Koolasuchus cleelandi, an extinct giant temnospondyl, emerges as one of the most formidable predators of the ancient Australian landscape. Approximately 120 million years ago, during the early Cretaceous period, in the Barremian, this imposing amphibian reigned over the rivers and streams of what we know today as Australia.
Discovered in 1989 by paleontologist Lesley Kool and geologist Mike Cleeland, Koolasuchus cleelandi is known from jaw fragments and various postcranial bones found in the Wonthaggi Formation in Victoria. Its name, which means "Kool crocodile" in Greek, refers to both its discoverer and the cold climate of its prehistoric habitat.
With a wide, rounded head adorned with tabular "horns", Koolasuchus presented an impressive appearance. Although the fossil materials are not complete, it is estimated that its heavy skull could reach 65 centimeters in length, while its body, light and with short limbs, measured around 5 meters long and barely 30 centimeters high. All this suggests that it was an ambush hunter, perfectly adapted to lurking in murky waters.
This giant amphibian, belonging to the Chigutisauridae group, stood as one of the largest temnospondyls of its time, surviving long after its evolutionary relatives had become extinct. Their habitat in the rift zone of southern Australia, where cold temperatures protected these amphibians from competition with crocodiles, allowed their survival for millions of years.
Koolasuchus, essentially aquatic but capable of crawling slowly on land, fed primarily on fish, crabs, mollusks and other aquatic life. It is believed to have waited patiently at the bottom of the water, using an array of sensors on its head and body to detect unsuspecting prey, similar to modern Asian giant salamanders.
Approximate measurements of the Koolasuchus:
Discovered in 1989 by paleontologist Lesley Kool and geologist Mike Cleeland, Koolasuchus cleelandi is known from jaw fragments and various postcranial bones found in the Wonthaggi Formation in Victoria. Its name, which means "Kool crocodile" in Greek, refers to both its discoverer and the cold climate of its prehistoric habitat.
With a wide, rounded head adorned with tabular "horns", Koolasuchus presented an impressive appearance. Although the fossil materials are not complete, it is estimated that its heavy skull could reach 65 centimeters in length, while its body, light and with short limbs, measured around 5 meters long and barely 30 centimeters high. All this suggests that it was an ambush hunter, perfectly adapted to lurking in murky waters.
This giant amphibian, belonging to the Chigutisauridae group, stood as one of the largest temnospondyls of its time, surviving long after its evolutionary relatives had become extinct. Their habitat in the rift zone of southern Australia, where cold temperatures protected these amphibians from competition with crocodiles, allowed their survival for millions of years.
Koolasuchus, essentially aquatic but capable of crawling slowly on land, fed primarily on fish, crabs, mollusks and other aquatic life. It is believed to have waited patiently at the bottom of the water, using an array of sensors on its head and body to detect unsuspecting prey, similar to modern Asian giant salamanders.
Approximate measurements of the Koolasuchus:
- Complete 1:60 Scale
- Length 70mm
- Height 20mm
- Snout-tail length 83 mm
- Complete 1:35 Scale
- Length 120mm
- Height 33mm
- Snout-tail length 143mm
