Thalassomedon

Thalassomedon hanningtoni

Thalassomedon is one crazy looking sea reptile! These members of the Plesiosaur order lived 95 million years ago and have necks that make up half of their overall body length and contain 62 vertebrae!

Thalassomdeon means "Sea Lord," and while they weren't the most frightening creature of the late Cretaceous (I'm looking at you Mosasaur) they certainly looked to be great ambush hunters.

The eyes of the Thalassomedon were very large and were located on the tops of their heads. They used those large eyes and long skinny necks to ambush schools of fish that were swimming above them. Interestingly, it is unlikely that the Thalassomedon could stick its head far above water; air does not support the weight the same way that water does.

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Status : Extinct for 95 million years
Location : North America
Size : Body Length around 40ft (12m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : †Plesiosauria
Family : †Elasmosauridae -- Genus : †Thalassomedon -- Species : †T. hanningtoni