Rutiodon
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| ?Rutiodon Conservation status: Fossil |
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Rutiodon is an extinct genus of archosaur reptile belonging to the phytosaur group. It was up to 7 m (23 ft) long.
Like other phytosaurs, Rutiodon strongly resembled a crocodile, with the only exception being the fact that its nostrils were positioned close to the eyes. Because of its enlarged front teeth, it most closely resembled the gharial. It probably caught fish and also snatched land animals from the waterside.
[edit] In popular culture
Rutiodon is one of the best-known phytosaurs and appeared in the 2001 Discovery Channel documentary When Dinosaurs Roamed America, shown hunting Coelophysis.
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