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Cryptoclidus

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Cryptoclidus
Temporal range: Late Jurassic
166–164 mya
A skeleton cast of a juvenile Cryptoclidus in the University of Tübingen.
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Cryptoclidus

Cryptoclidus was a species of plesiosaur, an aquatic reptile up to 13 feet (4 m) long. It had curved, interlocking teeth, a wide skull, and large, flexible, paddle-like flippers. The fragile head and teeth could not deal with large prey. That suggests a diet of small, soft-bodied animals such as squid and small shoaling fish.

Cryptoclidus lived during the middle part of the Late Jurassic period. Cryptoclidus fossils have been found in England, France, Russia, and possibly the Americas. Cryptoclidus was named by Seeley in 1892. The type species is Cryptoclidus eurymerus. Adult Cryptoclidus were larger than juveniles, and they could span to about 13 feet long.