Found in northeastern China, Jeholopterus is a tiny pterosaur that has
been found preserved with hair and skin intact. It has a broad, short
skull and small, peg-like teeth. Evidence suggests that the wing
membrane attached to the ankle. The claws of the hand are especially
curved, and the wing bones are very robust in relation to the size of
the animal suggesting that Jeholopterus could have been a powerful
climber and acrobatic flier.
Due to their fragile skull and small size, all anurognathids are
considered insectivores. Some anurognathids, like modern tick birds and
vampire bats, would have been attracted to insects that were attracted
to bloody and festering wounds on dinosaur hide. Some of these evidently
became attracted to the wounds themselves, lapping up the blood.
Jeholopterus appears able to take it one step further by making its own
wounds on fresh dinosaur hide.
In that hypothesis, Jeholopterus stabbed dinosaurs with its fangs, then
drank their blood by squeezing the wound with its plier-like jaws while
hanging on with its robust limbs and surgically sharp, curved and
elongated claws. Dinosaurs probably did not like being stabbed and
bitten by Jeholopterus, and liked it even less when flocks of
Jeholopterus landed on them.
LOCALITY: Xingjiang Province, China
WINGSPAN: 74 cm (2 feet 5 inches)
Specimen can be custom mounted for customer. Allow approximately 6 weeks for custom mount.