Ophiderpeton

O-phid-erp-e-ton.
By Harper Gray
Published on

Harper Gray

Paleoartist

Harper Grey combines artistic talent with scientific precision to bring extinct creatures and environments back to life. Collaborating closely with paleontologists

Cite Feedback Print

Cite This Article

Gray, H. (2012, May 8). Ophiderpeton. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/ophiderpeton/

copy

Name

Ophiderpeton (Snake creeper).

Phonetic

O-phid-erp-e-ton.

Named By

Huxley - 1865.

Classification

Chordata, Amphibia, Lepospondyli, A�stopoda, Ophiderpetontidae.

Diet

Insectivore.

Species

O. granulosum, O. vicinum, O. pectinatum, O.zieglerianum

Size

70 centimetres long.

Known locations

U.S.A., Ohio, - Czech Republic.

Time Period

Early Carboniferous to Early Permian.

Fossil representation

Many examples have been preserved.

In Depth

       A limbless amphibian (aistopod), Ophiderpeton is believed to have lived in burrows from where it would hunt invertebrates. Ophiderpeton is well represented with specimens having up to 230 vertebrae. The skull has a reduced number of bones and the eyes face forward.

Further Reading

Further reading- On a Collection of Fossil Vertebrata, from the Jarrow Colliery, County of Kilkenny, Ireland. – Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy 24:351-370. – E. P. Wright & T. H. Huxley – 1871.- The a�stopod amphibian from the Vis�an of East Kirkton, West Lothian, Scotland. – Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences 84:363-368. – A. C. Milner – 1994.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

© 2024 Prehistoric-Wildlife, All Rights Reserved

The information here is completely free for your own study and research purposes, but please don't copy the articles word for word and claim them as your own work. The world of prehistory is constantly changing with the advent of new discoveries, and its best if you use this information as a jumping off point for your own research.