While they were once prey, the amphibians now rule the Carboniferous as top predators. One of these apex hunters is Proterogyrinus. Now ruling the swamps, these amphibians patrolled their turf, devouring any large arthropod they could get their jaws on.

Basic info

Meaning of name: Proterogyrinus means "earlier wanderer".

Time of existance: Proterogyrinus lived in the Carboniferous period, 325 million to 320 million years ago.

Diet: Proterogyrinus primarily fed on the giant arthropods that thrived in the Carbiniferous swamps, such as Arthropleura and Meganeura.

Threats: Proterogyrinus, being the top predator, had no real threats. Even the sudden storms and fires weren't too dangerous to them, as they primarily lived near the water.

Size: Proterogyrinus was about 7 to 8 feet long.

Attributes: Proterogyrinus was a very strong animal. Not only was it a strong enough swimmer to leap out of the water to catch the flying giants like Meganeura, but they were also strong enough to knock over the even larger Arthropleura. They also had many razor sharp teeth to help them eat.

A Proterogyrinus fights an Arthropleura

Appearances in the Walking with... series

Episode 1-Water Dwellers

Proterogyrinus makes two appearances in the opening synopsis, once where it is seen exiting the water to fight an Arthropleura, and later where a couple are seen lunging out of the water to catch some Meganeura. Proterogyrinus also makes a very brief appearance in the credits, where it is seen preparing to battle an Arthropleura.

Episode 2-Reptile's Beginnings

Proterogyrinus appears throughout the Carboniferous segment of the episode, although they are only referred to as "amphibians". Proterogyrinus first appears near the lake, where a pair of them is seen fighting over something, most likely territory. It is explained that they now rule the swamp without any true predators, unlike their Hynerpeton ancestors. A Mesothelae decides to look for a home near the swamp, but is immediately driven away when she sees the two potential predators duking it out. However, she ends up disturbing an Arthropleura, who goes to forage for food, only to run into a very hungry Proterogyrinus. The millipede rears up to attempt to frighten the predator away, although this is in vain. The amphibian attempts to bite through the giant's armor a couple times, but it is far too strong for its jaws. However, the amphibian ends up successfully flipping the giant over, directly onto a sharp stump. The Arthropleura is impaled and dies, and the amphibian immediately begins to feed. Proterogyrinus makes one last appearance in the episode during the storm, where a couple of them are seen trying to catch the fleeing dragonflies. They succeed in catching a few, but the majority of the Meganeura are able to escape. Sadly, Proterogyrinus and its amphibian descendants wouldn't rule the world after the Carboniferous ended, as the swamps would begin to disappear.

A Proterogyrinus tries to catch a Meganeura