恐龍卡第 0463 張，共 2 027 張

Cryptoclidus

名字的意思： “hidden collarbone”1

吃：肉蛇頸龍類侏羅紀中期到白堊紀早期嚴格來說不是恐龍

Cryptoclidus was a medium-sized plesiosaur that swam in warm seas during the Middle and Late Jurassic. It had a small head, a long neck, and four flippers. It probably ate soft animals like squid and small fish.1

趣味小知識：這種海生爬蟲類在海裡游泳的時候，恐龍正在陸地上走路。大家都叫牠們恐龍，但牠們其實是爬蟲類的另一個分支。

生存年代

165 到 143 百萬年前2

侏羅紀中期到白堊紀早期

化石發現地

England, France, Cuba, and possibly Russia and Argentina1 2

長度

4 m (13 ft)1

體重

737 kg 到 756 kg (1,600 到 1,700 lb)1

最高速度

時速約 28 公里（17 英里）

游泳, 估計值

牠生活在什麼時候？

三疊紀

侏羅紀

白堊紀

2 億 5200 萬年前20114566，小行星撞地球

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

牠有多重？

跟 38 隻狗一樣重

跟 4 隻狗從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 22 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長跟 150 顆西瓜一樣重跟 40 個幼兒園小朋友一樣重跟 24 個小學生一樣重能在 6.4 秒內游完一座大泳池（50 公尺）

Cryptoclidus 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡算算數學。什麼都不會被儲存或傳送出去。

牠有多快？

走路的人 時速約 5 公里 (3 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 時速約 12 公里 (7 mph)

Cryptoclidus 時速約 28 公里 (17 mph)

一匹飛奔的馬 時速約 65 公里 (40 mph)

一隻獵豹 時速約 100 公里 (62 mph)

酷東西

趣味知識

The name Cryptoclidus means 'hidden collarbone' because its collarbones are tiny and hidden in the shoulder area.1

Fossils of Cryptoclidus have been found in the Oxford Clay of Cambridgeshire, England, and in the Kimmeridge Clay of France.1

The type species was first called Plesiosaurus eurymerus, which means 'wide thigh bone', because scientists mistook a front flipper bone for a back leg bone.1

Cryptoclidus had a small, fragile skull and teeth that could not handle tough prey, so it ate only soft animals.1

Scientists think Cryptoclidus used its long, intermeshing teeth to strain small animals from the water or sift through mud.1

The size and shape of its nostrils suggest Cryptoclidus could smell chemicals in seawater, helping it find food.1

Complete skeletons of Cryptoclidus have been found, including some that are nearly entirely preserved, showing both adults and juveniles.1

Cryptoclidus 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Cryptoclidus 可能的樣子。這只是猜測：真正的動物可能長得不一樣，也沒有人知道牠真正的顏色。

你們都在問

關於 Cryptoclidus 最常被問的問題

?How big was Cryptoclidus?

About 4 metres long and weighed around 737 to 756 kilograms. That is about as long as a small car.1

?What did Cryptoclidus eat?

It ate small, soft animals like squid and small fish. Its fragile teeth could not handle tough prey.1

?Was Cryptoclidus a dinosaur?

No, it was a plesiosaur, which is a marine reptile that lived in the sea. It is not a dinosaur.1

?When did Cryptoclidus live?

It lived during the Middle and Late Jurassic Period, about 166 to 160 million years ago.1

?Where were Cryptoclidus fossils found?

Fossils have been found in England, France, Cuba, and Russia. Many come from the Oxford Clay in Cambridgeshire, England.1 2

?Could Cryptoclidus swim?

Yes, it was a good swimmer. It used its four flippers to move through warm Jurassic seas.1

迷思破解王

迷思： Some people think Cryptoclidus was a dinosaur.

真相： Cryptoclidus was a plesiosaur, a marine reptile that lived in the sea, not a dinosaur.1

給恐龍專家

學名: Cryptoclidus
命名者: (Seeley 1892)2
類群: 蛇頸龍類
科 / 演化支: Cryptoclididae2
分類: Plesiosauria > Sauropterygia2
岩石的年代: 165 到 143 百萬年 (Callovian / Tithonian)2
岩層: Oxford Clay, Jagua, Kimmeridge Clay2
國家: 英國, 古巴, 阿根廷, 法國2
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 17 筆2
又名: Apractocleidus （舊名稱現在也算作同一種動物）2
發現: The first fossils were described in 1871 by John Phillips as Plesiosaurus eurymerus. Harry Govier Seeley renamed it Cryptoclidus in 1892.1 2
仍有爭議: Scientists are not sure whether Cryptoclidus caught prey by swimming fast or by ambushing it, because its skeleton was not built for speed.1