That Reptile Blog – Reptile, Amphibian and Exotic Pet Care and Information

A farm in southern Brazil’s pampas region has yielded the bones of an ancient mammal-like reptile loosely described as a terrifying cross between a Komodo dragon and a tiger.  Having worked with both of these modern-day predators, I was immediately intrigued by the newly-described creature (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dec., 2011), dubbed the “Pampas Killer”.

A Reptile, but…

The Pampas Killer, or Pampaphoneus biccari, haunted Brazil’s grasslands during the Permian Period, some 260 million years ago.  It has been classified as a Dinocephalian Theraspid, or “Mammal-like reptile”.  Interestingly, today’s monitor lizards are also sometimes described as “mammal-like” by those familiar with them.

The Paleontologists (scientists who research ancient creatures and the history of life on earth) who are studying the Pampas Killer believe it possessed characteristics of both monitors and predatory mammals such as tigers – yikes!  It and related dinosaurs may have been an early step in the evolutionary march towards warm-blooded, furred mammals, which appeared 35 million years later.   Please see the drawings and articles below for artists’ re-creations of the Pampas Killer and its relatives.  Read More »

Paleontologists have recently uncovered the fossils of two small creatures that defied some basic “dinosaur rules”, and which have provided unique insights into the evolution of both carnivorous and plant-eating creatures.  Eodromaeus, christened the Dawn Runner, resembled a pint-sized Tyrannosaurus, and likely gave rise to the most ferocious predator of ancient times, T rex.  Tiarajudens eccentricus, on the other hand, ate plants yet was equipped with long, pointed fang-like teeth – a “saber-toothed cow” of sorts.

The Dawn Runner, Eodromaeus,

This 4-foot-long, 10-15 pound fellow likely made up in ferocity what it lacked in size.  Pondering its image (please see photo of skeleton and artist’s recreation in article below), I can’t help but think that “prehistoric herpers” would have surely made a pet of this one!  Of course, dinosaurs and humans did not inhabit earth at the same time, but if we had… Read More »

I’ve roamed the halls of NYC’s American Museum of Natural History since childhood, yet never come away without a sense of awe.  This week, the museum’s newest exhibit, The World’s Largest Dinosaurs, floored me.  Focusing on Sauropods such as the massive Mamechisaurus (the Brontosaurus, or “Thunder Lizard” of my youth), this ground-breaking exhibit goes beyond fossils to reveal just how these spectacular creatures moved, ate, reproduced and lived their lives.

Dinosaurs as Living, Breathing Creatures

Until recently, most of us could view and experience dinosaurs only by examining fossils in museums.  Certainly, this was more than enough to hold my attention, but there were limitations in viewing “remains” and in not being able to picture how these creatures actually went about the business of living. Read More »