Previously unknown ‘witch croc’ stalked New Mexico on two feet: It was the size of an ostrich, and had no teeth

A newly identified prehistoric reptile that once roamed what is now New Mexico looked more like an ostrich-sized dinosaur than a crocodile relative. Scientists recently described the species, called Labrujasuchus expectatus, in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Researchers nicknamed it the “witch croc” because its fossils came from Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, an area once known by the Spanish name “Ranchos de los Brujos,” or “Ranch of the Witches.”

Researchers say the animal lived about 212 million years ago during the Late Triassic period. At the time, dinosaurs had only recently emerged, and many reptile groups experimented with body shapes and movement styles that no longer exist today. Unlike modern crocodiles, Labrujasuchus expectatus had no teeth. It had a beak-like mouth, small forelimbs, and long hind legs that allowed it to walk upright.

Researchers said the reptile closely resembled ornithomimosaurs, a later group of fast-running, ostrich-like dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period. Because it was toothless with a beak, researchers note that biomechanical studies of its close relatives suggest their lower jaws were relatively weak, meaning Labrujasuchus likely specialized in eating soft plant material rather than ripping meat.

Years old discovery, new revelations

Despite its appearance, scientists said the creature belonged to a branch of archosaurs related to crocodiles rather than dinosaurs. In materials released by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC), lead author Alan Turner said that the species represented “a very, very distant cousin” of modern crocodiles and alligators.

Paleontologists first uncovered the fossil remains in 2006 at Hayden Quarry in Ghost Ranch, a site known for Triassic-era discoveries. Researchers from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County participated in the excavation. Scientists later determined the remains belonged to a previously unknown species after additional study and comparison with other shuvosaur fossils.

Although they were more closely related to crocodilians than dinosaurs, shuvosaurids evolved many dinosaur-like features, including upright posture and long hind limbs. Scientists describe this phenomenon as convergent evolution, in which unrelated groups independently develop similar physical traits in response to comparable environmental pressures.

Researchers also said Labrujasuchus expectatus fills an important evolutionary gap between earlier and later shuvosaur species found in the American Southwest. The species name “expectatus” comes from the Latin word for “expected,” reflecting scientists’ belief that an intermediate species likely existed in the fossil record.

In the NHMLAC statement, co-author Nate Smith said researchers wanted the name to reflect both the fossil’s discovery and the history of Ghost Ranch. Smith also said paleontologists expected additional shuvosaur species would eventually appear between previously known fossils from older and younger rock layers.

The discovery adds to scientists’ understanding of the Triassic period, which began after Earth’s largest mass extinction event and lasted until roughly 201 million years ago. During that era, reptiles diversified into a wide range of forms before dinosaurs became the planet’s dominant land animals.

Ghost Ranch has long attracted paleontologists because of its rich fossil deposits. The region also became famous through the paintings of artist Georgia O’Keeffe, who lived and worked in northern New Mexico for decades.