Name:
Psephoderma (Greek for "pebbly skin"); pronounced sef-oh-DUR-ma
Habitat:
Seashores of Europe
Historical Period:
Late Triassic (220-205 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 3 feet long; weight unknown
Diet:
Shellfish and crustaceans
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Turtle-like head; segmented body; whiplike tail
About Psephoderma:
One of the oddest aquatic reptiles to prowl the Triassic seas, Psephoderma looked like it was assembled from bits of other animals: the small, beaked head of a turtle; the segmented carapace of a horseshoe crab; and the long, scaly tail of a rat. In addition, this placodont (a type of marine reptile that made its living by eating crustaceans and shellfish) was covered with hexagonal plates, from which its name (meaning "rough skin") derives.
Like other placodonts, Psephoderma doesn't appear to have been a very fast swimmer, or especially well suited to a full-time aquatic lifestyle. Still, it must have been successful in it ecological niche, since it lasted for over 10 million years!
