Page 37 - Prehistoric Animals

Kript-O-Kly-Dus

Cryptoclidus

Cryptoclidus (hidden clavicles (collarbone)) is
a genus of plesiosaur reptile; it roamed the planet in the Mid-
dle Jurassic from about 174 to 163 million years ago. It was
around 4 metres long and its approximate weight was 737 to
756 kg. Fossils of Cryptoclidus have been found in Europe,
Russia and some offshore islands of South America.

Cryptoclidus was not very big in comparison with other
like marine reptiles. It had a rather inflexible neck about 2
meters long. Its head was small and its jaws were lined with
long sharp teeth design for eating soft prey, like small fish and
squid. Its body was bulky but tapered off at the back to a short
tail. Its four large paddle shaped limbs, were more akin to the
flippers found on the modern day turtle, than the fins of a
fish. Close study of the available fossils have revealed it was
very sensitive to smell. Although this is not unusual in marine
animals Cryptoclidus seems to have a larger and more ad-
vanced nasal passage that would have allowed it to track its
prey from a much greater distance than that of other aquatic
animals.

Many believe, due to the makeup of its limbs, that
Cryptoclidus must have spent some time on land. To support
this idea, they cite the fact that Cryptoclidus was thought orig-
inally to have been a land animal that had, over time, migrat-
ed to the water. However, there is, at present, no evidence to
suggest it spend time on dry land. If it had, not only would it
have found movement awkward, it would have been easy prey
for any land predator.

Another, not so well known idea has been put forward
about Cryptoclidus; it’s said to inhabit Scotland’s Loch Ness
and has been seen and photographed on several occasions
swimming in the loch. So convinced are the locals that this is
true, (some have seen it and photographed it) they have nick-
named it ‘Nessie’ or the ‘Loch ness monster’.

Cryptoclidus roamed the oceans for millions of years
and to all accounts was very successful. Then in the late or
end of the Jurassic it simply disappeared and entered the rec-
ords book as extinct.