The Reptilian Emperor

Introduction

        Over 110 million years ago,in the Middle Cretaceous period, a gigantic creature roamed the wet lands of the Sahara. No creature could escape its grasp. It was called the Sarcosuchus imperator, or also named the "Super Croc". The Super Croc took on the biggest and fiercest creatures like the well-known  T-Rex. These large and fearsome creatures bowed down to the "Super Croc" in fear. According to the article "This Croc Really Rocks" Paul Sereno, a well-known paleontologist says, "The crocodile would wait for an unsuspecting  to approach the river or lake for a sip of water. Then bam! And that would have been it. Once it clamped onto the leg or neck of an animal, there wasn't a lot the prey could do."

Features of the Super Croc

       This ferocious creature had many different features that made it the one of the most fearsome creatures that ever lived. The Super Croc had a skull that was alone 6 feet long! Now, how did the Super Croc take down animals like the T-Rex? Well, the Super Croc could weigh about 10 tons and could be about 40 feet long. That's about as long as a school bus!   It spent most of its time in the water. How did the Super Croc catch prey under water? It had an extremely strong jaw that was designed for grabbing  prey. The Super Croc could also catch prey both under and above water. It had over 100 short but very strong  teeth in it's jaw! How did the Super Croc protect itself from creatures that stood up to the Super Croc? The Super Croc protected itself with armor plates called scutes. It also had a wider snout in the front for either making a noise to other Super Crocs, mostly for mating, or for the Super Croc to have a keen sense of smell.

Some Intelligent Thoughts

      When I first found out about the Super Croc, I was in a shock. How could such a powerful and ferocious creature become extinct over 100 million years ago? It had everything it needed to survive. It had power, defense, and it was a strong mechanism designed to catch from small slippery fish to large dinosaurs  like the T-Rex. The large scutes that covered its entire body protected it from the large and powerful jaws of other carnivorous creatures that roamed the wet lands , which we now know as the Sahara. Its strong jaws that were 6 feet long had over 100 teeth, that made other dinosaurs cower in fear. However, I am also glad that the Sarcosuchus imperator does not live today, although its less feared ancestors like the Nile crocodile still live.The Super Croc would have wiped out the entire human race by now!

Top Five Facts About the Super Croc

      1. The Super Croc had a wider snout in the front for either communicating to other Super Crocs or for it to have a keen sense of smell. This was a rare feature that very few, if any, animals have.
      2. The Super Croc was covered in armor plates called scutes that protected it from other feared creatures that roamed the wetlands of the Sahara while the Super Croc was still alive.
      3.  The Super Croc had a jaw full of more than 100 teeth!
      4.The Super Croc had a jaw that was 6 feet long, which gave it a massive bite.
      5. The Super Croc could weigh up to 10 tons and it could be as long as 40 feet long.

Five Cousins of the Super Croc

• Boar Croc-grew up to 20 feet long and stood upright. It ran very fast and had 3 rows of fans, which was used to slice up prey. 

• Rat Croc -grew up to about 3 feet long and also stood upright. It ate plants and grubs and used its buckteeth to to dig for food

• PancakeCroc-was the largest, but not as large as the Super Croc. It catch animals 3 times its size and kept its head low to the ground.

• DogCroc -it was as big as a dog and had a nose similar to a dog's. It was also an upright crocodile,  also was fast, and ate mostly plants and grubs. However, scientists say that it used the speed to run from animals.

• DuckCroc-about 3 feet long and ate mostly fish or frogs. It had a long narrow snout, used for searching bodies of water of food 

Question of the Week

As you have learned in this blog, there are many different cousins of the Super Croc. Which cousin would you want to be (besides the Super Croc)? Give your answer with reasons and features that crocodile has.