Ancient Reptiles Codexery

Deinosuchus

A massive Late Cretaceous eusuchian, either an alligatoroid or stem-group crocodilian, known from fossils across North America.

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The genus name comes from Greek words meaning "terrible crocodile".[1]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassReptilia
  4. CladePseudosuchia
  5. CladeCrocodylomorpha
  6. Genus†Deinosuchus

Named by Holland, 1909

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Deinosuchus (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Quick Facts

Type species
Deinosuchus hatcheri

Facts from the source article.

Biology and range

Each maxilla contained 23 teeth, and each dentary had at least 22 teeth.[2] Two holes in the premaxilla in front of the nares are unique to this genus.[3] Deinosuchus had a secondary bony palate that allowed it to breathe while submerged.[4] The largest individuals surpassed 9 m in total length.[5]

Growth ring studies suggest each Deinosuchus may have taken over 35 years to reach full adult size.[6] A broad snout resembling that of an alligator, with a tip that is slightly bulbous, characterized Deinosuchus.[2] The osteoderms on the back were exceptionally large, heavy, and marked with deep pits.[7] According to a 2025 study, the maximum total body length for D. riograndensis was estimated at 10.5 m, and for D. schwimmeri at 7.64 m.[5]

What the specialist sources record

The same study identified two western species, D. hatcheri and D. riograndensis, and one eastern species, D. schwimmeri.[8] Cossette stated that Deinosuchus "must have terrorized dinosaurs that came to the water's edge to drink".[8] The Delaware Geological Survey reports that Deinosuchus scutes have been recovered alongside marine reptile and dinosaur remains in Delaware.[9] GBIF lists Deinosuchus as an accepted genus in the family Crocodylidae, with 327 occurrence records as of October 2026.[10]

Paleontologist Stephanie Drumheller-Horton, a co-author, stated that "almost everything in its habitat was on the menu" for this opportunistic predator.[8]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Holland, "Deinosuchus hatcheri, a new genus and species of crocodile from the Judith River beds of Montana", Annals of the Carnegie Museum, 1909, p. 281–294 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 1–16; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 107–135; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 42–63; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 107–135 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "A systematic review of the giant alligatoroid Deinosuchus from the Campanian of North America and its implications for the relationships at the root of Crocodylia", Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2020 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cloudsley-Thompson, "Ecology and Behaviour of Mesozoic Reptiles", Springer, 2005, p. 40–41; "A gigantic crocodile from the Upper Cretaceous beds of Texas", American Museum Novitates, 1954, p. 1–22; Foster, "Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World", Indiana University Press, 2007, p. 150; Cloudsley-Thompson, "Ecology and Behaviour of Mesozoic Reptiles", Springer, 2005, p. 40–41; "Forms of Animal Life", Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1870, p. 392 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Walter, "Expanded phylogeny elucidates Deinosuchus relationships, crocodylian osmoregulation and body-size evolution", Communications Biology, 2025 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Connor, "Solved: Mystery of crocodile that feasted on dinosaurs", The Independent, March 18, 1999 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Holland, "Deinosuchus hatcheri, a new genus and species of crocodile from the Judith River beds of Montana", Annals of the Carnegie Museum, 1909, p. 281–294; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 17–41; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 17–41; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 42–63; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Pale en.wikipedia.org
  8. "New study confirms the power of Deinosuchus and its 'teeth the size of bananas'". facts only, no text reused. phys.org
  9. "Dinosaurs in Delaware? The Delaware Geological Survey", www.dgs.udel.edu. facts only, no text reused. dgs.udel.edu
  10. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Deinosuchus (taxon key 4822222). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Deinosuchus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Also in the Codexery

Deinosuchus · Extinct Archosaurs

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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