Excavations by archaeologists unravel the secrets of the ancient past, which further perplex our minds. Fossils that are found all over the world tell us more about dangerous creatures that lived long before our time, but, fortunately, became extinct. No, these are not dinosaurs. These animals were much more dangerous. Today's predators, whom we consider the most bloodthirsty representatives of the animal world, would turn out to be inexperienced schoolchildren compared to these monsters. Who are they? We will tell you.
1. "Titanoboa" - a 12-meter snake weighing more than a ton
Imagine a 12-meter snake weighing more than 1 ton, which freely and fairly freely lived in the forests and could use anything it wanted. Scary? This extinct species of huge snakes lived in the place where northeast Colombia is now located. It was 58-60 million years ago in the middle and late Paleocene era.
As evidence, several fossil remains (discarded skins) were found, making it the largest snake ever discovered. The titanoboa monster survived in coastal areas, but fed exclusively on fish. So do not be afraid: even if, by an incredible coincidence, this species has survived, it does not threaten us.
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2. "Deinosuh" - a terrible crocodile
In 1858, the first remains of a creature that received a name that literally translates as “terrible crocodile” were discovered in the western part of the USA. His strong teeth could crush even the skull of a tyrannosaurus! Most likely, this predator was the top of the Cretaceous food chain. Deinosuh could last up to 50 years, and the growth of his body lasted more than 2/3 of his life.
Researchers suggest that the giant crocodile was feeding on dinosaurs. He attacked his victim during a watering hole. Deinosuhi hunted in groups or alone - is unknown. But there is a theory according to which, crocodiles dragged their prey into the water and drowned before eating.
Traces of the teeth of this prehistoric creature were also found on the shells of large turtles, suggesting a variety of diets and the terrifying power of a bite.
3. "Megateria" - sloths who dug giant tunnels
Very few animals managed to surpass the size of megateria (see the main photo). The first remains of this giant sloth was found in Argentina in 1788, long before the discovery of dinosaur fossils. Researchers hypothesized that the sloths had giant claws that they used to dig tunnels.
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Later, megateria migrated from South America to North and lived there until the end of the Pleistocene period, when they reached the size of the African elephant. Fortunately, they were herbivores, using their tongues to distinguish and select which foliage is on pasture and in the forest habitat.
Megaterium lived mainly in groups, but sometimes could exist alone in caves. Many believe that one of the factors of its extinction was the active hunting of people.
4. "Bilzebufu" - the killer frog
At the end of the Cretaceous, about 70 million years ago, there lived a prehistoric frog, which today is called the "devilish toad." Studies have shown that the size of the animal could reach up to 40 cm with the head. And its habitat was the area of today's Madagascar.
It is known that the “slippery killer” preyed mainly on dinosaur cubs and other animals proportionate to them, using their large jaws. In 1993, the first remains of a frog were discovered, and to date, archaeologists have found a little more than 70 parts of the skeleton. This allowed researchers to restore the skull of the animal. The closest living relatives of Bilzebufo are the horned toads of South America.
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5. "Racoscorpion" - 2 meters in length
Although Jaekelopterus is also called "giant sea scorpions", their remains have been found in freshwater systems and estuaries. It is the largest arthropod ever to exist. The mouth of the Racoscorpion had teeth of various sizes, which allowed them to inflict puncture wounds and made animals dangerous predators in their habitat. They ate mainly small arthropods, fish and the first vertebrates.
The crayfish lived in the darker, deeper parts of the seas and ponds, and approached the coast only to spawn and mate. It was a very flexible and maneuverable predator, which helped him win the pursuit of prey in almost 90% of cases.
6. Megalodon - the largest shark
Based on the size of the remains of his teeth (almost 18 cm in length), paleontologists calculated the approximate size of the shark: 22-24 meters. It was an amazing discovery. Of course, at that time many giant fish and sharks lived in the oceans, but the megalodon ate both, and also ate turtles. It is also known that megalodon possessed the largest bite force of all creatures ever living: approximately 1.8 tons per 6 cm 2.
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Why tourists are forbidden to photograph Ethiopians: the reason surprised me evenHe had a unique hunting style, biting off the fins of his prey before delivering a decisive, fatal blow. Shark remains were found all over the world, despite the fact that the predator lived 23 million years ago. Their enormous size did not allow them to appear in shallow water, but they definitely had enough space for hunting. Although no one knows for sure why these sharks became extinct, it is believed that Leviathan Melville and other killer whales directly contributed to this.
7. "Haast Eagle" - a hunter for people
Today, eagles may seem rather harmless "birds" for most of us, but this was not always the case. The Haasta Eagle, an extinct species of eagle that lived on the South Island of New Zealand, was commonly called the Poakai, which was a monstrous bird of the Maori legend. The largest representative could weigh up to 230 kilograms and was more than any vulture. They hunted large, flightless birds, and even those that weighed much more than themselves.
The relationship of Haast with people is also not friendly. The legends of the Maori people talk about a bird that can easily kill a person. The closest living relatives of the bird are Australian dwarf eagles.
8. Entelodonts - Infernal Pigs
Entelodonts were omnivorous pigs that lived in the forests about 21 million years ago. They had giant bodies weighing up to 400 kg, but short and slender legs. On the head are heavy, bony tubercles and a powerful jaw with large fangs and heavy incisors. This made them the "supreme" predators of Eurasia in the era of the Middle and Early Miocene.
They were omnivores, but more often preferred to eat animals. Presented in the BBC and National Geographic programs, entelodonts appeared before humanity as "infernal pigs" with murderous jaws, a meeting with which you certainly could not have survived.
9. "Dinofelis" - a saber-toothed cat, a thunderstorm of people
When we think about the cat family, we recall the cute tiger cubs, lion cubs and kittens. But the ancient people had something to remember and beyond that.
Have you ever heard of cats that can make holes in their skulls with their teeth? No? Then get acquainted - dinofelis. This extinct, saber-toothed cat was widespread in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, about eight million years ago.
