Liopleurodon, the "Smooth-Sided
Teeth," was a genus of marine
reptiles, specifically of short-
necked plesiosaurs called pliosaurs.
Liopleurodon's long skull was 
approximately one-fifth of its total 
length; therefore, the largest
known specimen, with a head length
of 126 centimeters, was gigantic at
over six meters long. Although this 
is certainly a large size, it stands 
in stark contrast to BBC's popular 
but erroneous depiction of it as a 
25-meter-long monster. Liopleurodon 
had four strong, paddle-like limbs 
that propelled it forward quickly, 
a feature that 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
even other plesiosaurs, like 
Cryptoclidus, which have been found
preserved with Liopleurodon bite 
marks.
