Science geeks and lovers of everything ancient, we introduce you to the Kaprosuchus saharicus:
Image via Nationalgeographic.com
With a physical appearance that could make it a star of its very own B-movie monster flick, this one's a true monster that lived around 100 million years ago. But what makes it even scarier is the fact that this beast of a reptile is actually—get this—the galloping great (times 100) grandfather of the modern crocodile!
Let the scary feels sink in and tell you just how effed up the age of the dinosaurs was.
GIF via gifs-for-the-masses
Thanks to legs that pointed downward rather than sprawled sideways like the modern crocodile, K. saharicus was agile enough to run after its prey which included (gasp!) dinosaurs! It's also H-U-G-E, measuring about 21 feet in length and had three sets of tusks and a tough snout that might've been used as a battering ram (which earned it the nickname "BoarCroc"). It's basically the meaner, more nightmarish version of Lolong (RIP, big fella)!
On the flipside though, wouldn't you want to ride this bad boy to battle?
We mean, look:
Image via Carnivoraforum.com
K. saharicus wasn't the only croc that galloped like horses from hell back then though. Meet the Laganosuchus thaumastos:
Image via Nationalgeographic.com
With a more streamlined and thinner skull, scientists think it was more suited for ambushing fish and other sorts of aquatic wildlife. It also grew to around the same size as the K. saharicus so it was still hella scary.
Finally, we have Araripesuchus rattoides. It only measured a meter long, but it also had a face that could launch a thousand shrieks:
Image via Nationalgeographic.com
Also called "DogCroc," A. rattoides also galloped and fed mainly on plants and insects. We're no experts on extremely old stuff, but we don't think it would've played "fetch" with anyone.
See? Whoever wishes to travel back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the land doesn't know what he or she is talking about. We'd gladly take this era, thank you.
