Our thanks to young artist Caldey who sent into Everything Dinosaur her drawing of a pair of azhdarchid pterosaurs. A Hatzegopteryx pair illustrated, a drawing inspired by the recent television series Prehistoric Planet II.

A Softer Side to Azhdarchids

Described by the narrator Sir David Attenborough as the apex predator in Europe during the Late Cretaceous, Hatzegopteryx shows a softer side. A male lands on a remote island and builds a display from driftwood in a bid to attract a female. The giant pterosaur is successful and a female lands to inspect his work. The five-metre-tall reptile offers the female a Tethyshadros that he has recently caught.

A second, smaller male arrives and threatens to break up the courtship display. However, the larger male soon deals with the interloper. The female impressed with her partner’s prowess allows herself to be mated. The female leaves and the inference is that the male will play no part in the raising of the young.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The drawing (above) is an illustration of Hatzegopteryx inspired by the CollectA Prehistoric Life Hatzegopteryx figure that was introduced in 2011.

To view the CollectA not-to-scale prehistoric animal figures: CollectA Age of Dinosaurs/Prehistoric Life Figures.

Hatzegopteryx Pair Illustrated

Hatzegopteryx is one of the largest of the Pterosauria. The wingspan of this huge animal is estimated to be in excess of ten metres. The enormous skull was three metres in length.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur thanked Caldey for her drawing and commented:

“Prehistoric Planet has inspired lots of young artists. It is great to see the wonderful drawings. Our thanks to Caldey for sending into us her beautiful and incredibly detailed drawing of the pterosaur pair. We congratulate Caldey on her Hatzegopteryx illustration.”