Liopleurdons could grow 16-23 feet long and weigh 2,200-3,700 pounds.

Ancient marine mammals were split into pliosaurs and plesiosaurs with Liopleurodons being in the first category. Pliosaurs were characterized by long heads, short necks, and long flippers on a thick torso.

One thing people forget about when discussing some of the prehistoric marine reptiles is they didn’t have gills. So just like the whales and dolphins of today, Liopleurodons would occasionally have to return to the surface for big gulps of air!

The Liopleurodon was a large, carnivorous marine retile that lived during the Middle and Late Jurassic Period 150-160 million years ago! They were huge apex predators that made their way all around Western Europe eating various critters. The first remain, a tooth, was found in 1873 in France.

The Liopleurodon’s diet was a carnivorous one comprised mainly of the Kimmerosaurus or other prehistoric marine reptiles. Even with those large flippers, Liopleurodons relied more on an ambush-style of hunting and would use a powerful thrust to attack prey. Their forward-facing nostrils suggest they had a good sense of smell that allowed them to find far away prey.

Very little is known about the reproductive system and process of the Lipleurodon. Using similar species, scientists have deduced that Liopleurdons couldn’t leave the sea so they would give birth to live young probably in shallow waters. Like other large marine species, one offspring at a time and a long gestation period were likely.

In the 19th century, many newly discovered prehistoric animals were named after the little bit of fossil evidence found. In the Liopleurodon’s case, several teeth were found throughout France that was linked to the Liopleurodon which translates to “smooth-sided teeth” in Greek.