Californosaurus
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| Californosaurus Temporal range: Upper Triassic, 216–218 mya |
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| Californosaurus perrini | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Subclass: | ?Diapsida |
| Order: | Ichthyopterygia |
| Family: | Shastasauridae |
| Genus: | Californosaurus Kuhn, 1934 |
Californosaurus (meaning "California lizard") was an ichthyosaur, an extinct marine reptile. It was 10 feet (3 m) long. It had four paddle-shaped flippers and sharp teeth in long, pointed jaws (looking a bit like a dolphin).
Californosaurus lived during the late Triassic period in seas that covered what is now California. It fed on fish and other small marine creatures. Like other ichthyosaurs it probably never came onto dry land, and gave birth in the water.
