standing height (estimated)
≈ 3.7 m 12 ft approx.
Standing height (Britannica estimate)
≈ 5 m 16 ft approx.
Mass (estimated)
up to 250 kg 550 lb maximum
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Human, Ostrich, Great white shark, Quetzalcoatlus drawn to the same scaleHuman: height 1.61–1.75 m. Ostrich: height (adult male) 2.1–2.7 m. Great white shark: length (average adult) 3.4–4.9 m. Quetzalcoatlus: wingspan (estimated) 11–12 m.Human: 1.61–1.75 mOstrich: 2.1–2.7 mGreat white shark: 3.4–4.9 mQuetzalcoatlus: 11–12 mQuetzalcoatlus11–12 mOstrich2.1–2.7 mHuman1.61–1.75 mGreat white shark3.4–4.9 m
Everything is drawn to the same scale, standing on the same ground line. Silhouettes are simplified outlines scaled to the measured dimension. A faded outline shows the top of a size range.

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Dimensions

MeasurementMetricImperialNotesSource
Wingspan (estimated) 11–12 m 37–40 ft Estimated wingspan of Quetzalcoatlus northropi from the 2021 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology memoir; Britannica gives up to 11 meters (36 feet). Range: varies [1] [3]
Standing height (estimated) ≈ 3.7 m ≈ 12 ft Estimated height standing on the ground. Approximate [1]
Standing height (Britannica estimate) ≈ 5 m ≈ 16 ft Estimated; Britannica says Q. northropi stood about 5 meters (16 feet) tall. Approximate [3]
Mass (estimated) up to 250 kg up to 550 lb Estimated; Britannica says weight estimates are elusive but it could have been as much as 250 kg (550 pounds) according to some researchers. Maximum [3]
Neck length ≈ 1.8 m ≈ 6 ft Estimated neck length; Britannica gives up to 3 meters (10 feet) for Q. northropi. Approximate [1]
Wingspan of the smaller species, Q. lawsoni 5.5–6.1 m 18–20 ft Estimated wingspan of Quetzalcoatlus lawsoni, named in 2021. Range: varies [2]

About the Quetzalcoatlus

Quetzalcoatlus was a giant pterosaur, a flying reptile rather than a dinosaur, that lived in what is now Big Bend in West Texas about 70 million years ago. The larger species, Q. northropi, is the largest flying animal known, with an estimated wingspan of 37 to 40 feet, and it stood about 12 feet tall on the ground. It had no tail, a very long neck and long toothless jaws, and is thought to have launched itself into the air with a powerful leap.

  • Its wings were so long that they touched the ground when folded, so it walked on all fours with an unusual step-by-step gait. [1]
  • Researchers think it took off by leaping at least 8 feet into the air before sweeping its wings down. [2]
  • All known Quetzalcoatlus fossils are held in the University of Texas at Austin collections; the large species is known from a single set of bones found in Big Bend National Park. [2] [1]
  • Like all pterosaurs it had no feathers; its body was covered with hair. [3] [1]

How many fit?

  • ≈ 7 × Human · height lined up end to end match the Quetzalcoatlus · wingspan (estimated)
  • ≈ 3 × Human · body mass on the scales weigh as much as Quetzalcoatlus · mass (estimated)
  • ≈ 2.4 × Car · length lined up end to end match the Quetzalcoatlus · wingspan (estimated)

Counts divide one sourced figure by another. "End to end" uses each object's main measurement; weight and volume rows appear only when both figures are sourced.

How it compares

  • 7× A Quetzalcoatlus is about 7 times as wide as an average adult is tall. See side by side
  • 2.4× A Quetzalcoatlus is about 2.4 times as wide as a mid-size car is long. See side by side
  • 1/1 A Quetzalcoatlus is about as wide as a Tyrannosaurus rex is long. See side by side
  • 1/1 A Quetzalcoatlus is about as wide as a Brachiosaurus is tall. See side by side
  • 1/2 A tennis court is about 2 times as long as a Quetzalcoatlus is wide. See side by side
  • 1/3.4 A Boeing 737 is about 3.4 times as long as a Quetzalcoatlus is wide. See side by side

Factors compare the wingspan (estimated) of a Quetzalcoatlus with each object’s own main measurement (height for a human). Where a size varies, the factor is given as a range.

Notes on these figures

  • All sizes are estimates from a small number of fossil bones.
  • Standing height estimates differ: 12 feet (UC Berkeley, 2021) versus about 5 m / 16 feet (Britannica). The Berkeley figure is used for the drawing.
  • Britannica gives the wingspan as up to 11 m (36 ft), a little below the 37-40 ft of the 2021 memoir; elsewhere in the same article it also says 'a wingspan of up to 6 meters', which appears to be an error and was not used.
  • Neck length also differs: 6 feet (UC Berkeley) versus up to 3 m / 10 feet (Britannica).
  • No museum source fetched gave a firm mass; the only figure is Britannica's 'as much as 250 kg according to some researchers'.

Sources

  1. University of California, Berkeley, Fleshing out the Bones of Quetzalcoatlus, Earth's Largest Flier Ever. Accessed 25 September 2026.
  2. The University of Texas at Austin, World's Largest Pterosaur Leaped Aloft to Fly. Accessed 25 September 2026.
  3. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Quetzalcoatlus. Accessed 25 September 2026.

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