Rutiodon | ||||
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Name | Rutiodon | |||
Order | Phytosauria | |||
Suborder | Crurotarsi | |||
Class | Reptilia | |||
Name Translation | Wrinkle-Tooth | |||
Period | Late Triassic | |||
Location | North America | |||
Diet | Meat | |||
Length | 6 metres (20 ft) long | |||

Rutiodon Skeleton
Paleobiology
Rutiodon was a large crocodilian, growing to a maximum of 20 feet (6 meters) long, and was equipped with powerful jaws, designed to kill prey with a single bite. It lived in murky rivers and swamps, and was most likely an ambush predator. It lied in wait until its prey came to take a drink, and would jump out, grab ahold of it, and if the initial bite didn't kill the prey item, Rutiodon would drown its prey until it was dead, then eat it. It had a long tail, designed for swimming, and four short, stocky legs, not much good on land. It may have fed on early dinosaurs like Coelophysis, Plateosaurus and Riojasaurus, and other archosaurs
When Dinosaurs Roamed America Rutiodon
In the Media
Rutiodon was featured in the famous documentary When Dinosaurs Roamed America, and attacked a Coelophysis and Desmatosuchus. It was also in Animal Armageddon, and was shown how it went extinct by volcanic activity, and was overrun by the dinosaurs.
In the episode The Amazing Three Horn Girl from The Land Before Time (TV Series) Rutiodons were the only belly Draggers from the TV Series.

References
Websites:
http://dinosaurs.about.com/od/predinosaurreptiles/p/rutiodon.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutiodon
http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/r/rutiodon.html
http://forgottenarchosaurs.blogspot.com/2010/05/rutiodon.html
Documentaries:
Animal Armageddon
When Dinosaurs Roamd America