Euchambersia is an akidnognathid therapsid synapsid from the Lopingian of South Africa. It was named in 1931 by Robert Broom. It was a truly unique therocephalian, mainly due to the venom glands connected to its large canines.
Physiology[]
Euchambersia was a therocephalian with 4 legs, a regularly-shaped body, a short tail, and a mid-sized head with a mouth containing large canines in the front and smaller teeth in the back. Its body would have been covered in fur.
Diet[]
Euchambersia was a predator, preying on dicynodonts, cynodonts, and small reptiles. Near the curves of its jaws, it had a pair of large canines, which were used for cutting and injecting venom into prey.
Ecology[]
Unlike other akidnognathid therocephalians, Euchambersia was an ambush predator with a venomous bite. Connected to its large canines were venom glands which culminated in a groove near the outer sides of those huge teeth. With teeth like these, Euchambersia could simply bite its prey, let go, and let the venom do its dirty work. Overall, this hunting mechanic would have been very useful when dealing with large prey.
In popular culture[]
Euchambersia was featured in the 3rd episode of the 2005 documentary Walking with Monsters, where it is shown as a nocturnal ambush predator that kills a Lystrosaurus with its venom. Very weirdly, the narrator mentions that its venom is more potent than that of a black mamba's (this is most likely just wishful thinking); as well as this, it is depicted as living with Lystrosaurus, Proterosuchus, and Euparkeria even though it lived a few million years before the three evolved.