13 ancient reptiles that once ruled the earth before humans

Imagine a planet where giant beast creatures ruled, owned the television and radio broadcasts, and covered the oceans. Hundreds of millions of years earlier than the arrival of the very first human inhabitant on our planet, Earth had an unfathomable multitude of monster reptiles—killers, brutes, unbelievable ones. Beginning with the enormity of their killers like the Tyrannosaurus rex up to armoured elephants like the Ankylosaurus, these monstrous creatures have gifted us with fossilised remains about a world they ruled supreme in.


Discover below the 13 prehistoric reptiles that once ruled Earth before humans.




Prehistoric reptiles that came before us





Tyrannosaurus rex






Most mythological of all dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex became the "king of the tyrant lizards." Surviving the Late Cretaceous time, this killer was nearly 20 feet tall and over 40 feet long. Its banana-shaped teeth that filled up the jaws were powerful enough to crush bone, making it one of the world's greatest predators.

Although long thought to be a scavenger, recent evidence suggests that T. rex was an active, effective predator. Even its famous little arms were powerful and could have been used to grasp prey. Picture ancient forest floors trembling beneath its huge feet—T. rex was the undisputed darling of the ancient world.




Spinosaurus





Compared to any other dinosaur that was discovered, Spinosaurus had a sail-like spine and a crocodile snout. It was over 50 feet long and is considered to be one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs that have been discovered.

Evolved to a semi-aquatic existence, Spinosaurus hunted in lakes and rivers, employing its conical, pointed teeth to capture fish with precision. Its sail potentially served for many purposes, such as thermoregulation, to species identification. Spinosaurus wiped clean the distinction between land and sea, as a blatant river-living monster.




Triceratops





With its huge frill and facial horns, Triceratops looked like an animal built for fighting. This plant-eater lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous, often sharing its time with meat-eaters like T. rex.

Its horns, many over three feet long, would have provided defense, combat with rivals, and perhaps show to attract a mate. Its massive frill was additional defense and show. Stegosaurus herds grazed during ancient times on grasslands, a standing symbol of bravery and tenacity in the face of adversity.




Stegosaurus





Perhaps one of the most readily identifiable dinosaurs, Stegosaurus had a double row of plates running vertically down its back and a tail with fatal spikes on the end—a thagomizer.

Lived during the Late Jurassic, this herbivore was 30 feet in length. A small brain didn't discourage an impressive body that worked to deter intruders and control body heat. The plates may have been employed for mating or acting as predation defense. Stegosaurus stood in stark contrast to Jurassic forest landscapes.




Ankylosaurus





Armed to the teeth and nearly indestructible, Ankylosaurus was tank-like in its construction. It was covered in thick plates of bone, and the enormous club-like tail served as a mighty defense weapon.

Growing as long as 30 feet, Ankylosaurus was a slow-moving plant consumer that chomped on low-growing plants. Its club-like tail could crush bone, providing defense from even the most ferocious of predators. This rolling fortress was the peak of prehistoric protection.




Pteranodon




Although not a dinosaur, Pteranodon was an ancient king of the skies. With its wingspan of up to 20 feet, it soared peacefully above Cretaceous seas.

Pteranodon had a toothless, pointed beak and an unusual cranial crest, perhaps for directional flight or mating rituals. Light and agile, it hunted fish and glided for miles. Its aerial vision must have been breathtaking but beautiful—nature's earliest flyer.




Mosasaurus



An actual ocean giant, Mosasaurus was a sea reptile that grew up to 50 feet long. With its muscular tail and toothy grin, it dominated the seas in the Late Cretaceous.

Capable of consuming everything from fish to other sea reptiles, Mosasaurus was one of the deep's dominant predators. Its muscular body and giant skull made it one of the most dangerous sea creatures to have ever lived—an ancient leviathan that haunted the depths.




Deinosuchus





Giant crocodilian that it was, Deinosuchus measured 35 feet long and dominated swamps in the Late Cretaceous. Terrifying ambush hunter, the monster roamed swamps and riverbanks and clamped massive jaws shut, splitting bones in two and feasting on dinosaurs that came too close to its territory.

Powerful tail and tough scales created it a quick fish and near unstoppable monster on land. And aptly-named "terrible crocodile" – the name would be just right for its ancient swamp dweller demeanor.




Sarcosuchus




Still larger than Deinosuchus, Sarcosuchus—"SuperCroc"—reached 40 feet long and a couple tons. It lived during the Early Cretaceous in today's Africa.

With over 100 teeth in a broad, long snout, Sarcosuchus was properly equipped to deal with gigantic prey, even unsuspecting dinosaurs. Its teeth were massive, and its body was one of the most terrifying reptiles during that period.




Ichthyosaurus






Although a reptile, Ichthyosaurus looked and swam like a modern dolphin. This Jurassic sea swimmer had enormous eyes to find prey deep within the ocean and gave birth to live young—a feature among reptiles that is uncommon.

Ichthyosaurus, ranging from 11 feet in length, hunted fish and squid in schools. Its speed, agility, and social behavior made it one of the most fascinating sea reptiles in the ancient oceans.




Pliosaurus





It was nearly as tall as the average human's skull, and Pliosaurus was built to be a ferocious animal. It had a short neck, enormous jaws, and flippers on its arms that were ideally adapted for catching prey out over the seas.

Growing up to 40 feet in length, Pliosaurus fed on fish, squid, and even other sea reptiles. It was one of the Jurassic oceans' tallest predators—quick, ferocious, and utterly in charge.




Dimetrodon




Dimetrodon is often mistaken for a dinosaur, when in reality it lived much before dinosaurs in the Permian period. Its most distinctive feature was the sail on its back formed by high, elongated vertebrae.

Its sail perhaps maintained a regulated temperature or was sought by a mate. Serrated teeth and a body length of 15 feet made Dimetrodon an incredibly efficient hunter of the early Earth evolution.




Megalania




Megalania was an enormous monitor lizard from ancient Australia in the Pleistocene era. It is estimated to have measured over 20 feet long.

Megalania was a huge ground predator, likely feasting on large mammals—and quite possibly early human beings. Its power and enormity have rendered it legendary in scientific exploration as well as Aboriginal folklore.






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