The voracious Triassic terror
Postosuchus was a large, 4-6 metre long, 3/4-1 tonne Rauischian Archosaur from the Late Triassic Period, with dagger-like teeth up to 7-8 cm long. They were the apex terrestrial predators in their Triassic habitat. It was the largest predator of the region of North America in which it is found (although a South American 'big brother' of Postosuchus, called Fasolasuchus tenax, is known to have been an 8-11 metre long, 2 tonne giant, only surpassed by the largest Theropod Dinosaurs)
Triassic hunters[]
Adult Postosuchus were afraid of nothing - except perhaps, other, larger Postosuchus. It went extinct at the end of the Triassic, possibly because of competition from dinosaurs, its close Archosaurian cousins - though it should be noted that there was also a huge extinction event at the Triassic-Jurassic Period boundary, which killed off thousands of species of ancient reptiles and amphibians as well as others, so generally it could be assumed that Postosuchus (or at least, relatives of Postosuchus), may just be another casualty of this. What is certain, is that the crurotarsan archosaurs to which Postosuchus belongs, were formidable palaeo-ecological rivals to the Dinosauria, and their decline and later demise must have surely been to the benefit of the 'upstart' Dinosaurs.
Walking With Dinosaurs[]
Postosuchus featured in the first episode of the series - New Blood. A female of the species played a prominent role. She was first seen attacking a Placerias. She successfully killed it, but was gored by a Placerias' tusk, on her leg. Then she was chased out of her territory by a healthy male Postosuchus, as she was unable to fight with her wounded leg. Finally, as she died, she was eaten by a pack of Coelophysis. What may well be her skull is glimpsed as a prop in the deserts (perhaps showing the forested area she died in had at least temporarily turned to desert) If not, it is still definitely of another Postosuchus, as the skull is unique.
The mature female Postosuchus quenches her thirst in the wet season.
The mature female Postosuchus, the prominent animal in focus during this episode, shown drinking from her local river in what is now Arizona (filming location, being New Caledonia)
Specials[]
Postosuchus didn't appear in any specials.