Rhinesuchus is a rhinesuchid temnospondyl amphibian from the Guadalupian-Lopingian of South Africa. It was named in 1908 by Robert Broom. It was considered to be the last of the stereospondyls, right until other, closely related amphibians such as Broomistega were found.
Physiology[]
Rhinesuchus resembled the generic temnospondyl. It was a fish-like amphibian with 4 legs, a long tail similar to that of a tadpole, a bulky body, a big, semi-flat head with big jaws, and eyes on the top of its head. Its body would have been covered in smooth skin.
Diet[]
Rhinesuchus was a predator, preying on fish and smaller amphibians. Behind its huge jaws, it had a second set of teeth, mainly for capturing prey and ensuring it did not escape.
Ecology[]
So far, all we know about Rhinesuchus is that it was a primarily aquatic amphibian, it was an example of a lifestyle transition from primarily terrestrial amphibians such as Eryops to fully aquatic amphibians such as Mastodonsaurus, and in order to hunt, it would lie near the bottom or a river or pond, right before speeding towards unsuspecting prey and biting them.
In popular culture[]
Rhinesuchus was featured in the 3rd episode of the 2005 documentary Walking with Monsters, where it is inaccurately placed in Asia alongside Inostrancevia, Scutosaurus, and Diictodon. Along with this, near the end of the segment, it burrows into the ground and wraps itself in a sandy cocoon just before all the water dries up (similar to modern lungfish); despite this, an Inostrancevia unravels the cocoon and eats the amphibian.