Euchambersia

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Euchambersia
Fossil range: Late Permian - Early Triassic

Euchambersia and its prey, a dicynodont

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Synapsida
Order:	Therapsida
Suborder:	Therocephalia
Genus:	Euchambersia

Euchambersia was a "mammal-like reptile" (order Therapsida) of the suborder Therocephalia that lived during the Late Permian epoch, approximately 250 million years ago, in what is now South Africa.

Euchambersia was a unique therocephalian. Euchambersia may have poison glands on its canine teeth. Unlike snakes, the teeth of Euchambersia were adapted to inject venom to kill its prey. A recess behind each canine tooth housed the venom gland, while grooves down the outer sides of the canine teeth delivered the venom into the puncture wound. ^[1]

[edit] In Popular Culture

Euchambersia made an appearance in Walking with Monsters. Here, it was seen hunting Lystrosaurus in packs while the herd passed through a canyon. It is depicted as being nocturnal and having poison more potent than that of a black mamba or a king cobra. The model used for the Euchambersia was the same model that was used for the cynodont that appeared in the first episode of Walking with Dinosaurs