Mystery reptile loose in county?
July 30, 2002
By Katharhynn Heidelberg
Journal Staff Writer
Could the Southwest be home to a mysterious new species of reptile?
Nick Sucik, a private researcher from Minnesota, thinks it’s possible. Sucik has been tracking sightings of an elusive lizard-like creature ever since hearing tales of "river dinosaurs" from those involved in the legally sketchy "reptile trade."
The "dino" is said to walk exclusively on its hind legs; to stand about 3 feet tall; and to have armlike appendages instead of forelegs. The reptile usually is seen near a wet environment and moves swiftly, with grace, Sucik said.
Reports of sightings trickled in, first in Pagosa Springs in 1982, then in Pueblo, Sucik said.
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The descripition makes me think of coelophysis, a predecessor of some of the mesozoic's biggest therapods like t-rex. Coeplophysis lived during the Triassic period, over 100 million years ago.
Full Version: Arizona, dinosaur on the loose?
well for example, Frilled Neck Lizards run on two legs (if i recall correctly) so perhaps this is not a dinosaur as such, but an unknown reptile which when startled sprints on two legs.
The basilisk. Found in South America, this lizard is also called the "Jesus Lizard". Why? Because they can run so fast that they can run across water.
Maybe it was something like this little guy
some sort of celurosaur. maybe a raptor? troodn seems likely.
| QUOTE (man_in_mudboots @ Feb 20 2004, 02:39 PM) |
| some sort of celurosaur. maybe a raptor? troodn seems likely. |
Only problem with it being troodon is that so far, all raptors/dromaeosaurs are proving to be feathered, unless it's not as common in the bigger raptors. Also the thought of it being a frilled neck lizard seems kinda off since that lizard isn't close to three ft tall, as the creature in he article is said to be. I'm all
for it possibly being a new species of lizard and not a dinosaur though. Or maybe someone just shaved an emu, stuck a tail on it and painted it green. 
Just for reference here is an image of coelophysis from the BBC/Discovery channel's Walking With Dinosaurs. Speaking of which, this little guy is also my fav dino. 
| QUOTE |
| The basilisk. Found in South America, this lizard is also called the "Jesus Lizard". Why? Because they can run so fast that they can run across water. Maybe it was something like this little guy |
That would certainly be more logical that a living dino
What would be illogical about a dinosaur type creature existing? The belief of the extreme age of dinosaur remains is based off a faulty method; that has been known to classify freshly killed clams as 8,000 years old! It is not really a stretch of the imagination to allow for the sevival of a speciman we all know to have existed.
i think the celurosaurs much more likley to survive, naveed. coelophysidae went extinct in the middle jurrasic. the celurosaurs cotninued on in almost all parts of the world until the KT event. if the ceolophysidae didnt go extinct, as you think, there is a huge gap in the fossil record without their dead. the celurosaurs would have only had to survive half as long as the ceolophysidae to be alive now. be realistic.
| QUOTE (man_in_mudboots @ Feb 22 2004, 03:11 PM) |
| i think the celurosaurs much more likley to survive, naveed. coelophysidae went extinct in the middle jurrasic. the celurosaurs cotninued on in almost all parts of the world until the KT event. if the ceolophysidae didnt go extinct, as you think, there is a huge gap in the fossil record without their dead. the celurosaurs would have only had to survive half as long as the ceolophysidae to be alive now. be realistic. |
Actually I wasn't saying that it would definitly be a coelophysis, I was pointing out that it resembled one, and also isn't coelophysis a type of coelosaur?
| QUOTE (Nxt2Hvn @ Feb 20 2004, 05:39 AM) |
| The basilisk. Found in South America, this lizard is also called the "Jesus Lizard". Why? Because they can run so fast that they can run across water. Maybe it was something like this little guy |
Hmmm... I never pictured Jesus having to move that fast to get across the water. I pictured more of a cool stroll...
Just a joke folks...put down the pitchforks...
It reminds me of the biginning of the novel Jurassic Park. I agree, it could be some smaller species of dinosaur. Maybe one that scavenged or stole eggs from nests so it wouln't be as aggressive as a raptor and go unnoticed until now.
| QUOTE (Naveed @ Feb 23 2004, 01:28 AM) |
| Actually I wasn't saying that it would definitly be a coelophysis, I was pointing out that it resembled one, and also isn't coelophysis a type of coelosaur? |
no, ceolophysis belongs ot a very primative line of dinosaurs called ceeratosauria, ceolurosaurs are part of the ceolurosaurs, with oviraptorosauria, maniraptors, and struthiomimadae, all of which are tetanrea. meaning in english that ceolophysis belongs to a simple group of simple dinos, while celurosaurs belong to the other, more advanced, opposite half of the theropod dinosaur groups.
| QUOTE (fluffybunny @ Feb 23 2004, 02:13 PM) | ||
Hmmm... I never pictured Jesus having to move that fast to get across the water. I pictured more of a cool stroll... |
Another member of the 6 horsemen of apocalypse trying to take over the thread. Together with Nxt2Hvn
I think we need more evangelist here. Our lockmaster does no longer do her job well
| QUOTE (Naveed @ Feb 21 2004, 05:23 AM) |
| so far, all raptors are proving to be feathered, unless it's not as common in the bigger raptors. |
i repeat, only 7 dinosaur genus (note: genus) have been absolutly proven to have feathers. non-feathered dinos are often pictured with feathers by creative artists. there are alot of others that have been declared invalid because of being mistaken for other dinos, having illusions of feathers, or been decided to be true birds.
If it is a dino, it is possible for it to be a kind of raptor. The climate is right (arid, dry), and there is lots of little lizards and other animals to serve as it's food.
Naveed, ceolophysis is another good candidate, because there were several uncovered on a ranch in Tombstone in the 40's.
Naveed, ceolophysis is another good candidate, because there were several uncovered on a ranch in Tombstone in the 40's.
i reapet myself, ceolophysis is not a good canidate because of hhte enourmous gap of time without their fossils......in other words......they are truly extinct and the fossil record proves it.
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