Mosasaurus

Mosasaurus was a large, 15-metre long aquatic carnivore from the Late Cretaceous about 90-65 million years ago. It gave its name to a group of marine lizards - Mosasaurs.
Mosasaurus means 'Meuse Lizard', referring to the river near which it was first found. It fed on such prey as sea birds, sharks and large fish, plesiosaurs, and even other mosasaurs.
==Characteristics==
Name Meaning:  Meuse Lizard
Weight:  14 tons
Scale color:  Dark blue with Grey underbelly and fins
==Description==
As with most mosasaurs, their legs and feet are modified into hydrofoil-like flippers, with the forelimbs larger than the hindlimbs. Mosasaurus reached lengths of about 18 metres (59 ft), somewhat longer than its American relatives Tylosaurus and Hainosaurus. However, Mosasaurus was more robust than the somewhat smaller sized tylosaurine mosasaurs.
Mosasaurus was among the last mosasaur genera, and among the largest. The skull was more robustly built than in other mosasaurs, as the mandibles articulated very tightly with the skull. It had a deep, barrel-shaped body, and with its fairly large eyes, poor binocular vision, and poorly developed olfactory bulbs, experts believe that Mosasaurus lived near the ocean surface, where it preyed on fish, turtles, ammonites, and possibly smaller mosasaurs. The animal remained near the surface and although it was able to dive, it evidentially did not venture into deeper waters.
The skull of Mosasaurus tapered off into a short, conical process, and the jaws were armed with massive, sharp, conical teeth whilst an extra row of teeth rested on the roof of their mouths, allowing them to shred their prey. Their paddle-like limbs had five digits in front and four in back. The trunk terminated in a strong tail which, together with serpentine undulation of the whole body, contributed far more to the animal's locomotion than did the limbs.
Category:Extinct Animals and Reptiles