Scientists have discovered an unusual ancient reptile, playfully nicknamed the “Witch Croc” (formally known as Labrujasuchus expectatus). Surprisingly, this creature—a distant relative of today’s crocodiles—walked on two legs and had a beak instead of teeth.
The 212-million-year-old fossil was found at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico.
It had tiny forelimbs, no teeth, and moved nothing like any crocodile alive today.
Nicknamed the ‘Witch Croc’
The Taylor & Francis Group explains that its name comes from a blend of the Greek word for crocodile and the Spanish word for witch, “bruja.” This combination alludes to the historical nickname for Ghost Ranch – the Ranch of the Witches.
The name ‘expectatus’ comes from Latin and means ‘expected,’ reflecting the fact that scientists predicted a fossil of this type would eventually be found. This discovery completes a missing link between two previously known species within the same animal family.
So, this researcher, Dr. Alan Turner, was saying that walking on two legs is pretty unusual for creatures related to crocodiles. But honestly, it’s something we see a lot with dinosaurs and their descendants, birds. He basically thinks it’s a successful way to get around, which makes sense when you think about it – it clearly worked for a lot of animals!
Okay, so this thing was a reptile, but not closely related to the dinosaurs I’m used to seeing. Still, it looked exactly like those super speedy, ostrich-like dinos from the Cretaceous period – seriously, like it could’ve walked right out of a history book, even though it lived over 100 million years later! It was wild.
Scientists refer to this as convergent evolution: when different kinds of animals develop similar physical characteristics because they face similar environmental challenges.
Later this year, Chicago will host the Pokemon Fossil Museum, a unique exhibit that combines authentic paleontology with the popular fossil Pokemon from the video game series. It’s a must-see for anyone who loves dinosaurs and Pokemon!
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2026-05-30 22:48