Chelyoposuchus

Chelyoposuchus is a type of placodont, a group of marine reptiles that often had turtle-like shells.1

Its name means 'turtle crocodile' because it looked a bit like both a turtle and a crocodile.1

The only known species is Chelyoposuchus crassisquamatus, which was named in 1939 by scientist O. Kuhn.13

Fossils of Chelyoposuchus were found in the Trossingen Formation in Germany, which is made of rocks from the Late Triassic.1

The first fossils were collected by Otto Jaekel between 1909 and 1913, but the animal was not named until 1939.1

Chelyoposuchus lived in a marine environment, meaning it swam in the ocean.2