Reptile
Coelophysis
Coelurus bauriAlso known as Hollow Form Dinosaur, Rio Arriba Theropod
Coelophysis was a slender, agile bipedal hunter equipped with hollow, shock-absorbing limb bones and stereo-vision eyes that made it an exceptionally efficient Triassic predator. Skeletons discovered at dense bonebeds reveal that these early dinosaurs frequently gathered, traveled, and succumbed together in sudden flood events. Their curved neck and sharp, recurved serrated teeth allowed them to pluck swift-moving reptiles, amphibians, and fish directly from prehistoric shorelines.
CarnivorousBipedal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preySmall sphenodontian reptiles, Early cynodonts, Freshwater fish
Predators
- Postosuchus
- Phytosaurs
ThreatsSevere regional droughts, seasonal flash flooding, and rauisuchian predators
HabitatsRiparian floodplains, open river basins, and semi-arid lowlands
Life span10–20 years (estimated)
Classification
- FamilyCoeluridae
- SpeciesCoelurus bauri
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct species known only from Late Triassic fossil deposits.
Responsible observation
- Fossil Viewing: Visit the Ghost Ranch quarry in New Mexico to view complete death assemblages preserved in red siltstone.
- Skeletal Anatomy: Examine museum casts to notice the fused collarbones, an early evolutionary forerunner to the avian wishbone.
Predator Dallas Krentzel / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Image unavailableNeighbor 
Close Relative TotalDino / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
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