The predators we have in our modern-day age are cubs compared to predators that existed millions of years ago. In the grand timeline of Earth’s history, it was nothing uncommon to see colossal beasts prowling the land. Isn’t that cool?
These huge, ancient apex predators ruled over ecosystems with unmatched strength. In the skies, in the seas, in the forests. There was nowhere to run: facing one of these predators was a certainty! Scary!
Take a walk back in time and meet these predators, who are now thankfully no longer a threat!
1. Liopleurodon
Move aside, Loch Ness! This is the real sea monster!
This sea reptile had jaws like a crocodile on steroids and could track down prey from miles away! It was presumed to have been up to 40 feet long, but it’s hard to make the estimate – their fossils alone are scary enough!
The Liopleurodon had a not-so-fun way of hunting prey: stalking, ambushing, chomping with those razor-sharp teeth. Before you can blink, a large fish is gone in half a bite! If I knew they still roamed the oceans, I don’t know if I would ever go to a beach again!
2. Sarcosuchus
Also known as SuperCroc. It was basically a prehistoric version of a crocodile-looking predator that makes our version look like a fluffy kitty-cat. 40 feet long, and weighing up to a dozen tons, they were behemoths, to say the least.
If crocodile jaws scare you, oh boy, this one will make your blood run cold! Their jaws were so strong they could crush the bones of almost every other dino out there!
And if you, for whatever reason, think you could handle one? Good luck, because their scales are tough like a Croco Crusader’s. You aren’t getting them to lose a battle no matter what! Especially when they’re craving some meat.
3. Gigantosaurus
Everyone always talks about the T. rex, but hear me out! Imagine a predator so big and dangerous that it could bring down another 70-ton dino like it was Sunday brunch.
This thing was a true apex predator with a taste for the next biggest and most dangerous thing around (besides itself).
The scary part is: dinos like the T. rex used brute force, while this one was actually smart! It’s believed that they developed hunting strategies in packs!
4. Spinosaurus
This is the largest dino predator ever discovered, and trust me, they’re big. Like, really big – think about 60 feet long, weighing up to 10 tons.
Like a hybrid between a T. rex and a crocodile, these guys ruled over both land and water. They dominated waterways and just munched up anything in its proximity: fish, sharks, smaller dinos, you name it!
Also, they have this distinctive sail-looking structure on their backs. Yes, looks very cool, but it makes me immediately compare them to a pirate ship. Plundering the seas, and land, but for lunch, not for gold!
5. Tyrannosaurus Rex
The movie star! No dino movie would ever work without one! The T. rex was what you can essentially compare to a bulldozer with a mouthful of razor blades.
It’s called the ultimate predator of its era – fast, strong, big, and scary. Their job description and menu included hunting other dinosaurs and eating their remains. And yes, when you look at them, their arms are tiny. I know!
But don’t get fooled. Each of those tiny arms can lift about 400 pounds each. So, I guess it’s arm day at the gym for me! Who wouldn’t wanna be strong like that?
6. Megalania (Varanus Priscus)
Megalania was a giant monitor lizard that roamed Pleistocene Australia. It could grow up to 23 feet in length and weigh around 1,300 pounds, making it the largest terrestrial lizard known to have existed.
With razor-sharp teeth and a venomous bite, Megalania was a fearsome predator capable of taking down large prey like giant marsupials.
Its immense size and hunting prowess earned it a place among the largest predators in history.
7. Carcharodontosaurus
Carcharodontosaurus, also known as the “shark-toothed lizard,” was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs, measuring up to 44 feet in length and weighing as much as 15 tons.
Found in North Africa during the mid-Cretaceous period, this massive predator had serrated teeth designed for slicing through flesh, making it a dominant apex predator of its time.
Its size rivaled that of Tyrannosaurus Rex, earning it a spot among the largest predators ever to walk the Earth.