.6" Cretaceous Crocodilian Vertebra (Champsosaurus) - Montana

Champsosaurus is an extinct genus of diapsid reptile belonging to the order Choristodera. It grew to about 1.50 meters (5 feet) long, though C. gigas, the largest species, reached 3-3.5 meters (10–12 feet) in length. Champsosaurus resembled a gharial and, like gharials, hunted in rivers and swamps, catching fish with its long, tooth-lined jaws. It probably swam with lateral body movements, pinning its limbs against its body to increase its streamline, just like modern crocodiles and the Marine Iguana. Behind the eyes, Champsosaurus's skull was very wide to accommodate for the powerful jaw muscles attached there.