HOME | DD

Description

Another work. Ophiacodont Varanosaurus acutirostris from the early Permian of Texas. This taxon is often referred to varanopids, but a cladogram from Benson (2012) shows it among ophiacodontids.

Varanosaurus was a medium-sized animal, 1-1. 5 meters long. It is characterized by a long and low skull, as well as numerous sharp teeth. Interestingly, the surface of the maxilla above the largest teeth is swollen. All of this suggests a specialization for hunting on a slippery fast prey. Varanosaurus could hunt fish and amphibians in the swamps of Texas.

The appearance is based, as in the case of my Ophiacodon, on ichnofossils showing rectangular scales. Large scales on the tail is speculation. The rest of the body is covered with bare skin. Head is based on the skull drawing from Reiscz (2005): www.researchgate.net/figure/Cr…

2B technical pencil, 2019.

Description

Another work. Ophiacodont Varanosaurus acutirostris from the early Permian of Texas. This taxon is often referred to varanopids, but a cladogram from Benson (2012) shows it among ophiacodontids.

Varanosaurus was a medium-sized animal, 1-1. 5 meters long. It is characterized by a long and low skull, as well as numerous sharp teeth. Interestingly, the surface of the maxilla above the largest teeth is swollen. All of this suggests a specialization for hunting on a slippery fast prey. Varanosaurus could hunt fish and amphibians in the swamps of Texas.

The appearance is based, as in the case of my Ophiacodon, on ichnofossils showing rectangular scales. Large scales on the tail is speculation. The rest of the body is covered with bare skin. Head is based on the skull drawing from Reiscz (2005): www.researchgate.net/figure/Cr…

2B technical pencil, 2019.