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Description
I must admit I am happy how this turned out. It is similar in size to the Nile crocodile, although probably less massive, two thirds of its length are quite thin and snake-like.
The creature doesn't have a fused rostrum, sometimes nicknamed a false head, but the same bones form a set of powerful pseudojaws, incorporating the true jaws into the structure, although the true mouth is nothing more than a lamprey-esque esophagus-like funnel lined with sharp toothplates at the base of each of the pseudojaws, leading into the chest via two separate esophagi.

the pseudojaws can partially retract into the chest, they are launched forward when the creature attacks. there is a slit in the front of each pseudojaws to create a clear shot for a pair of barbed tentacle arms, which can pierce deep through the body wall of prey. they are not used all the time, being most useful for catching small swift soft-bodied prey in air and water alike.

the predator can achieve a firm grip on any large herbivore who comes to drink by a quick snap of its large serrated pseudojaws without any assistance of these internal barbs.

the "periscope" houses six eyes arranged in such a way that four can observe above the water surface and one pair can observe under the water surface and a nostril between them. as opposed to the pseudojaws, this structure can retract into the body completely, it fits perfectly between the shoulder flares of its shell and thus leaves the creature with a clean streamlined outline much more suitable for swimming.

Description
I must admit I am happy how this turned out. It is similar in size to the Nile crocodile, although probably less massive, two thirds of its length are quite thin and snake-like.
The creature doesn't have a fused rostrum, sometimes nicknamed a false head, but the same bones form a set of powerful pseudojaws, incorporating the true jaws into the structure, although the true mouth is nothing more than a lamprey-esque esophagus-like funnel lined with sharp toothplates at the base of each of the pseudojaws, leading into the chest via two separate esophagi.

the pseudojaws can partially retract into the chest, they are launched forward when the creature attacks. there is a slit in the front of each pseudojaws to create a clear shot for a pair of barbed tentacle arms, which can pierce deep through the body wall of prey. they are not used all the time, being most useful for catching small swift soft-bodied prey in air and water alike.

the predator can achieve a firm grip on any large herbivore who comes to drink by a quick snap of its large serrated pseudojaws without any assistance of these internal barbs.

the "periscope" houses six eyes arranged in such a way that four can observe above the water surface and one pair can observe under the water surface and a nostril between them. as opposed to the pseudojaws, this structure can retract into the body completely, it fits perfectly between the shoulder flares of its shell and thus leaves the creature with a clean streamlined outline much more suitable for swimming.