In Depth
The name Litorosuchus means ‘littoral crocodile’, reference to the littoral (coastal) habitat that Litorosuchus is thought to have lived in. Litorosuchus measured about two meters long, though just over half of this was tail. The vertebrae of the tail had strongly developed and enlarged neural arches, and these combined with the proportionate length clearly indicate that the tail would have been the primary means of locomotion when swimming in the water. Preserved with the holotype are soft tissue impressions that show the toes on the feet of Litorosuchus were webbed, further adaptation showing that Litorosuchus spent a lot of time in the water.
All in all, Litorosuchus probably still returned to the land when not hunting in the water. The aquatic adaptations of Litorosuchus however mean that these creatures would have had an easy time moving amongst tidal pools and lagoons when searching for prey.
Further Reading
- A new armored archosauriform (Diapsida: Archosauromorpha) from the marine Middle Triassic of China, with implications for the diverse life styles of archosauriforms prior to the diversification of Archosauria. The Science of Nature 103(11-12). - C. Li, X.-C. Wu, L.-J. Zhao, S. J. Nesbitt, M. R. Stocker & L.-T. Wang - 2016.
