Eryops megacephalus Skull

Eryops skull. Replica. Size 33 cm. Giant primitive amphibian. Wichita Basin, Texas. Lower Permian, (270 million years).

Eryops (IPA: /ˈɛəriːɒps/) meaning "drawn-out face" because most of its skull was in front of its eyes (Greek eryein = drawn-out + ops = face) is a genus of extinct, semi-aquatic amphibian found primarily in the Lower Permian-aged Admiral Formation (about 295 million years ago) of Archer County, Texas, but fossils are also found in New Mexico and parts of the eastern United States. Eryops averaged a little over 5-6 feet (1.5-2.0 m) long, making it one of the largest land animals of its time. It weighed about 200 lbs. It probably had few predators though it would have likely been an easy target for a predator like Dimetrodon which was larger and was likely the apex predator the time.