W B Can you imagine being a huge flying reptile in the current world? It sounds a little absurd, but … millions of years ago that was something as common as seeing birds flying in the street. So now I’m going to show you how terrifying and strange they were!
CRYODRAKON BOREAS
Cryodrakon boreas or frozen dragon grew to a very impressive size and its body was kind of ugly, as you can see in modern images. It’s so scary! With an unbelievable wingspan of, at least, 16 feet, this is one of the largest flying reptiles ever existed. It was native to the not-so-cold Canadian lands from 76 million years ago. Back then, Canada wasn’t as cold as it is now. Imagine seeing a reptile the size of a giraffe with imposing wings in the middle of the Canadian countryside. I don’t think you would have enjoyed seeing a Cryodrakon flying around during your rural walk. Its appearance is as terrifying, strange, and mysterious as its name, which was inspired by Game of Thrones. But this “dragon” didn’t breathe fire. There’s so little information about this creature that, basically, only a few bones of this species are known and it’s been mistaken for another reptile on this list a lot.
PTERANODON
Enormous, frightening, and flying! Pteranodon was a scary flying reptile with a wingspan of 23 feet, or even much larger! It lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous, specifically in what is now Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. It had a very long toothless beak and a very characteristic crest, making it clear that this little friend wasn’t just any “bird” in the air. In reality, it was a prehistoric albatross that went around seas of North America, because, believe it or not, there was an interior sea that split North America in two! and that’s where this winged one lived and intimidated its prey. When you see it, you think it’s a dinosaur, right? But … it isn’t, because it doesn’t belong to the clade Dinosauria. The same happens with all the members on this list, though as they’re terrifying, they’re called dinosaurs. Would you think otherwise?
QUETZALCOATLUS
Its name is as particular as its size! Quetzalcoatlus was named after the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl, a mythical feathered serpent in Mexican culture. This pterosaur lived flying around North America about 68 to 66 million years ago. Its horrific features were complemented by a wingspan of 33 to 36 feet! Something really huge if you think of it. Your living room is likely to be even smaller than this Quetzalcoatlus with fully stretched wings. If you see it that way, this animal is kind of intimidating, isn’t, it? There are some debates about what it fed on, so that info is still unclear, but having a very long beak and weighing up to 440 pounds approximately, whatever this animal would eat, it is an easy bite for this quasi-mythical reptile.
NYCTOSAURUS
Very striking and tiny! Anatomically, it’s very similar to Pteranodon on this list. They both have large wings as if they were a modern bird, but … Nyctosaurus’s wingspan was barely 6.6 feet and it weighed less than 4.4 pounds. The most remarkable thing about this small winged reptile is its unusual and distinctive crests, at least 1.80 feet tall. It might have used this curious crest as a sail to fly better or maybe for courting. But those are just a few assumptions yet. This unimaginable crest was so large that it can be the entire length of its body. Strange and ugly, don’t you think? With its long, pointed jaw and almost as sharp as a pin, it’s a reptile much the same size as a large modern bird. Nyctosaurus, which was always around the Niobrara formation, the sea that divided North America and I mentioned before, terrified its prey until it became extinct approximately 80 million years ago.
DSUNGARIPTERUS
Many North America reptiles are already on this list! So now it’s Asian ones’ turn! This reptile has such an odd and rare name. Dsungaripterus is native to Central Asia, specifically Dzungaria, which is a historical region located in the present lands of China and Kazakhstan. It lived during the Early Cretaceous about 145 million years ago. This creepy winged reptile has a curved, pointed, and apparently toothless beak used to hunt its prey, such as worms and mollusks, hidden in sand or mud. But… the truth is, it had a lot of teeth on the back of its jaw to tear whatever it caught apart. Its wings were very impressive in size with a wingspan of about 9.8 feet. Even though it was a passive hunter, its hideous appearance would scare you for sure, if you had the chance to see it, of course.
THALASSODROMEUS
Now you’re going to travel from the continent of Asia to Brazil! Thalassodromeus is a native of Brazil from about 122 to 109 million years ago. Its enormous wings were so large that it had a wingspan of up to 15 feet. But, the most remarkable thing about this South American reptile is its huge cranial crest, which ran from the tip of its not-so-small beak to the back of the skull, having a great length of 4.6 feet. Although the purpose of its large and intimidating crest is unknown, it might have been intended for attracting the reptile’s partner sexually or for thermoregulation, among others. Imagine bumping into this reptile with that giant beak a few miles away, I’m sure you would run away! Even if you aren’t included in its diet, since this reptile ate fish only and at the time the fauna itself was more extensive, I think it would mistake you for a very rare fish.
TROPEOGNATHUS
You’re still in South America! Tropeognathus is one of the great pterosaurs that flew during the Cretaceous period in South American lands. Its imposing appearance and mainly its incredible long wings with a wingspan of 27 feet gave it prominence in its habitat. The most characteristic trait of its half-moon-shaped jaw is the crests on both sides of it. This specie may not seem that big on land, but … in the air, it would have been a scary experience. Though you can see it today in some video games and be fascinated and terrorized by Tropeognathus.
TUPANDACTYLUS
One more from Brazil! This pterosaur lived during the Early Cretaceous, coming from the Romualdo Formation in northeastern Brazil, at the base of the Araripe river. There are many fossils in good condition in that place. The most remarkable, exotic, ugly, and terrifying thing about Tupandactylus was its huge cranial crest. Made up of bone and soft tissue, what’s incredible is that its length was massive, running from the peak and getting split into two small bones that were very long. In between, there was a keratin-like soft tissue filling in that space. This looked like a kind of natural sail on the head, although it’s unknown what exactly this crest was for, it gives a unique touch to this winged reptile. It had a wingspan of nothing but 16 feet and nobody knows what it fed on because there are debates about whether it ate fruits or fish, but whatever this reptile would eat, it fed that enormous, striking and frightening crest.
HATZEGOPTERYX
Coming from Count Dracula’s lands, this is Hatzegopteryx! This pterosaur is a reptile native to Transylvania, present-day Romania. Although … at the time, this region was a large island called Hateg during the Late Cretaceous. It was so scary that it is considered to be a super-predator in its vast habitat! With its terrifying wingspan of 36 to 39 feet, it was a winged reptile that dominated the Romanian skies millions of years ago. Its skull had such a length that it was about 9.8 feet long! This reptile was so powerful and dominant that it easily attacked larger prey than its cousins , Pterosaurs, but it couldn’t even swallow lunch at a bite. Despite the fact that Hatzegopteryx became extinct, Transylvania still has that frightening vibe that together with the prehistoric fossils and other modern myths have marked this sinister region.
You can find impressive winged reptiles in unexpected places too! And the one coming next, will not let you down.
ARAMBOURGIANIA
The lands of the desert country of Jordan! This place also has its terrifying winged reptile! The Arambourgiania was absolutely gigantic and originally had a wingspan of about 39 to 43 feet. Also, it was 16.4 feet tall on land and it was large and scary enough to make any prey freeze with fear. They hunted prey in their habitat, from amphibians, other reptiles, and even baby dinosaurs. A true problematic winged one from the Late Cretaceous period. But the most frightening thing is that it’s carnivorous! This is how you could imagine or see him in current video games.
Were you surprised by all these winged reptiles? Because I was, especially knowing that there are so many mysteries on this planet and every day, new ones will be discovered. Don’t forget to comment and share for more amazing content.
