Suchomimus
SOO-cuh-MIME-us
- featured
The large carnivorous spinosaurid Suchomimus is known for its unusual appearance – although its body is similar to that of Baryonyx or Spinosaurus, its long snout bears a closer resemblance to a modern-day crocodile; in fact, the name Suchomimus translates to ‘crocodile mimic’. Suchomimus can weigh up to two and a half tonnes and grow up to 9.5m in length, with large claws on its hand for catching and killing fish and small animals.
Discovery
Suchomimus is a relatively new discovery in the world of dinosaurs, with the first fossil found in 1997. A team led by American palaeontologist Paul Sereno unearthed numerous bones while exploring a site in Gadoufaoua, Niger, including a large claw. A year later, their find was officially classified as a new genus and given the name Suchomimus.
Palaeoecology
Suchomimus dates back to the Early Cretaceous period, around 112-121m years ago, and lived in the tropical climate of Niger, staying close to floodplains and rivers where vegetation and water were most plentiful. It shared its environment with many other genera of dinosaur, including Nigersaurus and Ouranosaurus.
Information
- Era
- Early Cretaceous
- Family
- Spinosauridae
- Genus
- Suchomimus
- Height
- 3M
- Length
- 9.5M
- Weight
- 2.5T
- Diet
- Piscivore, Carnivore, Live Prey
- Egg batch size
- 1 - 4
