Scutosaurus

Name:

Scutosaurus (Greek for "shield lizard"); pronounced SKOO-toe-SORE-us

Habitat:

Riverbanks of Eurasia

Historical Period:

Late Permian (250 million years ago)

Size and Weight:

About 6 feet long and 500-1,000 pounds

Diet:

Plants

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Short, straight legs; thick body; short tail

About Scutosaurus:

Scutosaurus appears to have been a relatively evolved anapsid reptile that was, however, far removed from the mainstream of reptile evolution (the anapsids weren't nearly as important, historically speaking, as contemporary therapsids, archosaurs and pelycosaurs). This buffalo-sized herbivore had rudimentary armor plating, which covered its thick skeleton and well-muscled torso; it clearly needed some form of defense, since it must have been an exceptionally slow and lumbering creature.

Some paleontologists speculate that Scutosaurus may have roamed the floodplains of the late Permian period in large herds, signaling to one another with loud bellows (a conclusion based on an analysis of this prehistoric reptile's unusually large cheeks).