SuperCroc

Sarcosuchus imperator

Dinosaurs weren't the only massive reptiles to walk the earth millions of years ago, humongous Crocodiles were right there with them!

Meet Sarcosuchus, the "SuperCroc." This king of the middle Cretaceous was over twice the length of our modern Crocs, and had a head as long as a man is tall!

Sarcosuchus was first discovered back in the 1960s, but the remains were smaller and less complete. In 2000, paleontologist Paul Sereno located more complete, far larger fossils in the Saraha Desert. The name "SuperCroc" was born.

There is some argument over what SuperCroc ate. While some suggest that it may have gone after Dinosaurs, due to its massive size, others think they it probably just fed on fish. This is because its snout is similar to modern Gharials that eat fish almost exclusively.

SuperCroc went extinct around 110 million years ago, but as we all know, the Crocodile family lived on. SuperCroc is not a direct descendant of modern Crocodiles, but it did share many characteristics. These include the ability to create a wide range of sounds, and the upward placement of the eyes.

SuperCroc compared to other Crocodiles

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Status : Extinct for 110 million years

Location : Fossils discovered in what is now the Sahara Desert

Size : Length up to 40ft (12.2m), Weight up to 8.75 tons (7,900 kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Subclass : Diapsida
Family : †Pholidosauridae -- Genus : †Sarcosuchus -- Species : S. imperator