Nothosaurus

(no-tho-SAWR-us)


Nothosaurus means "false lizard"

Nothosaurus was not a dinosaur.

It was a long-necked, lizard like aquatic reptile.

No thosaurus was up to 13 feet long.

It had powerful legs and a strong tail that made

Nothosaurus a very strong swimmer.

It also had sharp, pointed teeth which made

its jaws into a fish trap.

Nothosaurus made its home on the shores of Tethys,

where Poland is today, 210 million years ago,

during the Triassic Period.

The female laid her eggs on land. Many fossils of young Nothosaurus have been

found in what were once caves. Caves were perhaps the safest

place to lay eggs since few creatures lived in caves.