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Did you know that, even before humans came into being, our planet was dominated by some of the most bloodthirsty predators? From vicious mega mammals to giant venomous lizards and huge terror birds, there is something inherently fascinating about these big animals that once lived on Earth. While these deadly species, which once called our planet home, no longer exist they did add to the Earth’s magnificent wildlife.

Here are a few particularly awesome giants that are now extinct

Daggers for teeth

Also known as smilodon, the sabre-toothed tiger was one of the most iconic predators from pre-history. The last known specimen died about 13,000 years ago, a little after human beings are thought to have arrived in North America. Smaller than the modern lion — it was 1.5m long and 1m high — the smilodon was solidly built and heavier at around 200kg. Its fearsome dagger-like teeth grew to 20cm in length allowing it to hunt prey three times its size.

Terror on wings

Discovered in the sunshine state of Florida, the U.S., scientists called this North American flightless bird Titans. Standing at two and a half metres, it was as tall as an ostrich. Its beak was 18 times larger than a Golden Eagle’s and connected to a head the size of a horse. It was suspected that these giant birds used to hunt horses weighing up to 160 kg. But how did this bird actually kill a horse? Being too heavy to fly, it needed clawed feet to move around. So, its hunting weapon was its huge hatchet-shaped beak. Also, its height and long neck gave it a long reach, helping it spot its prey from a distance, while its long, powerful legs provided speed and acceleration.

Giant ripper Megalania

This five-and-a-half-metre giant was the largest lizard ever to walk on Earth and terrorised Australia 50,000 years ago. Megalania had teeth that were curved like hooks and jaws designed to kill. In addition to the razor-sharp teeth, its skull bones were fused together, reinforcing it, and the tip of the nose was tilted upwards like a crocodile. Weighing 580 kg, this ‘giant ripper’ was six times heavier than the largest lizard alive today — the Komodo dragon. It could easily hunt its prey, the diprotodon, a rhino-sized mammal weighing over two and a half tonnes. Another weapon was its venomous bite, which resulted in uncontrollable blood loss The combination of its teeth and venom made it one of the ultimate predators of its time.

Deinosuchus

These dreadful crocodiles lived in North America alongside the dinosaurs. With a two-metre-long head and a body that would run to about 40ft in length, the deinosuchus was a massive creature. To sustain its nine tonne-body, the deinosuchus had a huge appetite. Scientists believe that this monster crocodile could consume the mass of four horses in a single sitting, and hunt down smaller dinosaurs, weighing up to three and a half tonnes. It had a huge jaw, with a bite force of about 150 tonnes, which can easily rip apart a metal car. Armed with these extraordinary jaws, the Deinosuchus could crush to death any animal it came across.