Ophiacodon

Name meaning:

Snake tooth

Period of life:

307.0—272.3 million years ago

Period:

Carboniferous period

Habitat:

Floodplains

Taxonomy:

Synapsids

Countries:

Carboniferous period Ophiacodon | 3D Dinopedia

Pederpes

Archaeothyris

Ophiacodon (307.0—272.3 million years ago)

What the name means: “snake tooth”

Ophiacodon is a genus of extinct synapsids that lived approximately 307–272.3 million years ago during the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian. These animals were among the first large terrestrial predators, reaching lengths of 1.6–3 meters and weights from 26 to 230 kilograms.

They had a distinctive morphology: a massive body, broad rib cage, and powerful, relatively short limbs adapted for stable movement on land.

The skull was one of their most characteristic features—elongated, tall, and narrow, equipped with numerous sharp teeth resembling those of snakes, which gave rise to the name “snake tooth.” These teeth were specialized for tearing flesh, indicating a clearly predatory lifestyle.

An unusual anatomical feature is the presence, in some large individuals, of two temporal openings behind the orbits. This deviates from the typical synapsid condition (a single temporal fenestra) and suggests exceptionally strong jaw musculature and a powerful bite.

The skeleton combined primitive and more derived traits: it was robust enough to support a heavy body, while the vertebrae bore tall neural spines (though not forming a sail).

Although historically interpreted as semi-aquatic, similar to crocodilians, modern studies indicate that Ophiacodon was primarily terrestrial, inhabiting areas near water and feeding on both aquatic and terrestrial prey. It occupied a top trophic position, competing with other large synapsids such as Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus.

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