Could Quetzalcoatlus Survive Modern Day Africa?

Indexado: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]Quitzel quatas is often regarded as one of, if not the largest flying animals to have ever been discovered. But what if we brought this prehistoric version of a plane back into the present? Does the feathered serpent have what it takes to adapt and thrive into a modern-day ecosystem? Or would the changes of the contemporary age prove too much for it to handle? The place that we are putting this giant sarcid is none other than Africa. Now, you may wonder why I'm putting that instead of its home spot.

[00:00:25]And well, that's just simply because it'd be most interesting. As always, make sure to like the video and subscribe to the channel so I don't end up extinct like this terasaur. But before we truly begin, we have to first understand what quitzel quatas actually was. Well, quitzelquatlas noropy was one of the largest flying animals to have ever existed. A giant terasaur that existed during the late Cretaceous period around 68 to 66 million years ago. As mentioned, its name means feathered serpent, which was inspired by the Aztec god Quzle. Unlike what some may think about quitzel quatlas, it was not a dinosaur. Instead, belonging to a separate group of flying reptiles known as terasaurs, specifically within the family known as a zacids. This family of flies arguably reached the peak of giant flying evolution. Now, it is important to make it clear that we are solely using noy for this video. Unfortunately for the lawyers out there, it will not be included. But just a little bit of a hint, wait for the end as we do get into some speculative evolution. But good day, mate. I'm your host analyzing if populations of quitzel quatuses could actually survive in modern-day Africa's ecosystem. As always, we have a regular scoring system of environmental survivability, dietary suitability, and resistance to threats and competition.

[00:01:34]These will all be scored out of 10 before being added up for an ultimate survival score. So, Quedel Quatler stood around 5 m or 16 ft tall on the ground with a wingspan that stretched between 10 to 11 m or 33 to 36 ft. Truly a giant. Despite its size, it was surprisingly lightweight due to its hollow bones and highly specialized body structure. Current estimates for its higher weights place it between 150 to 250 kg or 330 to 551 lb. Its long neck, narrow skull, and toothless beak gave it a distinctive and intimidating appearance. Now, with all that said, does that really make it the largest flying animal to have ever existed? And to that, I say maybe. I mean it very well could be but there are seemingly heavier exarkas that once flew the skies such as hats grropics. The environment of quaqualis mainly consisted of broad inland plains with river systems flood planes and semi-arid terrain. The climate was generally warm with temperatures averaging around 16 to 22° C or 61 to 72° F reflecting a subtropical to temperate environment.

[00:02:37]One of its most impressive capabilities was the fact that it could take flight at all. Now, the thing with its flight ability is that at the moment there is no clear consensus for its continuous flight. Although it had a mode to take off, such as leaping off from the ground like a bat, that's just about where common consensus ends. Some believe that it would have caught thermal air currents that would allow it to soar over fast distances, while others believe that it would have flapped its wings and could only maintain flight for a brief period of time. For the sake of the video, I will slap it in the middle, being able to leap off the ground and flap its wings to fly, although particularly strong air currents would assist it in traveling further. It also would have likely possessed strong eyesight, which would have been crucial for spotting prey from both the air and ground. Its large beak was positively used to snatch up small animals such as lizards, mammals, or juvenile dinosaurs.

[00:03:22]Many researchers believe that he hunted like a giant stalk, striding across the land and picking off its prey. Despite its solid size, Quitzel Quatas was not built for combat with other large animals. But that should not be a surprising statement as, think about it, it was as tall as a giraffe, yet only weighs as much as a tiger. Instead, he would have relied on its height and wings for intimidation, as well as the ability to fly when threatened. On land, it would have been able to move surprisingly efficiently with a four-legged gate. While in the sky, would have been the most dominant animal of its ecosystem. It also lived an experienced life as it coexisted with Taurosaurus, Bravoseratops, Critosaurus, Droiosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, as well as Alamosaurus. So, with the Quzel Quatas established, it is time to jump into modern-day Africa. So, make sure to leave your comment below of how well you think this prehistoric titan will perform. The first obstacle for the Quitzel Quatlas to fly over is its environmental survivability. When getting into this category, we need to first know the area that we're introducing it to. And for this video, we'll be placing a population of these giant flyers into the Serengeti. This environment consisted of a range of interconnected environments shaped by climate, soil, and water availability.

[00:04:29]Its southern areas tend to be dominated by wide open grass plains. Meanwhile, the central and western regions include scattered woodlands and forests. River systems and seasonal wetlands would be able to cut through the landscape, which would have supported growth of lush vegetation and of course impact the migration of water around the landscape.

[00:04:46]As for the actual climate of the area, it tends to sit between 14 to 27° C or 56 to 80° F. However, that is its typical range. On scorching days during the dry season, temperatures can exceed 30° C or 86° F. So, how would the Quzel score here? Well, I think they would be able to adapt to this environment. Is it a bit warmer than desired? Yes, I won't argue on that. However, considering the environment that it lived in was not too much cooler, I think that it could certainly settle in. Same goes for the overall terrain. While I don't think adults would be comfortable in dense forest, there would be plenty of open space available for it to survey. With that, I would give Quztzel Qualas an environmental survivability score of 6 out of 10. The bigger question is what could Quitzel Quatlas realistically eat?

[00:05:31]Like don't get me wrong, it is big for a flyer, but that doesn't necessarily mean a good thing. If we go through the checklist, it is not going to be taking down elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, buffaloos, zebras, or wilderbeast. I don't really see any medium to largesiz herbivores actively being predated on by this flyer. They're simply far too heavy to be effectively hunted. Clearly, we know what it couldn't take down. So, what is actually on his potential menu? Well, I believe that this species would act more like a terrestrial forager and opportunistic beater rather than an apex predator tackling other birds from the sky. Its build with strong legs, neck, and large beaks suggest they would be better suited for walking across open ground rather than chasing and grappling prey.

[00:06:12]A 2021 study placed a medium-sized prey size at around or below 13 kg or 28 lb, meaning something like Quzlas could theoretically hunt prey at around 65 kg.

[00:06:23]This small size range would allow the terasaur to subdue prey quickly and swallow with minimal risk of injury.

[00:06:28]Within this ecosystem, it would likely prey on hairs, young gazels, ground birds, lizards, snakes, younger crocodilians, and other juvenile mammals that were not attended to. Its impressive height would provide a major advantage in open land, allowing it to spot movement above tall grasses and scan huge distances for vulnerable prey.

[00:06:46]With long strides and effective movement, it could cover ground with little wasted energy. Surveying over planes, scrubs, and river margins in search for anything too slow to react.

[00:06:55]It could switch easily between hunting live prey, scavenging carcasses, and stealing scraps from other predators.

[00:07:01]Eggs, hatchlings, and injured animals would all represent valuable low-risk meals. This flexible strategy makes far more sense for an animal of its size and design. So rather than imagining it as a dominant apex predator of other megaporna, it is more realistic to picture this as a towering ground stalker generalist using eyesight, height, and reach to effectively find its prey. With that said, I would give the quzel a dietary score of 7 out of 10. Onto our last scoring card, we have resistance to threats and competition.

[00:07:29]And well, I think here the Quzel is a bit of a mixed bag. Starting off with the positive, it is quite obvious that if there is one place this Azark would be safe, it would be in the sky. No bird of prey would be even capable of messing with it. So, it would remain unchallenged in that domain. However, once reaching the ground, a few problems begin to arise. This is mainly a result of the lacking weight that it possesses.

[00:07:51]At only a quarter of a ton, it would face challenges when dealing with other large predators. This mainly consists of the African lion, which heavier weights could challenge the quiz quatus' own weight, and spotted hyenas, which typically max out at 80 kg or 176 lb. In a test of physical might, the Zakod could come out on top if it was a one-on-one, but this immediately becomes a problem if a pride of lions hunted it as they do giraffes. Now, it is not necessarily all doom and gloom. Back onto the positives, its sheer height and well space that it takes up acts as a natural intimidation debuff on potential competition. You add that with the fact that no other animal today looks remotely like it and you have a pretty intimidating animal on your hands.

[00:08:32]Additionally, not all terrestrial predators would be something for an adult quitz or qualis to worry about.

[00:08:37]Cheetahs, leopards, jackals, and even wild dogs shouldn't be a problem for an animal so large. They would pretty much yip yip away as soon as this terasaur made its presence known. In saying that, the water would undoubtedly present another big issue. This comes in the forms of the Nile crocodile and hippopotamus, two of arguably the most aggressive animals within this ecosystem. Nile crocs can wayne at over double that of the heaviest quitzels.

[00:09:01]And although an intimidation debuff could work at times, n crocs have been observed in the past, launching at both giraffes and elephants alike. So for something as fragile as the cretzle quless, a single wellplaced bite from some of the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom would spell certain doom. Hippos on the other hand may not attempt to prey on them, but they are still incredibly aggressive and could result in an unwary qualis being critically bitten. We also cannot forget about when they are most vulnerable. This being when they are young from before hatching, there is the possibility of being predated on by lizards, snakes, and honey badges. The previously mentioned carnivores would waste no time in ambushing a young that has not gotten used to flying. Even once taking liftoff, when they're in their youngest stages of life, birds like eagles could target them every once in a while. So for resistance to threats and competition, I think I have to score the squirts or quatlas a 6 out of 10. While it would be able to intimidate many of the terrestrial carnivores, the largest group hunting predators would have it outclassed. Water sources would also be particularly dangerous, added in with their vulnerability in early life stages. But their ability to fly will get them out of a lot of bad situations, ensuring their survival. Now, with all that said and done, it is time to get into the speculative side of things.

[00:10:10]Well, we have two ways in which these flying giants could possibly evolve.

[00:10:14]Just before we get into it, I wanted to give a huge shout out to Payne for making these amazing pieces of speculative art. Trust me when I say without pain, these speculative animals would not look nearly as good. Now, the first specimen is a smaller wetland adapted descendant that has evolved away from the immense size of its ancestors.

[00:10:31]Being known as Hydraodarus humilis, more commonly known as the marshaper. Though being far more modest than the giant quitsqualis norropy, it remains an impressive animal built not for dominating open skies, but for mastering marshes, rivers, and shallow coastal wetlands. It stands around 2.2 m or 7.2 ft tall with a wingspan roughly measuring 5 m or 16.4 ft and a weight close to 50 kg or 110 lb. Its reduced mass allows for easy takeoff in confined environments while still granting enough size to deter smaller competitors. Its body is thin with long, lightly built limbs designed for waiting through reeds, mud flats, and shallow waters.

[00:11:11]The neck is highly flexible, being far more mobile than that of the larger Zarits, allowing for rapid strikes in multiple directions. This would make it highly effective at catching fast moving prey in unpredictable wetland environments. Its skull is narrow and streamlined, lacking any crest. Instead, the head is built for function with a long beak suited for seizing fish, amphibians, crustaceians, and other small aquatic prey. Unlike the soaring forms of its ancestors, the wings are shorter and more compact. While sacrificing prolonged high altitude gliding, it would grant solid maneuverability and control. This species would also skim over water, resembling a mix of a heron and seabird.

[00:11:47]Its coloration is well adapted for camouflage in mist wetlands. Gray bluish tones cover the body, blending with cloudy skies and marsh environments.

[00:11:55]Although mainly predating on aquatic prey, it would also opportunistically feed on smaller reptiles and ground nesting birds when available. It would be an alert and patient hunter, often standing motionless before striking with explosive speed. It would nest on high ground around water sources, and once finding a partner, they would remain together for life. The second speculative species is a scavenger adapted descendant evolved for a life across vast savannah ecosystems, filling a niche similar to that of modern vultures, but on a far grander scale, this species would be known as Giganto Nikross Ferox, or known as the giant corpse eater. While still clearly a zark in form, it is more rugged than its ancestors. Shaped by generations spent locating carcasses, intimidating rivals, and feeding beneath the open sun.

[00:12:39]Standing around 4 m or 13 ft tall with a wingspan of roughly 9 m or 30 ft and weighing close to 140 kg or 308 lb, it remains an enormous flying animal.

[00:12:50]Granted smaller than the largest ancestral pzle quattuses, it possesses a broad chest and powerful shoulders built for flying over planes and scrubland.

[00:12:58]Its sheer size alone would allow it to dominate many feeding sites and display smaller scavengers. Its neck is long but thicker and more muscular than that of the fishing species, allowing it to brace while feeding. Its skull is broad and durable, reinforced with bony ridges above the face, being able to withstand kicks, bites, and clashes during competition. The beak is shorter and deeper than that of typicals, ending in a subtle hoop tip, being ideal for gripping flesh and tearing through hide.

[00:13:25]A pigment of this species is a light red with a light fuzz covering its body to assist in insulation. Its diet would mainly consist of carryon feeding on the remains of large herbivores left behind by predators or natural causes. It would also supplement this with small live prey such as hairs, reptiles, and young animals when opportunities would arise.

[00:13:43]Often this species would tailgate vultures in order to find the closest carcasses around. But it would be smart enough to know when to escape when a pride of lions would catch the scent.

[00:13:53]Behaviorally, it would be aggressive, opportunistic, and social around food.

[00:13:57]Several individuals may gather together at a large carcasses where wing displays, hissing, and neck posturing would determine the feeding order. With these groups, they would be able to scare large numbers of hyenas and lions off of prey. But now that we've ticked through everything, it is time to truly go through how a population of quitues would actually fair if introduced into modern-day Africa. Of course, in this situation, we're ignoring human presence as that would never end well for the animal. In the early stages of introduction, the biggest challenge would be a simple adjustment. These giant flies would need to settle into a new climate, learn animal behaviors, understand danger zones, and know when food is most available. Although this environment would indeed be warmer than what the species would be used to, I believe given a bit of time, they would be able to withstand and adapt to the conditions. While the hottest days would cause problems and force them into shade, its average was only a bit warmer than his prehistoric climate, meaning that they could still be active. Some individuals would undoubtedly perish quickly, especially those drawn too close to crocodileinfested waters or those attempting to hold ground against lion or hyena groups. Once settled, though, quaquatas would likely be a creature of the open plains in seasonal marshes. Their height alone would allow them to have a perspective that no other terrestrial predator would have available. Not even something as fierce as the honey badger would be safe from this extinct giant. A sudden jab of that beak could dispatch small prey rather easily, allowing them to then swallow them whole. When thermals were at their height, they would likely take into the air. This is where the species would become truly formidable. Adults could fly over a bit of distance before they get tired and have to rest. Through this flight, they would try to search for carcasses, droughtstricken pools, or even follow vulture flocks towards feeding opportunities. Unlike for most animals, I believe that the dry season may actually become the strongest period. As water sources shrink, fish would become trapped, amphibians exposed, and weakened herbivores would fall behind during migrations. Carcasses thus become more common, and smaller predators would become boulder. For qualas, this means more and more food. I mean, I don't think anyone would disagree that a giraffe-sized terasaur standing over carcass wings partially spread would easily intimidate vultures, cheetahs, or leopards. Now, when it comes to lions and hyenas, I believe it significantly depends on the circumstances. If desperate enough, these groups of mammals could successfully scare off the quitzel. And if conflict did occur, the quiz quotas would be taken down. Though, it could significantly injure a few of these mammals. However, I don't really think this is too likely as of course animals aren't looking to throw hands every other day. If that is not evident enough, I have to hammer home just how important it is to make it clear that life would not be risk-free. Juveniles would of course suffer heavy losses.

[00:16:34]Eggs and chicks would be vulnerable to mono lizards, hyenas, and even baboons.

[00:16:39]Those that are not large enough to fly or at least fly confidently would become prime targets for leopards. Even the adults would not always be able to fly away. As they would need to be hydrated, they would eventually come across water sources and there they would be vulnerable to the occasional predation attempt by a large resident Nile crocodile. It may take some time to adapt and learn, but eventually the quitters would learn how to find the most optimal sources of water. Over time, natural selection would favor individuals that are wary, mobile, and highly opportunistic. And I would go as far as to say as the offspring would have to be protected by both parents.

[00:17:11]The larger herbivores would of course keep the quitzel beyond arms reach.

[00:17:15]Elephants, rhinos, and giraffes would be aggressive in chasing them off as to ensure the protection of their young.

[00:17:20]The Isark's populations would likely remain low as a result of the difficult growing period, but still it could stay as a stable level. So, could the quer survive in modern day Africa? Well, in my opinion, it would be an odd but somehow successful story. Although it' be a towering prehistoric fly that would physically impose everything around but an elephant. It would never rule the ecosystem. They simply lack the she might that is required, but they'd be large enough to make everything else believe that they ruled. This would earn the Quzace and ultimate survival score of 19 out of 30. And with that, we have reached the end of the video, and I hope you've enjoyed. As always, make sure to like and subscribe to the channel, as well as comment down what you'd like to see next. I'll catch you all in the next video.