GnathostomataNotosuchia

Araripesuchus wegeneri

Araripesuchus wegeneri skeletal reconstruction, left lateral view, length 82 cm.
Scale bar = 10 centimeters
Taxon
Araripesuchus wegeneri Buffetaut, 1981
Reconstructed length
82 cm (2.5 feet)
View
Left lateral
Drawing
© Scott Hartman
Drawn
2018, revised 2026
Clade
  1. Gnathostomata
  2. Tetrapoda
  3. Amniota
  4. Sauropsida
  5. Archosauromorpha
  6. Archosauria
  7. Pseudosuchia
  8. Crocodylomorpha
  9. Notosuchia

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Araripesuchus was a small, terrestrial notosuchian from the mid-Cretaceous of Niger. This makes it one of several croc-line relatives that walked upright on land rather than lurking in the water. Nicknamed “Dog Croc” by Paul Sereno and his team, Araripesuchus had forward-pointing, buck-toothed front teeth and pronounced canine-like teeth set in a short, doglike snout. Despite its croc-relative pedigree, Araripesuchus was probably an omnivore, eating small animals, insects and plant material, potentially using its large eyes to forage at night.

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Without armor

Araripesuchus wegeneri — Without armor.
Drawn 2018, revised 2026