In the vast tapestry of Earth’s history, dinosaurs often take center stage as some of the most awe-inspiring creatures to have ever roamed the planet. However, there were other animals that prowled the ancient landscapes and seas, whose sheer ferocity and capabilities may have rivaled or even surpassed those of the dinosaurs. Here, in part 2 of our exploration, we delve into some of these lesser-known but equally formidable creatures:
1. **Megalodon**: While not a dinosaur, the Megalodon was a prehistoric shark that ruled the oceans millions of years ago. With estimated lengths of up to 60 feet or more, and jaws large enough to swallow a car whole, this apex predator was the terror of the seas during its time.
2. **Sarcosuchus**: Often dubbed the “SuperCroc,” Sarcosuchus was a massive crocodilian that lived during the Cretaceous period. With lengths of up to 40 feet, it was one of the largest crocodilians to have ever existed, dwarfing even modern saltwater crocodiles in size.
3. **Titanoboa**: Imagine a snake longer than a school bus and weighing as much as a small car. That’s Titanoboa, the largest snake ever discovered. This massive serpent slithered through the swamps of South America around 60 million years ago, preying on anything unfortunate enough to cross its path.
4. **Arthropleura**: This giant millipede-like creature was a true behemoth of the Carboniferous forests, measuring up to 8 feet in length. With its armored exoskeleton and numerous legs, Arthropleura was a formidable herbivore that dominated the ancient landscape.
5. **Andrewsarchus**: Often referred to as the “giant killer pig,” Andrewsarchus was a carnivorous mammal that lived during the Eocene epoch. With its massive skull and sharp teeth, this predator was likely one of the top carnivores of its time, preying on large mammals and other animals.
6. **Megatherium**: Imagine a giant ground sloth the size of an elephant. That’s Megatherium, one of the largest land mammals to have ever lived. Despite its herbivorous diet, its immense size and powerful claws made it a force to be reckoned with in the ancient forests of South America.
While dinosaurs may have captured our imaginations with their towering size and fearsome appearance, these creatures remind us that the natural world has always been filled with wonders and terrors beyond our wildest dreams.
Still scared of dinosaurs? Let’s explore some prehistoric animals that were a lot scarier than the dinosaurs.
Our prehistoric planet was a terrifying place, predominantly to the rampaging reptiles that once ruled here: dinosaurs! Those monstrous creatures dominated the land for some 160 million years! But they weren’t alone. There were other beasts from back then, and a little while after, that could have given even the biggest dinosaurs a run for their money.
From massive monstrosities lurking beneath the waves to huge human-like goliaths that haunted the forests, here are even more animals that were mega scarier than the dinosaurs.
Arctodus: Short Faced Bear
Coming face to face with a 700 lb grizzly bear nowadays is a pretty terrifying scenario. So just imagine what it was like 2.5 million years ago when Arctodus roamed the earth; a bear that was almost 3 times the size of the modern grizzly!
Nicknamed the or bulldog bear, estimates have those beasts weighing in at more than 2,000 pounds at their largest. They stood some 5 feet at the shoulder, and over 12 feet tall on their hind legs, towering over early humans, who stood on average at just 4 ft tall!
The bear only died out about 11,000 years ago due to habitat changes during the Ice Age, which means that some early humans actually encountered that beefy bear in the flesh not so long ago. And that’s not even the half of it.
With its long limbs specially evolved to help it chase its prey, Arctodus would have been the fastest running bear ever, reaching a top speed of 40 miles an hour despite its incredible weight! With a good sense of smell and superb eyesight, it was a savage hunter, regularly sinking its 4 ½ inch long canines into giant bison and ground sloths!
Not only that, its large jaws could extend a bite powerful enough to crush bones, all to obtain the juicy marrow within. It’s estimated that Arctodus had a bite force of 2,000 pounds per square inch when chowing down on its prey; for comparison, an average grizzly has a bite force of just 1,160 lbs per square inch.
Megalania
Lizards aren’t always scary, they’re normally small, and skittery, and they’re usually more afraid of you than you are of them! But 2.5 million years ago, that would definitely have been the other way around.
Because in Australia, during the Pleistocene era, the largest terrestrial lizard to have existed was prowling over the sands: The Megalania. It could reach a colossal 23 feet long and weighed up to 4,300 lbs. So, at its biggest, it weighed the same as an average car!
Hunting was hardly a problem either, with its serrated, blade-like teeth and heavy-set limbs. Though short, the width of its shoulders offered it great stability and even greater speeds, with it being able to sprint up to 10 feet per second. There’s even a possibility that Megalania was scarier than it already sounds.
Even though it seems unlikely some closely related species of that lizard have been found to possess an incredibly potent venom inside jaw glands, which, if Megalania had them, would have acted as a nasty anticoagulant. That means that it would have increased the prey’s bleeding, decreased its blood pressure, and led to systemic shock.
