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Sarcosuchus

Say it: sar-ko-SOO-kus

Name means: “flesh crocodile”1

Ate: MeatPrehistoric legendsEarly Cretaceous to Late CretaceousNot a dinosaur, but a prehistoric legend

Sarcosuchus was a giant crocodile-like reptile that lived in rivers and swamps. It was so big it could eat dinosaurs! Its long snout was full of strong teeth.1 2

This one is not a dinosaur, but it is one of the most famous animals of prehistoric times, so it gets a place in Dino Wiki too.

Lived

133 to 101 million years ago1

Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Niger, Algeria, Mali, Tunisia, Morocco, and Brazil1 4

Food

Meat1 2

Length

9 to 12 m1 2

estimates vary; some scientists say up to 12 m

Weight

3.45 tonnes to 8 tonnes1 2

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 5 cars

as long as 2.5 cars parked in a rowas long as 67 bananas end to endas heavy as 1.5 elephantsas heavy as 1600 watermelons

How big was Sarcosuchus compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Sarcosuchus had a very long snout that made up about 75% of its skull length.1 2

Its teeth did not interlock when the jaws closed, unlike many modern crocodiles.1 2

Sarcosuchus could not perform a 'death roll' like modern crocodiles, according to biomechanical studies.1

The largest known skull of Sarcosuchus is 1.7 meters (5.6 feet) long.1

It lived in rivers and floodplains, not in the ocean like some of its relatives.1 2

Sarcosuchus may have lived for 50 to 60 years, growing slowly to its huge size.2

Isotope studies of its bones suggest it ate both fish and large dinosaurs.1

AI-made picture of Sarcosuchus — An AI-made picture of how Sarcosuchus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Sarcosuchus

?How big was Sarcosuchus?

Fully grown Sarcosuchus imperator reached about 9 to 9.5 metres (29.5 to 31.2 feet) long and weighed 3.45 to 4.3 metric tons (3.80 to 4.74 short tons). Some estimates put the maximum length at 11 to 12 metres (36.1 to 39.4 feet).1 2

?Did Sarcosuchus eat dinosaurs?

Yes, it probably did. Isotope studies of its bones suggest it ate both fish and large dinosaurs, and it lived alongside dinosaurs like Ouranosaurus and Nigersaurus.1 3

?Could Sarcosuchus do a death roll?

No. Biomechanical studies show that Sarcosuchus could not perform a death roll like modern crocodiles.1

?When did Sarcosuchus live?

Sarcosuchus lived during the Early Cretaceous period, about 133 to 101 million years ago.1

?Where did Sarcosuchus live?

It lived in North Africa and Brazil, in large river systems and floodplains.1 3

?How long was the skull of Sarcosuchus?

The longest reported skull is 1.7 metres (5.6 feet) long, and the longest confirmed skull is 1.6 metres (5.2 feet) long.1

?How much did Sarcosuchus weigh?

Fully grown Sarcosuchus imperator weighed about 3.45 to 4.3 metric tons (3.80 to 4.74 short tons). Some estimates go up to 8 metric tons.1 2

?Is Sarcosuchus a dinosaur?

No, Sarcosuchus is a crocodyliform, a reptile distantly related to modern crocodiles and alligators. It is not a dinosaur.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Sarcosuchus was a dinosaur.

Truth: Sarcosuchus was a crocodyliform, a relative of modern crocodiles, not a dinosaur.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Sarcosuchus
Named by: de Broin and Taquet 19664
Group: Prehistoric legends
Family / clade: Pholidosauridae4
Classification: Reptilia > Neosuchia > Pholidosauridae4
Age of the rocks: 137 to 94 million years (Valanginian / Cenomanian)4
Rock formations: Elrhaz, Continental Intercalaire4
Countries: Brazil, Tunisia, Niger, Algeria, Morocco, Mali4
Fossil records: 17 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: French paleontologists Frances de Broin and Philippe Taquet named Sarcosuchus in 1966 based on a skull found in Niger. Earlier fossils had been found in the Sahara since the 1940s.1 4
Still debated: Scientists are still debating the exact maximum size of Sarcosuchus, with estimates ranging from 9 to 12 meters long.1 2

Where the facts come from

Sarcosuchus (en.wikipedia.org)
se460101516p (d3qi0qp55mx5f5.cloudfront.net)
Sarcosuchus imperator: The 'super croc' that could have hunted dinosaurs - BBC Science Focus Magazine (sciencefocus.com)
Sarcosuchus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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