Pterosaurs & Dragons - Azhdarcho the Pterosaur & Azhdar the Persian Dragon

 

Azhdarcho Pterosaur from Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan

Azhdar the Persian Dragon

Azhdar in the Sea

Pterosaurs & Dragons - Azhdarcho the Pterosaur & Azhdar the Persian Dragon 

There is the thought that dinosaur and pterosaur fossils are what gave rise to the legends and myths of dragons in many cultures throughout the world.  Because of this, I am posting drawings of dinosaurs or pterosaurs with dragon-related names.  Today's drawings are of a Pterosaur from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and a Persian dragon.   I will also be posting this in the languages of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.   I hope the online translation program gives a good translation.  I only speak English and Spanish and I know a few words and phrases in Russian.  

Azhdarcho was a fairly large Pterosaur that lived in the Cretaceous Period in what is now Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.  It was related to the enormous Quetzalcoatlus but was about half the size.  Azhdarcho had a wingspan of around 15 feet wide.  That is a wingspan of 4.6 meters.  (Quetzalcoatlus had a wingspan of up to 36 feet.)

Some paleontologists have hypothesized that Azdarcho could dive into the water and swim underwater to catch fish.   That is an intriguing idea.  Imagine a flying animal with a 15-foot wingspan diving into the sea to hunt fish.  

Azhdarcho is named after the Persian dragon called an Azhdar.  That dragon is supposed to be a long snake-like animal that lives in the sky.  It is also called Azhdahak, Azhdaha, and Ezhdaha.  Some stories say it starts out as a snake and when it grows big enough it becomes an Azhdar.  There are also stories of it living in the ocean or sea.  So I drew the Azhdar, or Azhdaha in the sea as well as in the sky.  

It seems appropriate that Azhdarcho got named after the Azhdar since Azhdarco may have been both a flyer and a swimmer... and Azhdars lived either in the air, or in the sea, or both.  

NOTE:  These drawings are found by clicking on the buttons labeled either Fantasy, Myths, and Circus, or Paleontology.  Then scroll down to the bottom of the list for new drawings.  So click on the buttons labeled  . . . . . .       . . . . . . . or . . . . . . .