Kaprosuchus

The name means "Saharan boar crocodile" from Ancient Greek κάπρος, kapros ("boar") and σοῦχος, soukhos ("crocodile") in reference to its unusually large caniniform teeth which resemble those of a boar. It has been nicknamed "BoarCroc" by Paul Sereno and Hans Larsson, who first described the genus in a monograph published in ZooKeys in 2009 along with other Saharan crocodyliforms such as Anatosuchus and Laganosuchus. The species name saharicus, it refers to the Sahara Desert, where fossils were found.

Kaprosuchus resembles a real crocodile with long legs for running, some long teeth in front of the snout, horned ears, and a long tail. Kaprosuchus is a member of the family Mahajangasuchidae, along with closely related Mahajangasuchus insignis from the Upper Cretaceous of Madagascar.

According to early reconstructions, Kaprosuchus had lengthy, mammal-like legs that allowed it to gallop. Although Kaprosuchus was undoubtedly more mobile on land than contemporary crocodiles, new study indicates that its limbs were probably more like those of other crocodyliforms—sturdy and semi-erect, but not necessarily "dog-like."

Because the retroarticular process of the lower jaw is long, Kaprosuchus is likely that the jaws were able to open relatively quickly with a large gape to allow for the opposing caniniforms to clear one another. The fused nasal bones are thought to have provided reinforcement for the jaws against compression associated with a powerful bite.

Kaprosuchus was semiaquatic, more land-adapted than contemporary crocodiles, but nonetheless amphibious. Its tail and nose allowed it to swim well even though it could patrol the land. It was a "versatile" hunter that felt at ease in both settings. Its strengthened, armored nose raises the possibility that it stunned its target with its head before biting it to death.

In Rapunzel's universe, the opponent gets drenched when the crocodilian shoots a stream of water out of its mouth.

The Cretaceous Sahara, where Kaprosuchus resides, was a verdant region with wide rivers and floodplains. Giants like Spinosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus coexisted with Kaprosuchus. This species was a "dinosaur-killer." It probably hunted huge fish, other reptiles, and tiny to medium-sized dinosaurs. Their primary rivals are large theropod dinosaurs and other crocodyliforms, and they had a mid-to upper-level predator role in the environment.

However, Kaprosuchus is now thought to have been semiaquatic, as the relative Mahajangasuchus has been suggested to be a primarily aquatic predator, and that the specimens of both genera show cranial adaptations usually found in "definitively semiaquatic" crocodylomorphs, "such as elongate platyrostral or tube-like snouts, orbits located dorsally on the skull, and/or dorsally-facing external nares."

Kaprosuchus has no connection to any mythology or modern civilization. This animal was revered by Coptic and Kemetism Egyptians, who were associated with Sobek, the deity of crocodiles and a godhood Gatorfolk, in both the No Way to Seaway and Worldcraft series, which are set in the 2010s and 3000s. It is not cultural appropriation to use it in games, movies, novels, fiction, and logos. There are no ethical concerns with the term "BoarCroc," which was coined by Paul Sereno and Hans Larsson in 2009 and is entirely scientific/pop culture slang.

Reproduction

No direct fossil evidence, but inferred from crocodyliform biology:

• Egg-laying.

• Nesting in sand or soil.

• Likely guarded nests (as modern crocs do).

• Hatchlings probably vulnerable to dinosaurs and larger reptiles.

There is no evidence of pack hunting, but Kaprosuchus was solitary and territorial, used its tusks to hold prey, display or intimidate, and had intellect probably comparable to that of modern crocodilians. Kaprosuchus was a predator that actively pursued prey. It could have used its depth awareness to time its strikes while stalking animals through the undergrowth rather than merely waiting for victims to drink.

This notosuchian poses a serious threat. Kaprosuchus possessed the strength of a crocodile's bite and the speed of a land predator. It would probably consider a human to be a simple, medium-sized prey item.

Kaprosuchus vanished toward the end of the Cretaceous via the meteor impact. Like the non-avian dinosaurs, it likely succumbed to the global catastrophe 66 million years ago. While some "generalist" semiaquatic crocodilians survived, the specialized "BoarCroc" lineage did not.

• Climate shifts and possibly meteor impacts.

• Changing river systems.

• Competition with evolving dinosaurs and mammals.

• Decline of notosuchian diversity by Late Cretaceous.

Kaprosuchus was native to the Central African region during the Late Cretaceous, where their habitat was near the water and grasslands.

• Movement Pattern: Not a Migrant

• Individual Type: Solo

• Population Trend: Stable

• Population: ???

• Locomotion: Amphibious

• Habitat: Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests; Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Salt Flats; Stone Forest; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Deserts and Xeric Shrublands; Badlands; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Cold Bamboo Forests; Tropical Bamboo Forests; Air-breathing Coral Reefs; Graveyard Vale.

• Earth: 

  • Extinct: Cameroon; Niger; Nigeria

Kaprosuchus were tranquilized by bullets and made unconscious; fed while unconscious, used narcotics, and fed with any meat to continuously overdose. Alternatively, since the survivor is always within 16 radii of the hatching egg, Mahajangasuchus and Kaprosuchus are automatically domesticated when they hatch from an egg.

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• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaprosuchus

• https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q137176

• https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Kaprosuchus_saharicus

• https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=157807

• https://ark.wiki.gg/wiki/Kaprosuchus

• https://www.deviantart.com/ognimdo2002/art/Kaprosuchus-saharicus-1006195713