Australia's extinct animal, Tingamarra Swamp Crocodile Click to enlarge image
The Tingamarra Swamp Crocodile hunted small vertebrate animals such as mammals, turtles, snakes and fish. It belongs to an ancient group of crocodiles whose relationships to living crocodiles are unclear. Image: Dr Anne Musser
© A Musser

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Kambara
    Species
    implexidens
  • Size Range
    Length (head to tail): 1.5m

Lived

55 million years ago, early Eocene.

Description

The Tingamarra Swamp Crocodile hunted small vertebrate animals such as mammals, turtles, snakes and fish. It belongs to an ancient group of crocodiles whose relationships to living crocodiles are unclear.

Fossils

Fossilised pieces of the skull and other skeleton parts of the Tingamarra Swamp Crocodile have been found at Murgon in south-eastern Queensland.

Did you know?

Two closely related species of crocodile have been found at Murgon. This is an unusual situation, because crocodiles are very territorial - they don't usually tolerate having relatives around.