Spec-Dinovember day 08 - River Monster

This creature lived during the Early to Middle Triassic where one day Antarctica will be.

The Potamodraco dulcicola (“freshwater river dragon”) might look like a mosasaur or even a crocodilian at first sight, but this predatory aquatic reptile is a descendant of basal ichthyosaurs similar to Cartorhynchus that evolved to thrive in freshwater environments.

Reaching up to 3m long, these creatures were solitary and nocturnal predators of fishes, amphibians and reptiles in slow flowing rivers and lakes, hunting mainly by sight. During the day these reptiles acted as ambush hunters near underwater structures or I shallow waters.

The Potamodraco was also able to drag itself out of the water when needed, like a weird mix of seal and sea turtle. Unfortunately, the competition with other freshwater reptiles and amphibians drove these creatures to extinction before the Late Triassic.