Rhamphosuchus vs. Megalodon: Who Would Win in a Fight?

Have you watched monster movies such as Godzilla: King of Monsters, King Kong, or Jurassic Park? Well, if you have watched these films, you have probably wondered what it would look like for some of these massive beasts to battle each other. But did you know that real-world monsters once existed? The largest shark to ever live was the megalodon, which was essentially a gargantuan great white shark. And the biggest known crocodile to ever live was the rhamphosuchus. These creatures lived around the same time, and both became extinct around 2-3 million years ago, so it is very probable that they crossed paths at some point. 

Let’s imagine a scenario where the rhamphosuchus and megalodon get into a fight. Which animal would have the upper hand? Which animal would ultimately kill or brutally maim the other?

I will break this down below.

Rhamphosuchus vs. Megalodon — A Comparison 

First, let’s look at the size, physical characteristics, and behavior of these animals.

Key Differences 

When you think of a megalodon, the first thing that comes to mind is its size and weight and whether any other animal would be able to match it in terms of predatory instinct. The megaladon weighed about 100,000 lbs and was about 60-70 feet long. It is the largest shark ever discovered and one of the largest fish.

On the other hand, the rhamphosuchus was half the weight of the megalodon at around 55,000 lbs and shorter in length, measuring about 50-60 feet on average.

More is known about the megalodon because more complete fossils and jawlines have been discovered. We know that it was a fierce apex predator with little competition in the sea at the time of its existence. The megalodon was extremely fast and had a huge amount of massive razor-sharp teeth. It is hard to imagine anything wanting to pick a fight with this beast.

However, if any animal in history were to challenge the megalodon, the rhamphosuchus would be the one to do it. This enormous crocodile was highly muscular and possibly had one of the strongest bites of all time.

In terms of physical features, the bodies of the two animals were very different. While the megalodon was an ancient ancestor of the great white shark, the rhamphosuchus was a type of crocodile. Both had terrifying teeth and jaws, but the rhamphosuchus likely had legs with claws and could also crawl out of the water and hunt on land.

A fight between these two legendary beasts would be brutal and gruesome, and it is hard to say which animal would come out on top. But let’s break down what a fight between these predators would look like!

The Fight

It is unlikely that these two animals would ever fight each other independently, but for the sake of entertainment, let’s imagine we have gone back in time and isolated both creatures in a body of water.

One of the monsters is bound to eventually get territorial and aggressive. So, a fight to the death will ultimately break out.

The two giants begin to circle one another, maneuvering around and thinking of the best way possible to attack. The megalodon is a much faster and larger creature, but the rhamphosuchus has a massive, strong tail that it can use to fend off attacks from the massive shark.

The rhamphosuchus would probably attack the tail or the fins of the megaladon as these are weak areas that will keep the crocodile away from the deathly jaw of the shark.

While the rhamphosuchus can do some damage, the megaladon is advantageous in almost every way.  All the megaladon has to do to finish the battle is wrap its gigantic jaws around the crocodile and bite into it with its 250-plus-sized teeth. The thick hide of the crocodile can handle a lot of damage, but the nearly 180,000-newton bite of the megaladon would certainly pierce the rhamphosuchus’s skin and kill it.

This is not to say that the megaladon is going to swim away from this fight unscathed. The rhamphosuchus was still a massive predator that could wound the megaladon to a great extent. To say the least, there is going to be a cocktail of monster blood in the water after this fight.

A Winner Emerges

If there is one thing the rhamphasuchus or anyone can take away from this article, it is: don’t anger a megalodon. A megalodon would win a fight against the rhamphosuchus and pretty much any sea creature to ever live. In fact, in most cases, all it would take is one deep bite. The megalodon’s weight is nearly double that of the rhamphosuchus, and it can swim much faster. The megalodon’s high speed, deep cuts, and large number of massive teeth dramatically improve its ability to outdo its prey and competitors every time.

Animals That Could Take Down a Megalodon

If it would take a megalodon only one deep bite to kill most sea creatures, including the rhamphasuchus, it would take an extraordinary and unusual animal to take down a megalodon.

We can find such an animal if we consider one that also lived during the time of the rhamphasuchus and the megalodon: the Livyatan.

In essence a giant sperm whale-like creature, a Livyatan would be able to overpower a megalodon due to the advantage it would have in terms of size (it’s believed it weighed up to 62 tons and could grow to 57 feet in length), speed, bigger teeth and better endurance in combat.

Killer whales might be able to take on a megalodon, but only if they were in a pod, allowing them all to surround the megalodon and cause it to die slowly from multiple, sustained biting attacks.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Catmando/Shutterstock.com