Dinogorgon rubidgei

Dinogorgon ruled as the reptile-king 280 million years ago. This lizard was the bulkiest beast to ever set claw on land until dinosaurs showed up. Dinogorgon dominated other land animals and feasted on whatever it liked; an open area with grazing animals looked like a buffet line to this predator. Like saber-toothed cats that came later, Dinogorgon had extra-long teeth in its upper jaw, and stabbed them into prey repeatedly to make its kills."The Chase is On: Dinogorgon stood on long legs, suggesting that the creature could run well. Experts think it leaped onto the black victims and stabbed them with its long teeth.""Saber-Toothed Lizard: Most of Dinogorgon's teeth were long and sharp, but it had a thick upper pair that measured up to six inches in length. These teeth were the same size as T-rex's, and were the fiercest weapons on Earth 250 million years ago."

Species:
Dinogorgon rubidgei

Size:
Length up to 10 ft.; Weight up to 800 lbs.

Prey:
Large and medium-sized reptiles

Where?
Fossils have been found in Africa

Sound Off:
die-no-GORE-gun

This well-preserved fossil sits on a family farm in South Africa.

King Gorgon the First
Dinogorgon was the one of the first large predators to rule on land. Like lions in Africa and meat-eating dinosaurs, scientists consider this reptile the 'top prdator' of its day; it was the first time such a dominant animal had stalked the land. With a body that measured 10 feet long and an aggressive attitude, this beast could take down other predators and even crack the armor of a large herbivore known as Scutosaurus. Dinogorgon used stabbing teeth to break through to the plant-eaters' meaty insides. "Teamwork: Some think that Dinogorgon might have hunted in small packs at times. Working together, three or four of these brutes could easily have taken down a Dicynodon, a hippo-sized herbivore, and shared the meat.""Death By Eruption: The worst natural disaster in the Earth's history happened about 245 million years ago. Scientists think the ground split open over thousands of miles, and burst with lava sprays for thousands of years, killing 95 percent of the living creatures on land."

Did You Know?
Dinogorgon's name is based on the ancient Greek words 'deinos' and gorgos. Both words have the same meaning: terrible.

Timeline:
Dinogorgon lived from 280-250 million years ago, during the Permian Period.

Dinogorgon was the first king of beasts known on land in prehistoric Earth. this huge predator ambushed prey from behind thick plant cover, then stabbed victims over and over with its long teeth.

Life: 120

Attack: 7

Defense: 5

Say What? This monster reptile had mammal-like teeth.