Saltoposuchus is an extinct genus of small, long-tailed crocodylomorph reptile (Sphenosuchia), from the Norian (Late Triassic) of Europe. The name translated means "leaping foot crocodile". It was commonly (and incorrectly) referred to in popular literature as the ancestor (or close ancestors) to dinosaurs; however, recent scientific research shows that this is not the case. It has been proposed that Terrestrisuchus was a juvenile junior synonym of Saltoposuchus, due to the similar anatomy and comparatively larger and more robust constitution of the latter, but several apparent anatomical differences between the two have been identified. All the known specimens come from juvenile individuals. Saltoposuchus has a long pointed skull and sharp, flattened teeth adapted for carnivory. Saltoposuchus was likely fast and nimble. In the wrists of Saltoposuchus, the radiale and ulnare are elongated into rod shaped elements instead of being button-shaped, which is a shared characteristic among crocodylomorphs. Both species were found in the Burrer Quarry, Pfaffenhofen, which is an Alaunian terrestrial sandstone/marl in the Löwenstein Formation of south-west Germany. The Löwenstein Formation has been dated back to 215.6 - 212.0 Ma, which dates back to the Late Triassic Period. Fossils have also been found in the Trossingen Formation (also located in Germany), and the Lossiemouth Sandstone formation. Both species were found to be synonymous in a 2023 study conifer forests started to recover, species started occupying and thriving in newly found ecological niches,