Name:
Desmatosuchus (Greek for "link crocodile"); pronounced dez-MAT-oh-SOO-cuss
Habitat:
Forests of North America
Historical Period:
Middle Triassic (230 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 15 feet long and 600 pounds
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Crocodile-like stance; armored body with sharp spikes protruding from shoulders
About Desmatosuchus:
This crocodile-like archosaur--the family of terrestrial reptiles that preceded the dinosaurs--represented an evolutionary advance on others of its type (such as Chasmatosaurus and Stagonolepis). Desmatosuchus was relatively large, and had an advanced suit of armor that culminated in two long, dangerous spikes jutting out from its shoulders. Still, its head was somewhat comical, looking a bit like a pig's snout crossed with a trout.
Why did Desmatosuchus have such a defensive armament? Like other herbivorous archosaurs, it was probably hunted by the carnivorous reptiles of the Triassic period (both other archosaurs and early dinosaurs), and needed a way to keep these predators at bay.
