Champsosaurus

Champsosaurus Temporal range: Campanian–Paleocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
C. natator skeleton, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	†Choristodera
Suborder:	†Neochoristodera
Genus:	†Champsosaurus Cope, 1877
Species
C. albertensis Parks, 1927 C. ambulator Brown, 1905 C. annectens Cope, 1876 (nomen dubium) (type) C. dolloi Sigogneau-Russell, 1979 C. gigas Erickson, 1972 C. laramiensis Brown, 1905 C. lindoei Gao & Fox, 1998 C. natator Parks, 1933 C. norelli Brownstein, 2022 C. tenuis Erickson, 1981
Synonyms
C. australis Cope, 1881 [nomen vanum] C. brevicollis Cope, 1876 [nomen vanum] C. inelegans Parks, 1933 C. inflatus Parks, 1933 C. profundus Cope, 1876 [nomen vanum] C. puercensis Cope, 1882 [nomen vanum] C. saponensis Cope, 1882 [nomen vanum]

Champsosaurus is an extinct genus of crocodile-like choristodere reptile, known from the Late Cretaceous and early Paleogene periods of North America and Europe (Campanian–Paleocene). The name Champsosaurus is thought to come from champsai, (χαμψαι) said in an Ancient Greek source to be an Egyptian word for "crocodiles", and sauros, (σαύρος) Greek for "lizard". The morphology of Champsosaurus resembles that of gharials, with a long, elongated snout. It was native to freshwater environments where it likely preyed on fish, similar to living gharials.