May 27, 2016
Crocodylo-Month, Day 27: Gryposuchus
(Image by Paulo Marcio.)
Gryposuchus lived in South America during the Miocene period - the same time and place as Purussaurus, history’s biggest caiman.  However, the two animals likely did not compete for food.  Gryposuchus was a gavialid, and had a long, thin snout used for capturing fish, like the modern gharial; it was likely unable to attack the large terrestrial animals that Purussaurus would have fed on.
Five species of Gryposuchus are known, some of which may have inhabited coastal environments. Â All of these species are quite large, growing over thirty feet in length.
