Name: Cochleosaurus
(Ear lizard).
Phonetic: Cok-lee-oh-sore-us.
Named By: Fritsch - 1885.
Classification: Chordata, Amphibia, Temnospondyli,
Edopoidea, Cochleosauridae.
Species: C. bohemicus, C.florensis.
Type: Carnivore.
Size: Up to 1.6 meters long.
Known locations: Czech Republic, N�řany. Canada,
Nova Scotia.
Time period: Moscovian of the Carboniferous.
Fossil representation: Around 50 known specimens.
Despite its name, Cochleosaurus was actually an amphibian. The skull is quite flat and features an ear structure better adapted for use on the land. Some have considered Cochleosaurus to have been an ambush hunter similar to crocodiles today.
Further reading
- The edopoid amphibian Cochleosaurus from the
middle Pennsylvanian of
Nova Scotia. Palaeontology 23:143-150 - O. Rieppel - 1980.