Kaprosuchus saharicus

Kaprosuchus saharicus was an extinct crocodyliform from the Late Cretaceous, specifically the Cenomanian stage (around 95 million years ago), that inhabited North Africa, in what is now the Sahara Desert. It is known from a nearly complete skull found in Niger, belonging to the Echkar Formation, and is notable for having one of the most extreme and specialized cranial morphologies among Mesozoic crocodyliforms.

The most striking feature of Kaprosuchus is its highly developed heterodont dentition, with three pairs of hypertrophied canine-like teeth protruding from the upper and lower jaws even when the mouth was closed. These long, robust, and curved teeth resemble the tusks of a boar, giving rise to its informal nickname of "boar-crocodile." Unlike modern crocodiles, whose dentition is relatively uniform, Kaprosuchus shows a clear specialization for capturing, holding, and tearing apart relatively large or active prey, possibly in terrestrial environments.

The skull, slightly over 50 cm long, is tall and robust, with a deep rostral region, eye sockets oriented more laterally and frontally, and a dorsally positioned nostril. It also features rough bony protuberances on the posterior region of the skull, formed by the parietal and squamosal bones, which likely served for visual display, intraspecific recognition, or protection. The orientation of the eyes suggests partially stereoscopic vision, an uncommon characteristic in modern crocodiles and consistent with a more active hunting style that was less dependent on aquatic ambush.

Although no postcranial skeleton has been recovered, inferences based on other terrestrial African crocodyliforms from the Cretaceous period indicate that Kaprosuchus may have had a relatively tall body positioned above its limbs, with more efficient locomotion on land than that of modern crocodiles. Estimates of body size vary widely, but an approximate total length of 3.3 meters is proposed, depending on the reconstruction model used.

From a paleoecological perspective, Kaprosuchus inhabited riverine environments and floodplains in a Cretaceous Sahara very different from today's, characterized by rivers, seasonal lakes, and relatively abundant vegetation, under a warm climate with marked wet and dry seasons. In this environment, it coexisted with a diverse fauna that included large theropod dinosaurs, sauropods, large fish, and other crocodylomorphs, suggesting a complex food web. Kaprosuchus would have occupied the niche of a semi-aquatic or predominantly terrestrial predator, exploiting prey that other crocodiles could not easily capture.

Approximate measurements of the Kaprosuchus:

• 1:35 Scale Complete
• Length 89 mm 
• Height 37 mm
• Width 30 mm
• Snout-tail length 94 mm

• Complete 1:20 Scale
• Length 156 mm 
• Height 65 mm
• Width 55 mm
• Snout-tail length 165 mm