Liopleurodon, the "Smooth-Sided
Teeth," was a genus of marine
reptiles, specifically of short-
necked plesiosaurs called pliosaurs.
Liopleurodon's long skull acted was
exactly one-fifth of its total 
length; therefore, the largest
known specimen, with a head length
of one hundred and twenty-six 
centimeters, was gigantic at over 
six meters long. This stands in 
stark contrast to BBC's popular but
erroneous depiction of it as a 
twenty-five meter long monster.
Liopleurodon had four strong, 
paddle-like limbs that propelled it 
forward quickly, which is common
amongst plesiosaurs. With the great 
acceleration provided by its
flippers and a keen sense of smell, 
liopleurodon may have been an
ambush predator.

With fossils found all across 
Europe, liopleurodon prowled the
waves of the middle to late
Jurassic island continent. As an 
apex predator, it struck fear into 
the hearts of any creature that may 
have crossed its path. It was a 
piscivore and a carnivore with its 
diet including giant Jurassic 
fishes, sharks, ichthyosaurs, and in
dire times, even other pliosaurs 
fell to its precarious appetite.
