Re: Deinosuchus basics

[pwillis@ozemail.com.au (Paul Willis)]

>I heard somewhere (how's that for being scientific?) that the largest known
>Australian Saltwater Croccodiles were reported to be specimens just over
>30' long.

There are unconfirmed reports of up to 32 feet (one by Capt Cook no less!)
but 27 to 28 feet is the generally recognised maximum confirmed length
(around 9 metres).

>I'm guessing that  those guys were a bit bigger than that?

The more reliable guesses for Deinosuchus place it at around 12 metres.

>And
>wasn't there another really big one that lived in Quatternary South
>America?

Rhamphosuchus and Purussaurus referred to in the previous post were both
fro South America and, from the previous post, were *probably* in the 30 to
40 foot range.

Cheers,

Paul


Dr Paul M.A. Willis
Consulting Vertebrate Palaeontologist
Quinkana Pty Ltd
pwillis@ozemail.com.au